Both black and white beers will bring out the best in oysters November 26, 2009 London's connection with oysters goes back as far as the city itself. The eating of oysters in London began in Roman times, when the British product was shipped as far as Rome. They continued to be popular in medieval times, when the church imposed lots of “fish days”, during which seafood had to be eaten [...]
A tale of betrayal and backstabbing in vicious Westminster-on-the-Tiber November 25, 2009 LUSTRUMBY ROBERT HARRISHutchinson, £18.99 ROBERT Harris is the author of best-selling historical novels such as Fatherland and Enigma. In 2003, he wrote the first of his books based in Ancient Rome, Pompeii. This was followed in 2006 by Imperium, the first in a trilogy about the statesman and orator Cicero. Lustrum is the second. It [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS November 25, 2009 PERFECT THOSE CARVING SKILLS Roast turkey may be a central part of the Christmas experience, but it can be ruined by bad carving. Just in time, Sloane Square’s historic department store, Peter Jones, is coming to the aid of inexperienced carvers with a couple of carving tutorial sessions next month. Head Chef Chris Mclean will [...]
Best of British November 24, 2009 I’M CURRENTLY feeling like a WAG. To clarify, this is purely down to my current motor, and not because I’ve hooked up with a Chelsea striker. You see I’m driving around in a Bentley (times are hard). I haven’t been in one for a long time and I’ve always associated them with elder statesmen, people [...]
Keep your festive drinking in control November 23, 2009 ONE MINUTE we’re told that drinking alcohol in any quantity is bad for us; the next it appears that red wine is like mother’s milk and should be consumed with gay abandon. Only last week a Spanish study commissioned by the Basque Public Health Department was published, saying that men who drank up to 11 [...]
How to control Xmas party damage November 23, 2009 THE revelry of the Christmas season always carries the same sting in its tail: hangovers, weight gain and liver strain. On average, people gain five pounds over the four-week period, the result of consuming 500 extra calories a day (a few handful of crisps, a mini sausage roll, a couple of glasses of wine and [...]
An East End gastropub on the up November 23, 2009 The Princess of Shoreditch76 Paul Street EC2A 4NE,Tel: 020 7729 9270Cost per person without wine: £34 THE NEWLY revamped Princess of Shoreditch describes itself as a “gastropub and restaurant”, which might be seen as having your cake and eating it, but the owners have grand ideas. In the bar downstairs you can get souped-up pub [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS November 23, 2009 QUAGLINO’S BACK ON FORMQuaglino’s, the vast St James’s dining establishment that was the fashionable cornerstone of the Conran empire in the nineties, is aiming to bring back the buzz with a new chef, an enhanced look and a bit of live entertainment. Belgian cook Konrad Inghelram arrives having worked at Michelin-starred establishments back home, and [...]
THREE OTHER EAST END FAVOURITES November 23, 2009 BOUNDARYConran’s smooth Shoreditch cellar has become one of East London’s favourite restaurants in which to see and be seen while eating classic French food with the odd twist, such as a kale served as a main-event dish. There’s an extensive seafood section and a daily rotisserie serving glistening, fresh slabs of meat. 3 Boundary St, [...]