Kansas Smitty's Bar

Whilst I've loved powering through my enormous London food, drink and fun to-do list since early 2013, my favourite posts are usually related to three ongoing stories:

- Paul & Jack (Anspach & Hobday) graduating from homebrewers to Bermondsey pros

- Joel Braham (The Good Egg) getting closer to his dream of opening a bricks and mortar restaurant

- The continued rise of the incredibly talented Kansas Smitty's on the London scene

Coincidentally, the first two also have musical backgrounds which ties this all together nicely. I first met Blues Brothers Banned trumpeter turned chef Joel on a jazz band tour to Rotterdam; and Paul & Jack may not have become Anspach & Hobday had they found success with Great Dover Street Productions - bit of a reach that one. Anyway, today I'm here to talk about Kansas Smitty's. 

"Putting the danger back in jazz"

I first become aware of them early last year after meeting band leader Giacomo Smith (sax / clarinet) at a gig at Battersea's hidden gem Le Quecumbar. Since then, I've seen them countless times, both as Smitty's Big Four and the full House Band, all over London, from The Dolls House to Ronnie Scott's.

"While the House Band draws its main inspiration from Count Basie’s hard swinging late night jam sessions in 1930s Kansas City, the Big Four is interested in the music of Sidney Bechet and the upbeat swing of New Orleans."

No two shows are ever the same, though the music making is always exceptional.  If there's a tighter swing band currently playing on the London circuit, I'd like to hear them.  Mad Mardi Gras gigs at The Vaults have been known to end with an impromptu victory lap around Waterloo Station, and alongside all of the live shows, an LP has been recorded and is awaiting release later this year.  But the Smitty's have always had their eyes on a bigger prize - their own bar.  

A magical, immersive Backyard BBQ event in Dalston last April proved that they were all over it on the Southern States food & drink front too, and a year later they finally unveiled the Kansas Smitty's Bar underneath Off Broadway on Broadway Market.

Their stripped back basement bar is now open for live jazz and juleps from Tuesday-Sunday, 6pm-midnight, with special "Basement Tapes" ticketed gigs every Wednesday featuring a different Smitty. You can't go wrong, from trumpeter & vocalist "Sweet" Pete Horsfall ("a cross between Billie Holiday and Tony Bennet") to multi-talented, dynamic percussionist Pedro Segundo.

Giacomo & Jack - Gentlemen of Jazz

Joe Webb's Piano

Dave Archer's Gibson

Dave Archer's Gibson

Now these juleps. In quite a coup, Milk & Honey bartender Sean Fennelly was brought in to set things in motion, and he's organised an 8-strong £8 julep jamboree ranging from the Smitty's Julep (Bourbon, Amaro Bitters, Raisin, Peach, Cassia Bark & Mint) to the Jesuit's Bark Julep (Rum, Clove, Pimento, Lime and Grapefruit Peel, Quinine Cordial & Mint).

The booze & botanicals are pre-mixed and left to blend in traditional julep fashion, before being poured over fresh mint and ice.  Bartenders just need to "clap that mint" first and your drink is good to go.

There's something for everyone on the list, but I'd recommend the Morning Joe-lep (Bourbon, Coffee Bean, Stem Ginger, Cardamom, Cocoa Nibs & Bitter Orange Marmalade) or the Sleepytime Julep (Scotch Whisky, Chamomile, Pink Peppercorn, Raspberry, Lemon Peel & Mint).  

If you want to save a few coins, you can stick to house wine and beers (currently New Orleans Dixie Beer with more local brews on the way).  Food is restricted to Giacomo's nuts at the moment, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Most importantly though, it's a great venue for live music, with excellent acoustics and no need for amplification; and crucially, it means I always know where to go if I need a Kansas Smitty's fix, and so do you.  Get down there and support some of London's finest musicians, and don't forget your dancing shoes!

Tuba-man Theon Cross

Giacomo & "Sweet" Pete on the front line

Kansas Smitty's Bar is open 6pm-midnight, Tues - Sun, 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH

Click here to book tickets for Wednesday night "Basement Tapes" gigs

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When Mac Met Cheese at The Shop - Kushi's Tacos at Kitchenette

Wednesday 21st January - Dinner is great isn't it? Do you know what's even better? 

TWO DINNERS.

My economy of travel approach to London normally manifests itself in a pub-restaurant-bar combo of some sort; but when two foodie popups arrive in Kensal Rise in the same week - well, there was really only ever one solution. Double dinner.

