I Like Bodean's But ... (Qype does London)

I Like Bodean’s But …
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 3rd 2009



Don’t get me wrong; I like BoDean’s (especially their wings). But they could learn a thing or twelve from world famous master of the pit, Big Bob Gibson. As I said in my last post ...

Read the complete I Like Bodean’s But … at Qype does London.

“London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee (Qype does London)

“London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 2nd 2009



Driving around Chattanooga, Tennessee the other day I happened upon the above pictured van advertising Tugboat “London Style” Fish & Chips. I thought all you folks back in the UK would get a kick out of it.

Read the complete “London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee post at Qype does London.

What was for Lunch in 2008 (Londonist)

What was for Lunch in 2008
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
January 31, 2008



How was lunch in 2008? Good, for the most part. Here are a few lessons we're taking away from the last twelve months ...

Read the complete What was for Lunch in 2008 post at Londonist.

What’s for Lunch? Paolina’s (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Paolina’s
by Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
December 23, 2008



The endearingly cartoonish plaque on the endearingly wood panelled wall (just above the “5 EASY STEPS AT PAOLINA” instructions) at this quaint King’s Cross eatery reads “Voted Best Thai Café in the World!” By whom? We dunno, but probably by some sensible folks that like homey food served in a welcoming setting.

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Paolina’s review at Londonist.

What’s for Lunch? Camden Food Co (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Camden Food Co
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
December 16, 2008



Blech. We thought we were doing ourselves a favour (or choosing the least harmful of a handful of sorry options) when we slid into Camden Food Co's Liverpool Street Station franchise on the run and desperate for a spot of lunch. But a few bites into our corned beef, cheddar and pickle sandwich (for only £2.89) and we knew we were no better off than if ...

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Camden Food Co review at Londonist.

What’s for Lunch? Kipferl (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Kipferl
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
December 9, 2008



What a sweet little place that we hope to return to soon! A more than agreeable lunch at Kipferl (London’s only Austrian delicatessen) warmed our already winter-weary hearts with a few of our favourite Alpine treats and tempted our taste buds with a list of homey, Teutonic dishes! We tried the kaesekrainer (pork wurst with cheese inside), three fresh and tasty salads, mustard and rye bread for £6.50 (and have been yodelling its delicious value-for-money virtues since).

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Kipferl review at Londonist.

Outsider Tart Yumminess!

Yesterday I reported for Londonist about Outsider Tart's delicious baked goods (and by report I mean raved). See below for a link to that post. I'm also happy to confirm that my cats, Marmo and Sandokan, gave Outsider Tart's homey treats their seal of approval.

Walnut Brownie Chunk Cookie Goodness from Outsider Tart
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
December 3, 2008



Happiness is a walnut brownie chunk cookie. Don’t believe us? Here. Have a bite of ours and check out its makers: the “new culinary enterprise” Outsider Tart, a hobby-turned-business for David Lesniak and David Muniz, two American business and life partners who’ve set out to rectify what they saw as a dire situation: that “good wholesome, homemade cupcakes, sweet pies and fresh tarts are pretty hard to come by” here in London.

Read the complete Outsider Tart review at Londonist.

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Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. Can't see the pics? Click here to see them all on Flickr.


FYI: Never (ever!) feed sweets - especially chocolate - to cats or dogs. These photos are not meant to suggest that the cats pictured ate any of the food. They didn't (but actually may have got a lick or two in).

What’s for Lunch? Indali Lounge (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Indali Lounge
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
December 2, 2008



Upmarket burgers and downmarket burgers. Cheap pizza and bounteous tapas. Last month’s lunching has Londonist longing to lounge and eager for some healthy eats (especially considering the inescapable festive season’s soon to be in full swing)! So, when coming across an Evening Standard article about Indali Lounge, the so-called “healthiest curry house in world,” opening on Baker Street, we thought that’s one for us!

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Indali Lounge review at Londonist.

Brazilian Wine Tasting at Guanabara

Just a quick word of thanks (with photos!) to TrustedPlaces community manager, Niamh, for inviting me along to a recent Brazilian wine tasting at Guanabara on Parker Street. My fave wine from the evening was the Miolo Lote 43 2004. I also enjoyed the tasty lil coxinha I grabbed for two quid on my way out! Yummy.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

2008 Thanksgiving in London (sort of) (Qype does London)

2008 Thanksgiving in London (sort of)
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
November 27th 2008



Expat American living in London: that’s me. Usually, I’ve made some sort of effort to do something Thanksgiving-y every year I’ve been here … stuff like going out to a nice restaurant (went to Portal last year – no turkey but it was a great meal) for dinner with family and friends or (when it was open) partaking in a sumptuous mound of down home Americana goodness a la (the sadly now defunct) Bubba’s at Spitalfields Market. But this year ...

Read the complete 2008 Thanksgiving in London post at Qype does London.

