Lunch at The Wells

Two weeks ago in London I met up with author Marika Cobbold for lunch. I've always liked her books and when I found her on Twitter around Christmas last year I decided to follow her. Soon she followed me back and we started talking, or whatever it's called to communicate with 140 characters or less. Tweet I think.

When Marika's first book Guppies for tea came out here in Sweden in the early 90's it was a rather big deal since she was Swedish writing in English. Also for us here in Gothenburg we knew very well who her grandfather, father and brother was. All have been or is editor in chief for our major morning paper. I also found it rather fascinating and encouraging that it is possible for a Swedish person to write a book in English and get it published (there have been five more for Marika). I've been writing all my life and for the last 15 years or so in English so it really shows that it is possible. But, yes you have to have a great story tell of course.

Fast forward and there I was getting of the tube at Hampsted. The first thing I see at the station is a huge advert for Dutch Flyer. One of our products for the North Sea. Not sure what to call it. Faith. Irony. But it made me laugh and I had to stop to take a photo.

While waiting for Marika outside the station I realized it felt like I was waiting to meet with an old friend. Even though when meeting with an old friend you do not look at every woman passing by. Waving and shouting Marika was not to miss and with the cutest little dog in tow (Unfortunately I don't remember the name. Albie?) I've been to the Heath twice but never to Hampstead village and it really was adoring. Cobblestone streets with cute cottages and houses.

Marika and I started talking immediately and by the time we arrived at The Wells, where we were going to have lunch, we had managed to talk already about editors, grandchildren and my job. We decided to sit inside since it was rather windy outside and got a great table in the corner. The waitress came by twice to take our order but since we were talking so much we hadn't even looked at the menu. Finally looking at the menu I knew exactly what I was going to have - Red peppers stuffed with mushroom risotto, grilled goat cheese, spinach, tomato ragout. I'm simply the risotto girl. Marika decided on Chorizo, feta, cherry wine tomatoes, olive and rocket salad with extra olive oil. To drink we went with two glasses of La Boussole Viognier from the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

I now know that The Wells is considered one of the best gastro pub in north London and I also know the reason why. The food is absolutely delicious. The risotto was perfect (and I have tried a lot of risotto...) and with the goat cheese slightly melting and mixing with rice. Oh la la! The grilled pepper, spinach and tomato ragout also contrasted very well with the goat cheese and risotto. The wine with hints of apricots and ginger was also a great choice. Marika's chorizo salad looked fabulous too and even though it was said to be starter it was a huge salad.

I had already noticed on the menu that they had banoffee pie and when the waitress asked if we were going to have desert I said yes very quickly. We also asked for two spoons which turned out to be a great idea. I'm pretty sure it was the best banoffee pie I ever had, but again it was huge. Marika did a good job helping me and in the end I think we both looked like two very satisfied cats cleaning off cream from our whiskers.

Time flies when having fun. During our 2 hour-lunch we talked about everything from our mutual love for the Swedish west coast and ocean to perfume and suitcases. And plenty of other things in between. It was a lovely afternoon both people and food wise. When it was time to pay Marika very kindly picked up the bill as treat for me coming all the way to Hampstead. Something that means it's on me next time we meet, Ms Fabulous Marika!

Great Rivington Lobster Massacre

On Tuesday night I met up with Kanga_Rue, Aussie_Foodie and CookSister at Rivington Grill & Bar in Greenwich. Three fellow foodies who I had only talked to through Twitter before. Arriving on the dot (I'm Swedish) I was the first one to arrive, but Kanga_Rue and Aussie_Foodie arrived just after me. Settling down for a drink outside CookSisterBlog soon also arrived.

Inside again we got to sit at great round table where we started to look at the menu. What to eat? So many nice typical British dishes. The waitress told us that tonight's special was Isle of Wight lobster and chips and that it was half price. On the dot it was decided that we were all going with the lobster. No hesitation there and it's always nice to be in the company of people who appreciate seafood.

For starters Aussie_Foodie, CookSister and I went for Heritage tomato salad with lovage and Wensleydale whereas Kanga_Rue decided to have Chilled beetroot and horseradish soup. Being on a quest to find the best oysters in the UK Aussie_Food also ordered a Maldon rock oyster.

Three oyster arrived in the end as pre-starters which really didn't matter as then CookSister and I also got a chance to have an oyster each. And yes, they were delicious. Served on a tray of ice and with a fork for each of us. A few drops of Tabasco and a hint of black pepper and down they went. Salty and just perfect.

The tomato salad was also perfect. The tomatoes, in all sizes and colours, were lovely lush and at room temperature which made them taste like tomatoes should do. The Wensleydale cheese added some acidity as well as a sweet honey-like after taste.

And then they came – the lobsters. Rather big, spilt in half, along with home made chips and Béarnaise sauce. We also got a big jar of mayonnaise (home made as well of course) and we dug in. Eating with our fingers, sucking, cracking claws and oh- and a-ing over some very good lobster. The pile of shells soon got rather big as we in the end just eat because it was just so very nice. And of course it's not every day you have lobster.

To drink we had a perfectly chilled Sauvignon Blanc from Chile which went very well with everything we had. Matching food and wine wasn't really the big thing here. The food solemnly was.

Happy and satisfied with what we had eaten so far we moved over to the more comfortable lounge area to have desert. Aussie_Foodie and CookSister had been talking about Honeycomb ice cream with hot toffee sauce all evening so their choice was easy. Kanga_Rue decided on a classical chocolate mousse. Myself I wasn't really sure what to have. I always go with the chocolate or crème brûlée which is very safe, so I decided to be a bit adventures and have Eton Mess. A typical British desert which consist of fresh strawberries, whipped cream and crumbled meringues all mixed together – in a mess.

Not being a big fan of a lot of whipped cream it wasn't the best desert I ever had, but it was nice to try. Gooey meringues, fresh strawberries and whipped cream is a very good combination. I have to admit thought that I like the combination of chocolate, bananas, meringues and whipped cream a lot better. I'm just a chocolate girl.

With one hour to travel back to Holland Park I unfortunately had to leave a bit abruptly to catch my train, but nevertheless it was a very nice evening. It never seize to amaze me that the love for food can bring people together. Here we were in Greenwich, two Aussie girls, one South African and Swede just because of the love of food. Amazing, isn't it?!

Back home again

I'm back home again after an amazing and fun filled week in London and its surroundings. As usual I didn't get to do all the things I had plan, but on the other hand I got to do plenty of things that I hadn't planed.

There has also been a lot of eating and drinking. Mostly eating actually and I know for sure there will be posts about both lunch at The Wells in Hampstead and the Great Rivington Lobster Massacre in Greenwich. And of course tea at The Wolseley. And Cambridge. And Brighton. And... Well, there is a lot to tell.

Gone travelling

Well, almost. Leaving tomorrow morning for London for a full week. The last trips to London have been great, but now I'm very tired of playing tour guide and show people the "must" sights. By myself I can do whatever I feel like and find those little gems tourists usually don't find. It's also an excellent way to learn more about the city, a city that never stops to fascinate me

I also plan to go on day trips to Brighton (where I haven't been in 23 years), Cambridge and Winchester. Kew Gardens and Hampton Court Palace are also on my agenda. Of course I'm going to catch up with friends both old and new and hopefully get to eat and drink some really nice things.

It's the 4th year I'm going away by myself for a week. Very empowering and probably in some people's eyes a bit egocentric, but the loner in me find it wonderful.

Reading

Almost traditionally I've started the first days of my holidays with reading. A great way to relax and leave the working world behind. Yesterday I sat outside most of the day. Both in the sun and later on in the shadow along with a cold drink. An excellent start to my time off. Today I've been doing the same between the T-showers and making a cake (Almost 30 C outside and an oven going wasn't that smart but cake turned out well...)

Notes from an exhibition - Patrick Gale
When bipolar artist Rachel Kelly dies she leaves behind not only paintings but also unanswered questions that needs answers. As her husband and children start looking for answers they soon find out more than they really wanted. Their wife and mother was a gifted artist with many haunting demons.

This book got me mesmerized just as Gale's book The whole day through did last summer. The characters are so well chiselled out and as a reader you feel like you know what each of them think and should do. Gale is also very good at writing about family dynamics and all the twists that surrounds every day life.

Leaving this world - Douglas Kennedy
On her 13th birthday Jane Howard decided that she would never get married and have children, but as we all know life is random. Many years later Jane is is both in love and pregnant. When several tragic events occur Jane knows no other way than to leave this would.

Douglas Kennedy has always been good at creating complex female characters and describing intense depression without getting bogged down in it. This book is no exception. Compared to A special relationship which I read 5 years ago and still remember, the storyline is a little bit too long and lack that little extra that makes just want to read and read. But on the other hand you still want to know what's going to happen.

