My Annoying Opinions
Queen of Puddings, strawberry shortcake, sticky toffee, and more are on their way back
Welcome back to Insta Stories, a column examining the London restaurant scene through the often-problematic medium of Instagram. This week’s filter is informative.
News of the week
The dog days of late summer are often referred to as “silly season”, with the media forced to focus on trite, inconsequential stories for want of actual, meaningful news. And it’s hard not to detect a similar feeling of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ on Instagram this week, with precious little by way of cutting-edge intel making its way onto feeds. Like, Tom Kerridge makes ketchup now? Plaza Pastor has a salsa so spicy they give it to customers for free? It’s basically Vaulter up in here, so bring on the return of Instagram, Serious News source.
gemmabelleats
How do you test a new range of ketchups ... you head to the chippy of course! We’re very excited to tell the world about @cheftomkerridge’s new range of ketchups including ... Gherkin (the much loved ketchup served with the rotisserie beef @kerridgesbandg), Virgin Mary, Chipotle Barbecue, Black Garlic and Fruity Brown Sauce. One of each please! Available to buy from tomkerridge.com and @thebutcherstapmarlow, more to follow! @jenmhampson #cheftomkerridge #tomkerridgeketchups #ketchup #guerkinketchup
marthadelacey
All the salsas. Plus the one so hot they give it to you for free #massiveshowoff
Innovation of the week
Some Serious News: One of the best snacks in London being upgraded to that game-changing liminal state between snack and cocktail also occupied by Black Axe Mangal’s deranged smoked eel, vodka, pickled walnuts and horseradish juice combo. Are gourmet picklebacks officially a thing now?
qualitywinesfarringdon
BIG NEWS A few months ago we were featured in an @eaterlondon article about gildas. We’ve been very proud of the fact that people seem to really really like ours and have now gone from maybe having 1 to having maybe 7 in a single sitting. BUT, we felt we could do more. Introducing to you, ‘The Gildaback’. A Gilda with a cold smokey/ briney sip of Mezcal to start with. Based on a pickle back it means you have just as much right having a Gilda at the end of your night as well as the start. Special help from @qualitywinesfarringdon Gilda ambassador @lunchluncheon who shows exactly how it should be enjoyed. £5.50 all in. Am sure we’ll see you later *Disclaimer: @lunchluncheon was not paid for this, except with a massive hug*
Sunday funday, but make it a Saturday of the week
To Coal Drops Yard, for the latest in semi-sporadic wine fair Wine Car Boot’s series of ambulatory piss-ups. Whatever the arguments against mega-developments like Coal Drops, this particular mega-development makes for a hell of a backdrop.
ruthspivey_
Round 2 @winecarboot. Today @coaldropsyard⚡
itscharlottewilde
Don’t often post photos of food, but this is a Public Service Announcement so needs must - @winecarboot is now OPEN and @st.john.restaurant are serving 3 different donuts so essentially, Breakfast, Lunch AND Dinner are all covered. DONUT pass up this opportunity . . . - @st.john.restaurant
beckas_bottles
Did you make it to @winecarboot near Kings Cross this weekend? I loved the set up of this event: grab a bottle and sit in the sun with your friends, or get some tasting tickets and work through the fare on offer. I’ll be writing about some of my faves this week. Cheers! . . . . . . . #wine #winelover #instawine #winetasting #womeninwine #winecarboot #coaldropsyard #londonwine #london #weekend #summer #sunshine #govino #vino #wein #bytheglass #whitewine #redwine #kingscross
seventyfivecl
No actual car boots, unfortunately, but still an enjoyable afternoon out under the (temperamental!) British sunshine at @winecarboot. Samples for £1, glasses from £3 – a great way to meet some of the independent wine retailers operating in the UK and taste some of their wares. #wine #winebars #winetasting #london #londonwine #winecarboot
Possible renaissance of the week
The situation was probably never as bad as naysayers with large platforms suggested, but there’s no denying that for the past few years, the noble pudding has endured something of a crisis. Time and price-conscious diners could rarely be bothered to sit around waiting for a whole extra course to emerge; chefs’ apprenticeships were often curtailed before they learned the skills necessary to construct a vertiginous croquembouche; cramped kitchens often had little space for a dedicated pastry chef. Menus soon evolved to reflect these pressures, with a whole new category of dessert — cold, creamy stuff in a bowl, maybe with a few crushed nuts or distinctive pastry ‘crumb’ to lend a little crunch — frequently taking its place alongside a fridge-cold wedge of cheese as the only options available to diners coming to the end of their main course. Fortunately, it seems that this dark interlude is finally coming to a close, with some especially notable examples adorning passes this week. The pudding is dead, long live the pudding.
st.john.restaurant
Queen of Puddings reads like a pastiche of a classic British dessert: breadcrumbs baked in custard, spread with a layer of raspberry jam and topped with meringue. Those who love it, often through fond and misty childhood memories, adore the stuff. We had an email some years ago from a Katie, who had never cooked before, but whose girlfriend was so passionate about Queen of Puddings that she wanted to learn how cook it for her as a birthday surprise. We took her through the recipe from Fergus’ book, with tips, simplifications and reassurances, and the picture she sent us depicting the result was a joy. Katie, wherever you are, we hope you have cooked it many times since. But this is not Katie’s Queen of Puddings, it is ours at Bread and Wine, and it is on the menu tonight. . . . . . . . by our brilliant and beautiful FOH @harrietlangford . #queenofpuddings #britishdessert #raspberryjam #meringue #pudding #traditionaldessert #stjohn #stjohnbreadandwine #spitalfields #dessertfordinner
quovadissoho
The raspberry shortcake in all its glory, on @jeremyleeqv’s new pudding menu. . . . . . #quovadis #quovadissoho #deanstreet #pudding #toplondonrestaurants #eaterlondon #raspberries #shortcake #jeremylee
noblerotbar
Croustade aux Pommes Gascogne on today's Summer Set Lunch Menu. 2 courses £18 3 courses £22 #noblerot #summersetlunch
Envy-inducing holiday snap of the week
[David Hockney sploosh emoji]
jacobkenedy
Where did #summer go?
Redundant question of the week
HYFR
blackaxemangal
Would you like to see a Philly Cheese Steak Sarnie on the Brunch menu @blackaxemangal? Felt filthy...won’t delete later #blackaxemangal
Menu of the week
Geographically, The Remedy is in one of those weird hinterlands that occurs when different areas of London rub up against each other — not quite Marylebone, not quite Fitzrovia, not quite the broader Euston / Kings Cross sprawl. If this document — especially that paccheri dish — is anything to go by, it’s worth seeking out pronto.
theremedylondon
New DINNER Menu! Come to try. #londonfood #tunatartare #octopus #vegetablelover #chocolatedessert #prosciutto
Dish of the week
Cray.
fuchsiadunlop
TBT to these sublime drunken crayfish I ate in Shanghai in June: ice-cold, extraordinary delicious and almost floating in a cloud of dry ice. #chinesefood
Shot of the week
Even more cray.
clerkenwellboyec1
NO WEEKEND PLANS? Go CRAY-CRAY @EkteLondon's annual crayfish party... Available every Saturday night for the next few weeks ~ Bucketloads of giant crayfish, aïoli, salads, *THAT* Västerbotten cheese pie + a beer or glass of wine for £35 pp || TAG your foodie crew & GO! . . . Thanks to @sorenulrikjessen @networklondonpr @bloombergarcade for hosting us & @allthingsmeaty for the hand modelling! #Crayfish #CrayfishParty #Hygge #Summer #Seafood #ScandiFood # # #