What’s for Lunch? Hamburger Union (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Hamburger Union
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 25, 2008



A sandwich board advertising “Union Burger, Chips and Coke £5” pulled us into the Hamburger Union near Angel Tube Station thinking something along the lines of “I’m hungry and I have £5.”

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Hamburger Union review at Londonist.

Good Food, Good Friends, Good Oil

Last night I had the honour of dining with Henry Braham and Glynis Murray, their gracious (and top chef!) son Ben, a few of the friendly folks from Splendid Communications and a gaggle of London's food blogging usual suspects:

eat like a girl - Epicurienne - Fake Plastic Noodles - Food Stories - Hollow Legs


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Good times (and Good Oil)! It was awesome hanging out with everybody and a delight to feel so welcome in Henry and Glynis's home. See below for my Londonist write-up.

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London Filmmakers’ Oily Hemp Seed Goodness
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 21, 2008



It’s always inspiring to hear about Londoners making a go of a dream, especially when the dream is based upon a healthy, sustainable idea. Take West Londoners Henry Braham and Glynis Murray for example. Not content to rest on their laurels and relish in their successes in the film industry, Braham and Murray have connected to their farming backgrounds to produce Good Oil, a “high-quality and healthy UK product” made of hemp seed. According to the cinematographer and film producer partners, the reintroduction of hemp seed (one of the oldest crops to be grown in the UK) to British soil was just the inspiration they needed.

Read the complete London Filmmakers’ Oily Hemp Seed Goodness post at Londonist.

Hat and Tun Pub Opens in Clerkenwell (Londonist)

Hat and Tun Pub Opens in Clerkenwell
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 19, 2008



As if Clerkenwell needed another fantastic pub! Londonist wandered over to last night’s grand opening of Hatton Wall’s Hat and Tun.

Read the complete Hat and Tun Pub Opens in Clerkenwell post at Londonist.

What’s for Lunch? Byron (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Byron
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 18, 2008



Of course, with Byron’s “fully traceable grass fed” Aberdeen Angus beef “sourced exclusively from select farms in Morayshire, Scotland,” aged for a minimum of 21 days for “maximum flavour and juiciness,” and “ground daily from select cuts of rump, chuck and brisket,” we don’t mind giving their burgers a few rightful props. However, we are left to ponder just how many f**kin’ cows named Angus have they got hangin’ around up there in Aberdeen (and how do you know when you’re biting into the real deal)?

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Byron review at Londonist.

Galler Luxury Belgian Chocolate at Harrods (Londonist)

Galler Luxury Belgian Chocolate at Harrods
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 17, 2008



Like it or not (ready or not), Christmas is on its way. Hell, it’s already paraded its way through Harrods. And like it or not, there’s a good chance you’ll be parading your way down to Harrods for some festival season elbow jabbing , gift shopping before too long as well. Consider checking out the Galler’s corner of the Harrods Food Halls (or pop over to their newly launched UK website).

Read the complete Galler Chocolate at Harrods review at Londonist.

Fat Duck's Heston Blumenthal: How to Cook Creatively with Sherry

I had a brilliant time at the Heston Blumenthal sherry and food pairing back in September. This six minute cooking video is an excellent reminder of the yummy lessons learned that night:

(P)review: BBC Good Food Show

(P)review: BBC Good Food Show
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 14, 2008



Anyway, if you like large conventions and don’t feel that you’re up on current food and cooking trends, the Good Food Show might be just the thing. Otherwise, if you really want to indulge in a foodie weekend, you’re better off simply heading over to Borough Market or your local farmers market.

Read the complet BBC Good Food Show post at Londonist.

What's for Lunch? Camino (Londonist)

What's for Lunch? Camino
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 11, 2008



Tucked away in a quiet modern courtyard just off anything but quiet Pentonville Road, Camino (like its portions) is huge. It’s an agreeable space too (as long as the kitsch-y if-you-were-in-the-perfect-tapas-bar-in-Spanish-heaven-it’d-look-like-this theme works for ya). We’ll gladly visit Camino again.

Read the complete What's for Lunch? Camino review at Londonist.

Tasty Thai Food and Flavoursome Cocktails at Benja (Londonist)

Tasty Thai Food and Flavoursome Cocktails at Benja
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 7, 2008



Londonist recently got an invite to check out Thai restaurant Benja’s updated menu under new executive chef, Chef McDang. According to the folks at Benja, the updates hint at “what is promised early next year when McDang will create a brand new a la carte menu for Benja.” If that’s the case, then we hope they’ll invite us back to try his a la carte creations.

Read the complete Benja review at Londonist.

Super-Mega-Wow Post-Election Day (Qype does London)

Super-Mega-Wow Post-Election Day
Chris Osburn

Qype does London
November 5th 2008



Okay, without delving too deeply into the political, let’s just say I’m in an especially fantastic mood (if a little groggy) this morning (erm, I mean afternoon).

Read the complete Post-Election Day post at Qype does London.