One more day

One more day of work before it's time for summer holidays. Four long weeks with some travelling (going to the UK of course) , having family come to stay and going on some smaller trips (1-2 days) to visit friends who don't live in Gothenburg. Also hopefully a day here and there on the beach and many, many hours of reading.

I've blocked out my calendar from lunch tomorrow hoping that I don't have to stress with last minute things. Maybe I can even leave earlier. Fingers crossed...

The Princess of Shoreditch

As usual being in London the foodie in me had to get something too. Browsing through Time Out's list of good places to have Sunday lunch in east London I found The Princess of Shoreditch located on the border of the City/Shoreditch not very far from Old Street tube station.

Not trusting my A-Z map I looked up the directions on how to get there on Google Maps which meant I dragged my friends all through the backstreet of a not so good part of the City. Well, it was daylight and we "just" ran into two very hangover/drunk men, but we saw both bloodstains and other not so pleasant remains. Using A-Z on our way back to Liverpool Street station we just walked down Great Eastern Street and turned around the corner to Shoreditch High Street/Bishopsgate. From now on I will go back to totally trust the A-Z map and common sense. That worked for me long time before Google Maps...

We had made reservations in the dining room upstairs but decided to stay in the pub. Hauling suitcases up and down stairs are never fun regardless of the size of the suitcase. They also served exact the same food downstairs as upstairs so there was really no reason not to do it. The pub has recently been refurbished but the Victorian style has been left untouched and the whole place feels very welcoming and friendly. Still your friendly neighbourhood pub but with some extra love and care.

It has been ages since I has proper English roast for Sunday lunch and I actually think the last one was one of those horrifying things with overcooked greens. Having looked at the menu before making a reservation (that's why I'm called a foodie...) I knew that they served a 28 day aged Irish sirloin roast with all trimmings. We all decided to go with that and we were definitely not disappointed. The roast was perfect and slightly pink in the middle. The duck fat roasted potatoes magnificent and the other greens just boiled long enough to still be crispy.

Loving French rosé wine in the summer time to meals I had a glass of Rosé Domaine de Montauberon 2008 (Grenache and Syrah blend can never be wrong). My friends went with Nelson Estate Chardonnay 2005 from South Africa since they not big fans of rosé wines. (They don't know what they are missing out on...)

With hardly no room left for desert we decided to share a selection of Artisan cheese served with apricot chutney. Just perfect bite sizes to get that wonderful feeling of having enjoyed a wonderful meal.

Happy and satisfied we then said goodbye to the very nice waitress walked over to Liverpool Street station to start our journey home. Another great girls' weekend and another lovely food memory for me.

A wonderful weekend

Got back from (another) fabulous weekend in London late last night. Not only was it the annual girls’ weekend, but I also got to see part of my extended Texas family I haven’t seen in 18 years.

We’ve been doing the girls’ weekend for four years now. A lot of fun where we stay at some posh hotel in the City which hardly costs anything because it’s the weekend and then we go shopping, drink wine, have plenty of laughs, nice dinners and just enjoy ourselves. We try to book right after Christmas so the whole trip is almost like a bargain (at least before we go shopping…)

In April I found out that the daughter and grand-daughter of the my landlady back in Texas where going to be in London that exact same time. I used to babysit the grand-daughter and her kid brother from time to time as well as driving and picking her up from kindergarten a couple of times. Her mother (landlady’s daughter) was about my current age back then and she used to vouch for us in bars/restaurants since we were not yet 21. They really were a big and fun loving family and over the years we have managed to keep in touch.

I have to admit I was actually a bit nervous before seeing them. 18 years is a long time, but when I arrived at my hotel and they were already there it felt like it was yesterday I had left Texas. We spent the afternoon talking and wandering around the City looking at the Tower, the Monument and St Paul's before having dinner down in St Katherine's Dock. We said goodbye a a bit after midnight since they were getting up early to catch the train for Bath, but I'm pretty sure that if it had been possible we could easily have stayed up all night talking.

It was so good to see them and I'm a bit amazed that we just started off were we left 18 years ago. But on the other hand it just shows how really good friends we became. We promised each other that it will not take another 18 years until we meet again, and since they have now come to Europe it's really my turn to come to Texas.

Quote of the day

Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself.

~ Jane Wagner ~