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First up was When Mac Met Cheese (a.k.a Sammy Shonn) who has set up shop in The Shop for three months.  

I wrote about Sammy's mac'n'cheese when he popped up in Bayswater last year, and he's started off with the same menu here - Gorgeous Macancinis (deep fried mac and cheese balls with Truffle & Wild Mushroom or Jalapenos & Cheddar), a range of Mac and Cheese twists from Mum's Classic to Carlos the Cactus and Deep Fried Oreos.  You can't go wrong really.

The Shop is a lovely little location, though you may have a bit of a wait for a table.  Hang around the bar with some Brewers & Union Unfiltered Lager and £8-9 cocktails served in jam jars and milk bottles until you can get your cheesy fix.  Sorted.

Details : 16th Jan-16th April-ish, Wed-Fri 6-10, Sat 12-10 & Sun 12-6

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After pre-dinner, it was time for dinner, so Ella (The Little Brown Book) and I skipped down the rise to Kitchenette's "incubator restaurant" space beneath Dock Kitchen.  You may recognise the interior shots from a recent post on The Good Egg's Jerusalem Brunch on the same site.  I can't get enough of the Tom Dixon design, clearly.

Kushi's are one of several young food entrepeneurs that Kitchenette support in various ways, including these rotating residencies in W10.  They'll be in town until 25th February when Zoe's Ghana Kitchen takes over.

Kushi's normally go down a Japanese grilled skewers path, but with no barbecue on site, chef Greg Round has created a Japanese tacos-led menu with umami-filled crispy gyoza shells. 

It's a sharing affair, so just order as much as you think you can handle.  This was about right for two:

Tacos (2 per portion):

- Yuzu Kosho Chicken Thigh, Grilled Corn, Queso Fresco, Crema - £6

- Saamjang Pork Ragu, Crispy Shallot, Chives, Coriander - £6

- Asahi-Battered Coley, Jalapeno, Crema, Napa Cabbage, Grape - £5.50

- Red Miso & Soy Ox Cheek, Shiitake, Karashi Crema, Napa Cabbage - £6.50

- Barley Miso and Chipotle Lamb Shoulder, Pickled Fennel, Feta - £6.50

Small Plates:

- Kushi's Fried Chicken - Gochujang, Sesame - £6.50

- Jerusalem Artichoke Tempura & Nori Mayonnaise - £4.50

Dessert:

- Churros - Kinako & Salted Caramel - £4.50

Jerusalem Artichoke Tempura & Nori Mayonnaise - £4.50

Jerusalem Artichoke Tempura & Nori Mayonnaise - £4.50

Asahi-Battered Coley, Jalapeno, Crema, Napa Cabbage, Grape - £5.50

Yuzu Kosho Chicken Thigh, Grilled Corn, Queso Fresco, Crema - £6 // Saamjang Pork Ragu, Crispy Shallot, Chives, Coriander - £6

Red Miso & Soy Ox Cheek, Shiitake, Karashi Crema, Napa Cabbage - £6.50

Barley Miso and Chipotle Lamb Shoulder, Pickled Fennel, Feta - £6.50

Kushi's Fried Chicken - Gochujang, Sesame - £6.50

Churros - Kinako & Salted Caramel - £4.50

I often find the taco vehicle uninspiring but the crispy gyoza shells were a delight.  Some combinations worked better than others, but most were hits.  I could have eaten the beer-battered coley bites all night. Fishy Jerusalem Artichoke Tempura didn't do it for me, but the KFC (Kushi Fried Chicken) is a must - it's not subtle, but who cares?  As for dessert, I'm never convinced by Churros when you could have squishier doughnuts, but salted caramel sauce is always hard to turn down.

Be sure to wash it all down with a delightful Tutto Vermouth & Tonic or a Sacred G&T for £6.

Kushi's is fun food and everyone should find several dishes to enjoy.  And the Kitchenette site is simply stunning.  Save some time for a trip to the Tom Dixon design showroom, though be prepared to window shop - it's bloody expensive.

So West London is on a bit of a roll.  Here are a few more places to check out nearby:

Borough Wines // Paradise // Parlour // Snaps & Rye // John Doe // Cable Coffee // West Thirty Six

The Good Egg - Christmas in Jerusalem Special

Merry Christmas one and all! I won't take up too much of your festive free time today; this is a short and snappy post.

With any luck, Father Christmas & co. brought you a load of cash that you don't know how to spend, or the holiday season has at least put you in a generous mood.

Either way, The Good Egg needs you!

