Mestizo - Augustine Kitchen

Wednesday 22nd January - On a cold January evening, I made my way over to Mestizo for a blogger event run by Square Meal and Nuffnang.  I had previously eyed up the Mexican tequila & mezcal paradise en route to Shaker & Co next door, so it was great to finally make it inside.

I popped on my name tag (Matt - Speak Easy Find Hard apparently!) and started to put a face to some blogs including The Cutlery Chronicles (Leyla), Gingle Lists Everything (Jamina) and Wanderlust & Bake (Abby).  It quickly became clear that I was in a room full of foodies, so I was the happiest in the room when it was revealed that it was going to be a boozy evening of tequila and mezcal tasting, rather than a tour of Mestizo's authentic Mexican cuisine. We all started with a Negroni-esque cocktail made with Tequila Tapatio, Cocchi Rosa and Grapefruit Bitters - delicious.

After a quick meet and greet, we found our seats so that Tom Bartram from Speciality Brands could chat to us about all things agave (which is apparently related to asparagus?) whilst we sipped on some Tapatio Blanco (a very affordable tequila which would convert haters).  We went through the "all tequilas are mezcals" chat.  Most "Mezcal" is made in Oaxaca (that's Wahaca to you), whilst "Tequila" is a mezcal made with blue agave in regions around the city of Tequila and in Los Altos in the state of Jalisco.

We moved quickly through to the pricey Don Fulano Imperial (paired with some tasty Molotes and Pellizcadas) before switching to Ilegal Mezcal Joven Blanco served in a specially imported fruit shell that I am desperate to get a few of for home sipping.  Finally, we tried Illegal Mezcal Anejo paired with Flautas de Pollo and Sopes.  It really is time to get a bottle of Tequila and Mezcal for your bar shelf at home.  Tapatio Blanco and Ilegal are a good place to start.  I also recommend the superb peppery Tequila Ocho Anejo that I have sitting at home.  If you aren't sure what to go with, then go to Mestizo and get tasting!

We did have one last dish to soak up all the booze - a mini cheese empanada with quazamole and tiras de tortilla.  We only touched on the fantastic food menu, I will need to return to give a full account of it sometime though I would imagine the evening would still end up going down a similarly boozy route! 

It was revealed just before we left that the tasty powder that we were dipping cucumbers into was made with ground up larvae.  These little critters are often put into bottles of mezcal.  Apparently they were originally in there to prove that the product was safe to drink - if they have decomposed, pass the bottle to someone else!

Selection of dishes from Mestizo

Thanks to Square Meal, Nuffnang, Speciality Brands and Mestizo for a fun evening.  The back bar has to be seen to be believed and is an absolute must visit for any agave fans out there, but the food deserves equal billing too.

Tuesday January 28th - Sticking to the blogger event theme for this post, I was delighted to be invited by Sauce Communications to a cookery demonstration at Augustine Kitchen by head chef Franck Raymond. Located 5 minutes from my flat (hooray!) near Battersea Bridge, Augustine Kitchen is a lovely little French restaurant named after Franck's grandmother.

Another load of foodies (including familiar faces of Leyla from Mestizo the week before, Giulia from Mondomulia and the prolific Wilkes) squeezed in to the bar area, cameras at the ready, to watch Franck prepare a load of seasonal salads.  

Franck started by making a simple mayonnaise (sans whisk) and a vinaigrette before speedily preparing Nicoise, Lentil, Ceviche, Lobster and Thai salads before our eyes.  Franck always aims to use mostly raw ingredients in his salads to keep it all fresh and quick.  He made it all look very easy and sent round the recipes afterwards so that we could try at home.  Get in touch if you would like to see them.

Thankfully, we got to sit down and eat them afterwards as mouths were clearly watering.  The Ceviche salad with scallops and 3 types of melon disappeared first, quickly followed by the delicious Lobster salad (with tangy grapefruit).  I'll definitely try and recreate them at home.

After our round of fresh healthy salads, we were presented with a load of wonderfully cheesy tartiflette dishes - simple but perfect food for a cold winter.  Augustine Kitchen are currently running Tartiflette Tuesdays - £14.95 for Tartiflette and a glass of wine.  I'll be the one in the corner with three empty dishes and cheese on my face.

Tartiflette Tuesdays at Augustine Kitchen

Thanks to Sauce Communications and Augustine Kitchen for the wonderful food.  It was great to meet more fun foodies, photographers and friends including Yummy Choo Eats (supperclubs from Selina), Charlotte Hu (photography) and Chris from Triptease - there's a wedding dream team in there somewhere.  Some of us continued the evening in the excellent Westbridge Draft House over the road - look out for their ale that they sell at £2.75 every day until it runs out.  They have also just opened their 6th site on Seething Lane near Tower Hill.

Polpetto

Monday 10th February - After a boozy wine tasting at Central & Co with Pacta Connect Wines (more on that later), Maggie, Natalie and I were in dire need of some food.  Conveniently, Florence Knight's Polpetto has finally landed in Berwick Street and the crowds haven't found it yet.

Florence Knight

Londoners have been impatiently waiting for Polpetto to return after it was moved on from the little room above The French House.  The Berwick Street site fortunately has room for 70 (compared to 23 last time!) but I'm sure it will be packed soon enough.

Polpetto - Berwick Street

We mulled over the menu with refreshing Rhubarb & Rose Bellinis and a Cynar Gin Fizz.  The rhubarb swizzle garnish was so good that we asked for a separate bowl of them.  We eventually made our minds up, ordering 5 large plates and 2 sides between three of us which proved to be the right amount.  This was helped by the delicious complimentary focaccia made on site, and a plate of fresh tomatoes that the kitchen was eager to show off.

Polpetto - Tomatoes, Rhubarb Bellinis and Menu

Scallops, cauliflower & lardo was a great success - the cauliflower crisp worked perfectly with the soft scallops.  Beetroot, Gorgonzola & poppy seeds was another favourite, bursting with flavour. I'm always excited when Hare Pappardelle is on a menu, though less keen on sharing it with others - thankfully there was plenty to go around.  The Bacon chop, whitty pear butter & walnuts portion is also generous considering the £9 price tag.  

Sides of Pink fir potatoes & cuckoo flower and lentils were smartly matched with particular dishes, and good value at £3.50.  The Wet Polenta doesn't sound appealing but we heard positive reviews from other diners.  All of the savoury dishes came to an impressive £15/head - make sure to come in a group to make the most of the sharing menu.

Polpetto - Hare Pappardelle, Bacon Chop, Scallops and Mussels

We couldn't resist ordering from a tempting dessert menu.  Maple tart, Fried pecorino & honey, and Milk pudding with rhubarb & rose soon arrived.  I preferred the "no added sugar" Maple Tart, but all three were well received.  We appreciated a subtle rather than overpowering hit of rose in the wobbly Milk Pudding, and the Fried pecorino & honey works well, even if it is not the most attractive dish of the evening. It was noticeable throughout the evening that presentation was never over the top, allowing one to focus on the wonderful cooking underneath.

Desserts at Polpetto - Maple Tart, Milk Pudding & Fried Pecorino

Our only criticism of the evening was that service was so efficient that there was no time for wine!  No sooner had our bellinis arrived than the food started piling up.  A little more time after ordering might be advisable, but we had already tasted our fair share of wine earlier in the evening so it didn't bother us greatly. 

Valentine's Day at Polpetto?

Polpetto - Photo Credit : Carol Sachs

I would head over to Polpetto sooner rather than later if I were you, as I'm sure people will be queuing by the weekend.  Save room for dessert!

Polpetto - Berwick Street

I should quickly mention the wonderful wine tasting that we dropped into before Polpetto.  Central & Co kindly invited us down to try out some fantastic wines from the Adriatic with Pacta Connect Wines.  The charming Judith and Trevor presented us with several Croatian, Slovenian & Italian wines, and taught us a thing or two along the way.  

The unfiltered boxed Castello di Lispida particularly impressed, especially as the carbon footprint is minimal and you can carry 13 bottles worth with ease in two hands. A quick look at their website tells me that they have a wine bar in the castle itself - time to book flights to Padua methinks.

A far-too-easy-drinking Cattunar Chardonnay is Pacta's best seller and Judith described it as their ABC converter - one for the Anything But Chardonnay crowd.  I also tried my first Orange wine - an unusual dry wine made from grapes that have spent more maceration time in contact with grape skins.

Wine tasting with Pacta Connect Wines at Central & Co

Thanks to everyone at Pacta Connect Wines and Central & Co for hosting such a lovely event!

Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town - Wigwambam - Kimchinary

It's been a slow week venturing out for The List thanks to another fun London tube strike, so I'm considering spending next week in Dawlish or Sochi to get away from it all.  Who's with me?

Friday 31st January - In a simpler time, when certain employees of TFL decided to actually do their job, I made my way over to Liverpool Street to try out a few places, starting with a trip to see the Mayor.

The Breakfast Club started life in Soho back in 2005 but has since spread its wings to Angel, Hoxton, Spitalfields and Battersea.  The Spitalfields branch was the first to get on the speakeasy train with their hidden bar, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town.  When it first opened, you needed to ask to see the Mayor before being led through a Smeg Fridge to the downstairs bar but this formality seems to have disappeared over time.  

Depending on when you arrive, you may face a short wait in The Breakfast Club itself (which is one good looking place), or if you time it really badly, a queue around the block!  The Breakfast Club gets extremely busy for weekend brunch, so The Mayor opens up from 12pm on Saturdays & Sundays to serve more brunch behind the fridge - a late weekend afternoon might be your best bet for getting in straight away.

We rocked up at 6.30 last Friday and there was only standing space available, but before too long we squeezed into two seats at the bar - the only place one should ever sit in a cocktail bar.  Not only do you get the most out of the entertaining bartenders, you also get the best view of the eye-catching decor.

Cocktails are £9 with the exception of the £11 King Yellowman's Answer which won the Rumfest 2012 cocktail competition with its tempting mix of pineapple, Blackwell rum, pear juice, lime juice and coffee, topped off with a flaming, over-proof rum filled scotch bonnet.  Click here to see Mayoress Kate Jackson take you through the recipe.  

Golden Hind was an interesting blend of Kamm & Son's (Gingseng spirit), gin, lemon, red grapes, sage, ginger and fresh apple.  Our entertaining barman gleefully added in The King's Ginger liqueur in the absence of fresh ginger, but to be honest it could have done with even more booze as it was almost too drinkable.  A refreshing Spitalfields Spritz with Aperol, coriander, bitter lemon and Prosecco also disappeared very quickly.  I highly recommend Tommy's Chilli & Lemongrass Margarita having had it previously elsewhere.  I might go for the chicken-filtered mezcal next time I'm in.

For the most part, the cocktail list is simple but solid, allowing the buzzing atmosphere to take centre stage. Get in early on weekdays (it opens at 5pm), order some of the Mayor's cat food, and don't forget to leave via the My Little Pony / He-Man wallpapered toilets to preserve the hidden entrance feel.

If you want The Breakfast Club cocktails without the worry of waiting, try out The King of Ladies Man in Battersea, their relaxed 70s bachelor pad bar tucked away behind a fake laundrette -great for disco drinks, interesting bottled beers, and any food that revolves around cheese (order the Smokey Joe Mac n Cheese). Watch this space for details on their next branch in London Bridge which will be opening soon complete with a tequila-driven "Mr Lucky" bar somewhere inside.

For our second stop, I decided to revisit one of my favourite popups from 2013 - Wigwambam on the roof of Queen of Hoxton.  If you make it past the unnecessary bouncer, through the sticky ground floor and up several flights of stairs, you will be rewarded with one of London's coolest (and hottest) hangouts.  It gets pretty busy, but if you can't pack into the boiling wigwam (heated by a massive central BBQ) then you can spill out on to the attractive open air rooftop space.

It is almost identical to last year's popup with the addition of some Nordic inspired "Eastern Lights" visuals which are projected on to the interior and exterior of the wigwam. Hot drinks are still good value at £5.50 / £6 - sadly there was Pumpkin Spiced Cider left, but hot buttered rum and hot gin punch hit the spot.  Every day something different is cooked on the central BBQ, and the Crispy Pork Leg with Chestnut and Herb Stuffing smelled fantastic.  You can also get yourself 5 marshmallows for a pound to roast over the open fire.

The Wigwambam website has this mysterious message:

"If you have a keen eye, be prepared to unearth a discovery of your own elsewhere on the rooftop. Explorer, Arthur Lane has made his mark on the Queen of Hoxton and it’s up to you to tweet your findings for fellow pioneers to uncover too..."  

I'm pretty sure this amounts to free drinks tokens hidden around the tent - let me know if you find any!  The website also states that there are several "Drink and Do" events including spoon carving, pinhole photography, speed listening (?), pumpkin carving and origami workshops - check the Facebook site for details.  Even more exciting, you can hire the whole place out by sending an email to jennie@mothershipgroup.com

We resisted the crispy pork leg and made our way over to the Catch Bar at the Hoxton end of Kingsland Road.  Catch is a lively little bar which is making a name for itself with top food residencies.  All last year, Death by Burrito were in the house serving up contemporary Mexican street food alongside a Ryan Chetiyawardana (White Lyan) cocktail list.  Now the keys to the kitchen have been handed over to KERB regulars Kimchinary for at least 3 months, every Wednesday-Sunday.

Hanna Soderlund is the crafty chef behind Kimchinary and has brought her popular Korean / Mexican tacos and some exciting side dishes to Shoreditch.  Meanwhile Catch have put on a flavour paired drinks menu of Korean Soju and British Craft Beers.  We had to wait a few minutes for a table, so we started off with pints of the local Pressure Drop Pale Fire and resisted the urge not to belt out some of the wonderfully cheesy tunes that Catch were playing.

As soon as we were seated we got stuck into the tacos (£6 for two) which arrived almost as soon as we ordered them! Each one is a work of art but you won't be able to look at them for long without stuffing them in your face. We all went for different approaches for minimising mess but this is not a knives & forks meal. We started with Gojuchang Pulled Pork with apple & sesame coleslaw, house kimchi and chives.  This ended up being our favourite and the portions got bigger and bigger as we ordered more!   

Best looking taco of the night goes to the Buttermilk Fried Squid with celeriac & radicchio remoulade and kimchi guacamole - delicious.  

The "Bulgogi" Ox Cheek and Tongue taco with radish kimchi, blackened spring onion and horseradish wasn't as photogenic, but it was no less tasty.  Dukbokki was the standout side option - a sweet and spicy bowl of squishy gnocchi-esque Korean rice cakes with rainbow chard and rainbow shallots.  The Kimchi Chimichanga was also superb - don't be put off by the "mini burrito" description, the portion size is generous for a £4.50 side.

We washed all of Hanna's wonderful creations down with various craft beers, including the fine trio pictured above - Five Points Pale, Crate Golden Lager and Beavertown 8 Ball.  As it was a Friday night, many seemed to be just in for drinks but hopefully got peckish after a couple of beverages.  The food arrives so quickly that you can just keep ordering as you go.  The Catch Bar waitresses were very efficient and friendly, as was Hanna who we had a couple of chats with.  

Special mention has to go to one excellent member of Catch staff who was very helpful moving us around to different tables as our numbers expanded, and even did a little dance number for us to demonstrate that they were clearing space on the dance floor.  They certainly have some bizarre customers to deal with, including a couple who decided a busy bar was the best place to have sex, and a pushy pair who tried to nip in and sit on our table when we were standing over it.

Anyway, go and check out Kimchinary at Catch Bar (Wednesday-Sunday) as soon as you can - 3 months will fly by before you know it.  You can also find Hanna and her team at Kerb street food events.

Tooting Tram and Social - Chicken Shop - Provenance - Peter Spanton Tonics

Tuesday December 3rd - This post is a little on the late side.  Two of the people involved have since moved to Sweden, and one of the 3 venues is shutting down - but which one?

The evening started with a couple of drinks at Tooting Tram & Social (TT&S), one of Antic London's flagship "pubs".  Much like Effra Social and Balham Bowls Club, TT&S makes clever use of an unusual building, in this case an old tram shed.  It is set back from the street down a beautifully lit alley, very easy to miss!  

Inside is just as stunning - the spacious ground floor is overlooked by a mezzanine, and the tram shed roof is miles away above you.  Massive chandeliers, bunting, wall decorations, all sorts of furniture and a stage keep your eyes wandering.

Throughout the week there are all sorts of events including bands, comedy, theatre and sports screenings, but at the weekend they make full use of their 2am license with DJs and live music.  As you can see below, it is a really atmospheric venue, and entry is always free.

On our visit, there were no ales on but this was a temporary problem apparently.  The bottled beer selection was ample and the London Fields Wheat on tap went down very nicely.  The Tuesday night background triphop music selection was a little unsettling but I'll let them off.  An open mic session was scheduled for later on, but we decided to move on elsewhere to grab something to eat.  

We passed by Graveney & Meadow, another quirky Antic establishment with drinks, tapas and cakes on the menu which is on The List for my next trip to Tooting, along with Little Bar and Apollo Banana Leaf.  I am also looking forward to visiting Tooting Market which seems to be heading in an exiting Brixton Village direction under new ownership.  Busan BBQ ran a successful popup there on Feb 1st, and Bindlesticks promises wine, travel trinkets & books, and live music. Time to buy in Tooting!

Instead, we wandered over to the new Chicken Shop, Soho House's second site for tasty rotisserie chicken and sides following great success in Kentish Town.  It didn't start well as an anxious front of house said that there was only room for 3 not 5 for at least 30 mins despite the constant quick turnaround and visible spaces - perhaps there were some health and safety issues, but a tired Lauren and Natalie (in no need of Team List points) decided to head homing anyway, leaving Ben, Anita and I to spread our legs in one corner.  

There is a lot of unnecessary space in the attractive open kitchen area that chefs never seemed to venture near, but perhaps this was to keep us a safe distance from the roaring rotisserie fires that could power a small country. 

We took off as many layers as the law allows and ordered pretty much everything on the menu - 1 whole chicken for £15 (half = £8.50, quarter = £4.50), corn on the cob, coleslaw, crinkle cut fries and butter lettuce & avocado salad.  Sides are all £4.  Sauces of the smokey and hot variety are provided on the table.

It all impressively arrived within minutes (I've waited longer in McDonalds) and disappeared just as quickly, washed down with bottles of Camden Pale Ale and pints of Birra Moretti.  A couple more interesting bottled beers wouldn't go amiss but you are in and out so quickly it's not essential.  Anita stuck to wine and agonised over the choice of House / Decent / Good.  The delicious chicken went especially well with the Smokey Sauce, and the corn & salad sides stood out.  I appreciate the simple menu, but I do feel there is room for them to offer a little more, as Poulet Rouge in Balham does.  £5 desserts are available in the form of Deep Filled Apple Pie, Lemon Cheesecake and Warm Chocolate Brownie but we gave them a miss this time.

If you can't face the heat in the kitchen, then you can order takeaway.  The chicken is skilfully, speedily and brutally chopped and bagged by the chefs and sent on its way - see Wilkes' vine video post below.

Takeaway Rotisserie Chicken video from Wilkes

Brutal.

Our final stop was for a quick pint at another Antic pub, The Provenance in Collier's Wood ("Collywood") down the road from Chicken Shop.  It's a wonderful little boozer (more traditional than Antic's quirkier offerings mentioned above) with great beer, cosy decor and friendly locals.  The vintage interior (complete with a safe?) harks back to the pubs original style from the late 1800s.  Unfortunately though, I have just heard that The Provenance is closing down, following soon after the closure of Antic's Battersea Mess and Music Hall which shut up shop a couple of weeks ago.  Hopefully this is just a coincidence and all is well in Antic land, but regardless this is sad news.  Get in there quick before it goes!

Rather than end on a sad note, I'll finish up with something entirely different - a boozy Sunday night of tonic tasting with friends.

On Sunday February 2nd, together with flatmates and a couple of friends, I tested out four of Peter Spanton's exciting range of tonics with a variety of spirits.  The drinks in question were No.1 London Tonic, No.3 Cardamom, No.4 Mint & Bitters and No.5 Lemongrass.  On the panel was Maggie, Ali, Rich and Sophie, who gets special praise for creating our tasting chart without a ruler in sight!  

No. 1 London Tonic - On its own, it has a floral aroma & a citrus hit - very zingy and sweeter than average tonic.  It really opened up Gordon's and Hendrick's making wonderful G&Ts.  It was a bit lost when put with the all powerful Thai-spiced Opihr Gin, but this destroys most things in its path.  Popular with everyone on the panel, and all for under 4 calories!

No. 3 Cardamom - The tastiest of the lot on its own - very refreshing and drinkable. Similar aroma to the Opihr Gin in fact, but a much subtler taste.  Interestingly, we found it didn't add too much to Gordon's, Tanqueray and Opihr compared to the London Tonic.  We also tried it with Dry Vermouth but found the flavours didn't mix - possibly going to blame an old bottle of Vermouth for that one though!

No. 4 Mint & Bitters - This is an acquired taste! Smells like mint and cocoa but finishes as chocolate orange in the mouth.  We tried it with Mount Gay and La Hechicera rums and found it all a bit too sweet.  It fared better with Cleveland Bay Vodka and a dash of bitters, but was a tad overpowering with most of the spirits.

No. 5 Lemongrass - The least appealing on the nose (which divided the panel) but refreshing to taste. The pairing with Tequila Ocho and lime was one of the best drinks of the night, and it held its own with Tanqueray, although we still preferred the London Tonic with classic gins.  We chucked some Opihr in again, but it still punched the tonic in the face - damn tasty still!  We also tried it with Cleveland Bay Vodka, which didn't compare as well to the Tequila and Gin options.  Peter suggests that it would work well with Brandy too.

18 combinations later, our chart was filled up (with decreasingly intelligent comments), and we picked our favourites.  Best Solo Tonic went to No.3 Cardamom, Best Combination was tied between No. 1 London Tonic and Hendrick's, and No. 5 Lemongrass with Tequila & lime.  It's great to see more competition for Fever-tree turning up, and Peter Spanton's beverages deserve to do very well.  Track them down, and let me know how No. 7 Acai Blend tastes if you get your hands on it!