clb Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 Sunday lunch: crostini, some with charred cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, some with Kensington Place Fish Shop's smoked mackerel pate (they bring out plates of crostini with this stuff on on Saturday mornings and I am unable to resist). Zuni roast chicken with a lot of tarragon under the skin and bread salad. A weak version of Pierre Herme's tarte grenobloise which was nevertheless utterly wonderful. clb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Adam Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Pasta with homemade wild boar ragu, slice of meat and beet green pie from the forno, aged pecorino cheese. Bottle of local wine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ms J Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Pasta with homemade wild boar ragu, slice of meat and beet green pie from the forno, aged pecorino cheese. Bottle of local wine. Cheese toastie from caff 'round the corner. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Adam Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 And all so inexpensive too. Actually, after being introduced to the bakers, butchers, greengrocers and deli I am knackered so I tink that I shall have a nap for a few hours. Just because I can. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vanessa Posted February 17, 2005 Author Share Posted February 17, 2005 I'd wangled a smart lunch at work weeks ago for today, then fingers crossed all week that my tummy would be up to it. The meal did disagree with me somewhat, partly because I didn't make the best choices, but it also disappointed rather strongly. My companions' food appeared generally better. My selections were dictated by a temporary aversion to seafood so I had a fonduta with black truffles - my first acquaintance with them in substantial form, followed by roast Pyrennean lamb with artichokes, aubergine and sauteed potatoes. The fonduta had a good portion of thinly sliced truffles on top but they didn't seem to have much flavour and had that slightly repellent crispy texture that I noted in the white truffle I bought myself last year. I'm not too sure of the authenticity of the fonduta either - I'm sure I've made it in the past but too long ago to have a clear recollection of how it should be. Certainly there was little flavour relation to the proper fontina I happen to have in the fridge at the moment and a slightly grainy texture that seemed inappropriate. However not an actively bad dish overall, served with toasted bread. Then the lamb - a slice of roast rolled shoulder I guess, a little more done than necessary but very good, young meat that wasn't ruined. What ruined the dish was the vile over-reduced syrupy reduction poured around. Why, oh why do chefs do this? It makes me barely able to look our chef, whom I am very fond of, in the eye. I have to confess that artichokes simply aren't my favourite vegetable. This was a young whole one. The thin slice of aubergine was ineffectively grilled - a common problem. Potatoes OK. A disappointing dish overall. And the expresso was bad - improperly cleaned machine would be my guess. My 2 companions stuck to produce of the sea and fared rather better. One to my left had a special of Florida soft shell crab that looked splendid, followed by a less interesting looking salmon kulebiaka. To my right a portion of smoked eel in oatmeal crust with bacon & horseradish followed by grilled scallops & monkfish with sprout tops (I realised I had these with my lamb as well - not my thing at all, especially when drizzled with burnt syrup) and smoked jalapeno. Ah well Most frustrating when I know how delicious that guy can cook when he puts his mind to it. v Quote Link to post Share on other sites
clb Posted February 18, 2005 Share Posted February 18, 2005 Yesterday: St John B&W . Arrived just as the first wave of lunch dishes were finishing, alas, but settled happily for some pale pink smoked eel with a good quantity of horseradish, one of their excellent minty green salads and a steamed rhubarb and caramel pudding. Today: onion frittata with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar on top and a few roasted cherry tomatoes with thyme. A square of Pierre Marcolini's Pure Origine Madagascar plain chocolate. clb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
James Marsh Posted February 18, 2005 Share Posted February 18, 2005 Yesterday: St John B&W . Arrived just as the first wave of lunch dishes were finishing, alas, but settled happily for some pale pink smoked eel with a good quantity of horseradish, one of their excellent minty green salads and a steamed rhubarb and caramel pudding. Sounds lovely. So does this mean B&W is still delivering while the original is failing? I haven't been for quite a while. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ampletuna Posted February 18, 2005 Share Posted February 18, 2005 Yesterday: St John B&W . Arrived just as the first wave of lunch dishes were finishing, alas, but settled happily for some pale pink smoked eel with a good quantity of horseradish, one of their excellent minty green salads and a steamed rhubarb and caramel pudding. Sounds lovely. So does this mean B&W is still delivering while the original is failing? I haven't been for quite a while. i had dinner there last week...will report on appropriate thread... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
clb Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 Today's lunch with child: Zuni's fried eggs in breadcrumbs for the first time. Tremendous crunch and much enjoyed by both. Fine green beans. A cut up apple and a banana (the latter for me, not the child). clb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akiko Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 Lunch over the weekend with my inlaws. romaine and beet green salad with cumin seared scallops in a sesame oil and lime dressing. Roasted teriyaki chicken breasts on whole wheat baps with lemon mayo, tomato, and basil. And Black and Green dark chocolate and vanilla ice cream with berries for dessert. Their vanilla is really nice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vanessa Posted March 9, 2005 Author Share Posted March 9, 2005 Prompted by jealousy of Carl's lunch option..... My workplace does provide staff lunches however this is school food - budget not quite 37p a head, but I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't over £1. I went there on my first day in the job over 3 years ago and never again. Just the smell kills me. Or there's the option of traipsing out into the real world, where there is nothing within 15 minutes other than 2 greasy spoons (acceptable by greasy spoon standards). Or there's things like GBK, Wagamama and supermarkets etc over the river - impossible to return in less than one hour. Or the commonest option: I bring in from home and sometimes bully my boss into stealing me a bread roll from the non-staff dining facility. Today it's a piece of rabbit from the old paella, the rest of the Explorateur from the big blow-out, stolen roll, butter I keep in the fridge here, and the last of a Dorstone. I'm out of fruit v Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Carl Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Will note that there is an actual lunch thread! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NeroW Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Bacon, lettuce, tomato on half a pita. Homemade double-fried fries. Ketchup. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Carl Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 The St. John turnip bake. Thin slices of delicately baked turnip with sweated, just-the-right-side-of caramelised onions, a halved boiled egg with real mayo, couple of spring onions for crunch & kick. Seasoned with a bit of black pepper and some sprinkled celery leaves. Washed down with a can of D&G ginger beer. Delivered to the office for £3.50. Nice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
clb Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 The St. John turnip bake. Thin slices of delicately baked turnip with sweated, just-the-right-side-of caramelised onions, a halved boiled egg with real mayo, couple of spring onions for crunch & kick. Seasoned with a bit of black pepper and some sprinkled celery leaves. Washed down with a can of D&G ginger beer. Delivered to the office for £3.50. Nice. Mmm, I was wondering how that would be after reading the menu you posted yesterday. Here it was a matzo with a bit of a French goats' cheese (decorated with an oak leaf; don't remember its name), some Emmenthal and some Flower Marie. Then a flapjack (UK stylee). clb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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