Fresh from making waves on the London street food & brunch scene, Joel Braham (Top Londoners to watch in 2014 - Evening Standard), Oded Mizrachi (ex-Ottolenghi pastry chef) & friends at The Good Egg are looking to settle down permanently with an all-day brunch café in Stoke Newington.

They are raising the funds through Crowdcube, aiming to collect £180,000 by the end of January. Christmas Day saw them reach 50%, so things are going well, but now they need that big push to the finish.  If you haven't yet had any of their incredible Shakshuka, all the more reason to dig deep! Check out the video below (email readers click here) for more details:

If you need a little more encouragement, here are some photos from a fantastic Christmas in Jerusalem brunch that they put on at the new Kitchenette space in Ladbroke Grove last weekend.

After a little bit of deliberation, we ordered everything on the menu:

Thick cut, house-cured spiced and smoked NY-style Pastrami with Xmas pickles and Russian dressing

Homemade labneh, za'atar and olive oil

Buttermilk fried chicken with za'atar & cranberry and habenero honey

Sweet challah French toast with figs, spiced creme fraiche and date syrup

Cardamom roast squash with rocket, tahini and seeds

Sweetcorn and zucchini latkes with sour cream and homemade guacamole

Brussel sprout salad with feta, pancetta & lemon

Shakshuka with grilled halloumi

Hansen & Lyderson smoked salmon plate with cream cheese, lemon & capers

Fluffy scrambled egg pot

Freshly baked poppy-seed bagels & challah with tahini, olive oil and za'atar

Shakshuka with grilled halloumi

Brussel sprout salad with feta, pancetta & lemon

Thick cut, house-cured spiced and smoked NY style Pastrami with pickles & Russian dressing

Buttermilk fried chicken w/ za'atar & cranberry and habanero honey

Sweet challah French toast w/ figs, spiced creme fraiche and date syrup

One hit after another (that buttermilk chicken...) was washed down with Clementine Mimosas & coffees.  Another day and I might have been up for a Rosemary & Gin Fizz, or a Big Wave Golden Ale (both good signs for booze options at their restaurant), but I was too focused on the food.

What little space we had left was soon full of donuts; homemade Chanukah donuts with eggnog custard to be precise, plus some moreish Babka bread and butter pudding.

Chanukah donuts with eggnog custard

London does brunch, but not like this.  It's going to be a runaway success once it opens, we just need to make sure it has the chance to do so!  Even if you just chuck £10 their way, every little helps.  Get involved if you can on Crowdcube and/or spread the word by sharing this post on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ etc. using the buttons at the bottom of this post.

Eggciting times ahead. Sorry.

Happy Chanukkah faces at The Good Egg Christmas in Jerusalem Brunch at Kitchenette

Ribeira - Fairground - Rotorino

Sunday 13th April - My school friend Will relocated to Exeter a couple of years ago to study medicine at Peninsula so he has missed out on most of The List fun, but every now and then he rocks up for a big outing (you may remember one post that ended up with me wearing Johnny Depp's hat).  Sunday was one of those days...

It started with The Good Egg brunch at Cortado which I wrote about recently here, so I won't go into great detail.  Will was eager to go as he went to university with head chef Joel, and used to play in a jazz band with him back in the day.  Most of Southampton Uni seemed to be there when we visited, devouring Joel's Breakfast Burritos and Shakshuka which were top draw as usual.  They also had a pretty enticing special of Scrambled Eggs & Rhubarb on offer - "Our twist of a classic Syrian breakfast dish - lightly spiced, creamy scambled eggs topped with rhubarb, feta, pomegranates and zhoug with toasted za'atar sourdough."

Scrambled Eggs & Rhubarb at The Good Egg

Harry Tennant art exhibition at The Good Egg at Cortado

Another option for relaxed high quality food in the area is Breddos Tacos who have just set up shop in Trip Kitchen in Haggerston.  Their Mexican / American inspired weekend brunch looks particularly inspired.

Our next stop was The Baring, a great little community pub near Regent's Canal, for a nail (or arm, Luis?) biting 3-2 Liverpool win over Man City that kept Will in a good mood for the rest of the day.  Hackney Brewery American Pale Ale kept me pretty happy too.

After that we wandered along the canal with 4 hours to kill before a highly anticipated dinner at Rotorino at 7.15.  There are a few great al fresco spots in between De Beauvoir Road & Kingsland Road, and we spotted some space at Ribeira Bar & Bistro which relaunched on March 17th.  We powered through a crossword in the sunshine over a couple of Negra Modelos, watching the hipster cyclists flirt with the murky waters.  I could easily spend a whole day here, eating the likes of Ajo blancho, grapes & smoked garlic and Calamari, blood orange & Asian dressing, and nursing a few Smoking Tommy's (El Jimador blanco, agave, lime juice, Lagavulin).

If you can't find space at Ribeira, you have Arepa & Co. (Venezuelan café/bar with funky swinging chairs) and The Proud Archivist (gallery, bar, restaurant, events space) nearby.

We continued our slow approach to Rotorino by heading over to Fairground on Kingsland Road, "a 10 week pop-up spanning 3 floors of a disused office block in East London" full of "food, music & opinions".  

Fairground is the brainchild of Dom Cools-Lartigue, founder of the phenomenally popular Street Feast, so top street food & booze is a given, but you can also expect talks (from the likes of the English Disco Lovers), activities (e.g.. cocktail masterclasses, fruit carving) and music (Glasto Shangri-La warm up on the first weekend).

Fairground on Kingsland Road
Photo Credit : Thomas Bowles

Glastonbury Warm-Up at Fairground
Photo Credit : Thomas Bowles

Sunday is calmer than Saturday, and is free entry all day.  We wandered past Yum Jungle who had a Thai-spiced fried chicken station outside the building next to some table-tennis and foosball tables, and made our way to "The Grandaad Lounge" on the 2nd floor. Andy Oliver's Som Saa was in charge of nourishment here, alongside a bar doing beers (£5 Peronis not ideal) and £9 bottled cocktails.  In contrast to the drinks, Som Saa kept prices very low with all options £5 or lower.

The atmosphere was wonderfully chilled, with small groups sitting around chatting, crafting, and crosswording in a variety of mismatching chairs.  I would like to see some serious coffee & cakes too in future weeks. 

Som Saa at Fairground

The Grandaad Lounge at Som Saa

Level 3 ("The Fairground Diner") was taken over by Busaba Eathai (continuing the Songkran / Thai New Year theme), and it was really buzzing even late-afternoon.  Again the food was great value with all dishes at £6 or less, whilst cocktails here were £10.  I look forward to seeing who else they bring in each week, and I wonder whether the simple but striking décor will change each time too.  They have announced that Weekend 2 will include Yum Bun, Yum Jungle, Bhangra Burger & Smokestak (all Street Feast veterans) and I'm sure Dom has plenty more up his sleeve.

Fairground Diner

Busaba Eathai at Fairground

Busaba Eathai restaurant takover at Fairground Diner

Songkran tradition to sprinkle water over someone's shoulders

Will posing as usual

Keep an eye on Fairground's website & twitter to find out what is on each weekend and check opening times.  Saturday is free before 7pm, £5 7pm-9pm, and £7 after 9pm, whilst Sunday is free entry all day. Also keep checking Street Feast's twitter as they are apparently launching a new night market in South East London soon.

Time for Rotorino? Not quite. In fact, we made two more quick stops before dinner, starting with Duke's Brew & Que, the home of Beavertown beer and some damn fine BBQ food.  We enjoyed some Neck Oil Black Country Pale Ale this time around.

Beavertown Brewery ((so called because of the cockney name for the De Beauvoir area) are in the process of moving out to a massive 10,000 sq ft space in Tottenham Hale where there will be another bar and hopefully some Duke's food too.  Stay updated with their entertaining blog where you can also find out about their altercation with The Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne and the imminent arrival of their cans, starting with Gamma Ray.

Great Beavertown Brewery artwork from Nick Dwyer Illustrations

Beavertown Gamma Ray cans coming soon!

Our penultimate stop was The Fox, a cracking craft beer house with a sunny roof terrace and a beer vending machine (!).  The range of beers is always superb - we went for Re Hop, an excellent American Pale Ale from the Toccalmatto Brewery in Fidenza near Parma in Northern Italy.  With the likes of Brewfist and Birrificio coming through too, I think a beer trip to Italy might be on the cards.

Keg Board at Fox Craft Beer House including 3 Italian breweries

Craft Beer vending machine at The Fox E8

Which brings me finally to... DINNER! Apologies to those who had to scroll through all this way, if there are any of you left. Sister Jo, Sister Em, and Al (my wine spy) joined Will and I for a 4 course Italian feast at Rotorino, a new restaurant & wine bar in Haggerston from the dream team of Stevie Parle (Dock Kitchen), Ruth Spivey (Wine Car Boot / Street Vin) and Jonathan Downey (Milk & Honey / Street Feast).

As we sat down at our very cool, oval shaped central table, we were welcomed with ultra thin bread and glasses of prosecco, allowing us to relax and take in our surroundings.  The décor is classy, funky and suitably East London edgy all at the same time, reminding me of JD's Rotary Room in Old Street (now shut).

If you can't get a booking, there are plenty of seats for walk-ins including a long communal table which can also seat a large group of 26.  The front of the restaurant is home to Rotorino Vino, a wine & cocktail bar that you may want to visit before (and after) your meal.  Ruth was on the floor helping people to come to a boozy decision - if you ask nicely, she might reveal her secret wine list...

We went for bottles of Grecanico Caruso & Mimini 2012 from Sicily and Kalterersee Erste & Neue 2012 from Sudtirol Alto Adige.

Rotorino Vino wine list with an extensive Italian selection

Ruth Spivey's pocket wine list at Rotorino

I always appreciate a short cocktail list, even more so when prices range from £5-£9. Dom Kingsland with Scotch, Cocchi Americano and Benedictine sounds like my kinda drink.

Cocktail list at Rotorino

Food, wine & cocktails at Rotorino

Long communal table for walk ins at the front of Rotorino

Rotorino dining room

Dining booths at Rotorino

The bar at Rotorino

Now, the food.  The menu is split into First, Second & Third sections with Cheese & Sweet separate too. The prices are such that you'd have to be a fool (or just full) not to get a little bit of everything.

Standout plates from the first wave were the Pig's Head Terrine with Mustard Fruit (£3.50) and Chickpea Fritters & Sage Leaves with Anchovy Sauce (£3.50). Three pounds fifty!

Pig's Head Terrine w/ Mustard Fruit at Rotorino

We pushed on to the Secondi with 3 superb pasta dishes, all of which I wanted to instantly order again.  The Pea Gnudi with buffalo ricotta, peas, sage, parmesan and butter (£6.50) disappeared from Will's plate faster than you can say "Nudey!".  Pistachio Casarecce with crushed pistachios, basil, garlic and olive oil (£7.50/£11) is a must for all pesto lovers, and the Sausage Casarecce with slow-cooked sausage, red wine, chilli and breadcrumbs (£7/£11) was a spicy, crunchy plate of heaven.

Pea Gnudi - buffalo ricotta, peas, sage, parmesan & butter

Third courses included a beautifully cooked & seasoned Hanger Steak with Calabrian chilli sauce (£10!) and some Pork & Veal Meatballs with tomato sauce (£9.50) that were bursting with flavour.  The winner though was the Middle White Pork Chop marinated in myrtle, lemon peel and lemon leaf (£14.50) - a generous hunk of tasty meat that Al tried to keep all to himself.

Middle White Pork Chop marinated in myrtle, lemon peel and lemon leaf

Last but not least, we ordered the Cannoli with fennel seed, orange and pistachio (£3.50), Chocolate Cake with honeycomb, crushed pistachios and soured cream (£5), and the Hazelnut Ice Cream (£5). The Cannoli and the Chocolate Cake received the thumbs up from my fellow diners, whilst I was busy working my way through several scoops of delicious gelato covered in crunchy pieces of honeycomb.

Chocolate Cake with honeycomb, crushed pistachios and soured cream

Cannoli with fennel seed, orange and pistachio

Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina to go with dessert

Our time at Rotorino was rather special from start to finish, and I fear my Sunday evenings will now feel incomplete without it.  It's great to see a serious restaurant setting up camp in a pop-up friendly neighbourhood, and making fabulous food affordable for all.  You will be hard pushed to get wine and 4 courses of such high quality for around £30 for dinner elsewhere in London.  This could be a game-changer (I've always wanted to say that).

The epic day did end there, though there's still plenty more that I haven't made it to yet in the area including the new De Beauvoir Tavern cocktail bar and the Mussel Men pop-up in the old Dead Dolls Club space (there til May). 

I'll be back in the area again this Friday (April 18th), though further up the road in Dalston Junction for Kansas Smitty's Backyard BBQ & Single Launch - free entry all day for live music from a rather talented 8 piece jazz band, plus ribs and juleps, from 12pm-2am at Dalston Pond in Gillett Square.  I've also heard rumours of there being some Bourbon & Salted Caramel ice cream from Sorbitium, an Especial Brew from Hackney Brewery, plus Five Points & Kernel beers making an appearance too.  Trust me, you should not miss this chance to see London's tightest band play live for free.

P.S. I've finally started to get my Instagram on - check it out: