Bob Bob Ricard - London, UK

Back in May, I discovered that a friend's housemate was an avid foodie. I was scouring London restaurant sources and emailed her asking if she's dined at Bob Bob Ricard. She replied "No! Zomg! I want to go!". It took 6 months and 3 London visits to make this happen.

This photo summarizes what I knew about Bob Bob Ricard. They pride themselves on their champagne price points, blatantly bragging price differences on their wine and champagne menu. We quickly pressed the button and instantly the waiter was there. Actually, my friends were so eager they didn't realize he was already present. Cheers to prompt, friendly service.

Here was our exquisite bottle, the Pol Roger 2000, featuring an unbeatable price point. Whetting our taste buds, we fell upon the menu, arguing over mains and starters. We were in a sharing mood and did not want duplicate orders.

This was the Truffled Potato and Porcini Vareniki. It pleasantly surprised my friend, not being what she expected. Vareniki is a type of Ukrainian Filled Dumpling. It was thickly filled with potato, the woody mushroom flavor present, truffle lightly landing last. 

Beetroot is a current obsession, so I ordered the Smokey Borsch with Beetroot, Cucumber, Boiled Quail Egg, and Smoked Orkney Beef | Cooked With Smokey Bacon. The bowl came with a delicately chopped selection of those listed ingredients resting at the bottom. The server poured the thin blood red soup from a tureen. It was marvelously smokey, the bacon flavor running to the back of my throat.

Here we have the Jerusalem Artichoke Dip with Caramelized Walnuts and Brioche Croutons. The soup was rich and medium thick. The nuts added a crunchy sweetness.

Visually feast on the Wafer Thin Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Salad with Broadbeans and Mint.

I knew that ordering a second starter was probably overkill, but I couldn't resist these Russian dishes. From the top right proceeding clockwise, we have Russian Salad & Truffle (pungent), Russian Herring (salty with thick jelly-like texture), Foie Gras Parfait & Truffle (slightly rich, foie miniscule grainy texture with crunch finish), and Jellied Ox Tongue (beefy taste, thin gelatinous layer with horseradish finish). I particular enjoyed the thin truffle slices. They were sublime contrasted with my previous overdone truffle experiences.

Here is the Pièce de Résistance, the Beef Wellington (for two) featuring 28 Day Aged Aberdeenshire Scotch Beef served with Béarnaise sauce. I didn't know what Beef Wellington was until my friend explained it to me. I was here to celebrate friends and food, so it was perfect. The smoke rising from its gorgeous pastry shell. The light sheen intimating what lay beneath.

Our server sliced it into perfect proportions. Pink beef wrapped with porcini, encased in a pastry shell. With my knife in my right, fork in my left, I dove in and savored every morsel. And then I had more. 

The Fillet Medallions Rossini, 28 Day Aged Scotch Beef. It is made with Seared Foie Gras and a Foie Gras Crouton served with Truffle Gravy. Decadent, rich with foie, it was love.

Meet the Old Bay Crispy Quail. It was a Two Spiced, Deboned Whole Quail served with Beetroot, Apple and Sultana Coleslaw. Fortunately, it came with a lemon scented dipping bowl. It was quite the hands on experience.

Ready for dessert? A friend couldn't decide between the souffle or the Eton Mess. This is the Eton Mess en Perle made with Lime Meringue, Berries, Strawberry Sorbet, Raspberry Marshmellows and Cream. This was an extraordinary dessert. Layers of flavor, slightly herbaceous, a hidden treat.

No self-respecting British restaurant could not have a cheese board. This was too much for one, so we helped her finish.

Why pick one when you can have three? Here is the Trio of Creme Brulees - Valrhona Chocolate, Passionfruit, Earl Grey Tea. Each had great flavors and made a unique statement.

My dessert was the Pineapple & Lemongrass Pannacotta served with Malibu Ice Cream. The pannacotta was so astounding I promptly forced it upon everyone to try. They did not complain. Simply amazing. 

Amongst the silver Christmas trees, lightly pink decor, and friendly waitstaff, we had a wonderful time. Waistbands stretched, we slowly exited.

The Broadway Market - East London

Welcome to the Broadway Market, a cornerstone of East London since 1888. As I rode the bus toward another food adventure at E5 Bakehouse, my friend and I passed the street above. She told me about the market's varied vendors and stalls and said I needed to visit. When she heard I was coming back to London Saturday morning, I was urged to hurry to the Broadway Market. And hurry I did! Considering I just landed from Zurich, I made remarkable time.

Let's welcome East London's unusual denizens. The vintage and used clothing racks attract the wild and free to the staid and frugal. Clothes ranges from brightly knit threads to sturdy Barbour jacket to denim Levi jackets. Further up there was even a stall selling vintage ties and mens bathing suits. I may have even spotted a vintage 40s bathing suit from Jantzen (made in England).

However, food was my mission. It's always my mission. It's true I was hunting for my friend, but why let a small thing like that sidetrack me from what matters? Here's a colorful stall from Gujarati Rasoi advertising traditional indian food. Bhujia, a fried treat consisting of gram flour, spices, and vegetables, were £1, so I grabbed a quick snack and kept hunting.

My friends were waiting for the above to happen. A band was promoting an event next Saturday using Swing Patrol London dancers. They were taking their sweet time moving to Broadway Market and I was getting antsy. There was so much to be explored here and I was waiting for some sort of parade (note: it wasn't a parade).

At the topmost point of Broadway Market, near London Fields, hang a right for more stalls. My hunger could be sated and I was close enough to the road to hear the band coming. I headed straight to Don Arancini for their risotto balls. Two flavors especially caught my eye - the chorizo, saffron, and chili and the goat's cheese, sun dried tomato and basil. However, there is a deal. If you buy three, it's £3.50 where as one is £1.50. What a great deal! I asked for a suggestion and he went with a new selection, the feta, olive, and spinach. I left happy with my three arancinis and more red onion jam.

It's easy to get sidetracked by Olympic fever and a sign boasting that Usain Bolt ate here. My hands were rather full with arancinis, but they were advertising plantain. I hadn't had those in a while, so I inquired about getting those as a side. This option isn't advertised, but I was informed it would be £2.50. Once agreed, they took a small takeout box and loaded it up with plantain. They were sticky, slightly sweet, and could be eaten with my fingers. I was very happy.

Whereas the parade was lame, the ice cream wasn't. Chateaux Gelato appeared with their bicycle toting frozen sweets. I had to have the orange zest, rosemary, and honey ice cream. A bit of citrus, but something lurking beneath, something herbaceous. Rosemary added a great balancing touch.

I was slowly filling up on savory and sweet morsels. Then this pie shop temped me with their inexpensive mini-pies. One apple and blackberry pie was inhaled.

The Northfield Farm allowed me to stand in front of the grilling hamburgers and sizzling bacon smoke. I would have loved to sample their menu, but I was too full.

Same thing here. I loved Scotch Eggs and they even had a Thai Red Curry Pork Scotch egg, but I passed. I want to consume immediately and not wait. The food was meant to be enjoyed willingly and the full stomach dost protest.

Slices of wild board, venison and blue goat's cheese hard cured meats don't count.

Roast Hog was at the market.

Musicians were playing the blues on the street corner. One of them works at Passing Clouds.

So the market comes to an end. It did wonderful work- providing me something sweet, something savory, and something to keep away drafts (Harris Tweeds, etc). If you're in London, definitely check out this market.

Dinner by Heston - Mandarin Hotel, London

Welcome to the Mandarin Hotel, home to Dinner by Heston. I was staying in London with good friends, foodies and cocktail enthusiasts. I value people that value great dining and drinking experiences. It's not enough to just eat for calories, one must occasionally savor. We talked of Fat Duck, 3 Michelin stars, far away in distance and budget. Then we moved to Dinner by Heston, possessor of 1 Michelin star and ranked #9 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Through mild wrangling, my friend and I landed an afternoon reservation.

We were escorted through the lounge area, subtly lit yet eye catching to the color-ADD among us. I was excited. Meat Fruit was foremost in my mind. My friend could only describe it as pate that looked like fruit. To the internet!

Wow! Heston is a culinary artist! I was singing Meat Fruit all week leading to this event. When isn't an anticipated restaurant not an event? We ordered as if we were on a mission. There was mild debate about the second course, but went with Meat Fruit, Black Foot Pork Chop, Tipsy Cake, and Brown Bread Ice Cream.

While we waited, they served us bread and lightly salted butter. The wait staff here is charming, efficient, and their timing impeccable. They serve without hovering, charm with but an accent tinted phrase. Having finished the bread, they ask "Would you like some more?" And hem and haw, knowing I shouldn't, but the gentleman says "Why not?" Why not, indeed? More bread is in front of me and I continue carb loading waiting for my Meat Fruit.

Chicken liver parfait encased inside a mandarin jelly mold accompanied by grilled bread. The orange color is correct, it has the topmost dimple, yet there is something off about this mandarin. 

Discard the "stem" and gently cut open. The orange exterior reveals the creamy meat parfait lurking beneath. Spread liberally on your grilled bread and lustfully enjoy. It will leave you hungering for more.

Here we have the Black Foot Pork Chop featuring Hispi cabbage, lardo, ham hock & Robert sauce. The cabbage and lardo were a lighter airy side to the brash ham hock. I had expected the lardo to be much more decadent and rich, but the ham merely hinted. The Pork Chop was good, but not great. I suppose I did not fully appreciate that this came from the Black Iberian Pig.

While researching Dinner by Heston, I found a featurette video highlighting tipsy cake. It's a spit roasted spiraled pineapple with a custardy brioche (I'm borrowing from other descriptions here. I must inquire more specifically if there's a next time). The pineapple had been rotisseried, cooked and basted in caramel for 2-4 hours. Since my mind was occupied with whole pineapple images, it hard for me to fully appreciate this dessert. It was certainly a rich complementary pairing.

Here is my favorite dessert, the Brown Bread Ice Cream featuring Salted butter caramel, pear & malted yeast syrup. Our server advised that we cut through all three layers with our spoons. I appreciate the care they take with their presentation. Three textures, intertwined flavors, a savory marriage. 

Our palates were finished with an Earl Grey Chocolate Ganache and Caraway Seed biscuit. I enjoyed the biscuits and my friend enjoyed the two ganache.

Want more Heston? Click here.

Room with a view - the kitchen.

Champagne service.

The menu.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, 

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

Williams and Graham - the customer is #1

I've followed Williams and Graham's progress from afar, first hearing about it through the Westword and other online mutterings. Sean Kenyon, former Squeaky Bean bar manager, was involved in the SB replacement, The Occidental, and Williams and Graham. Unfortunately, due to lease negotiations, The Occidental never opened, and WG's opening was delayed due to restaurant bar licenses. And so I left for my extended Europe and Australia trip without experiencing either. I was relegated to long-distance voyeurism via online publications. That's never satisfactory.

And now....? Well, Williams and Graham is my hangout. One week you show up there with a friend on Sunday and have a great experience. So great you have to return again and again and again and make reservations for another day.

Williams and Graham is tucked into the corner of Tejon and 32nd Avenue. It's distinctively on the corner, but with their minimal door signage, I accidentally passed it this Sunday. I weaved back around and entered their library front. Did you know that you can trade a hardcover book for one of their hardcovers? They may not be willing to part with some books, but the bartering opportunity exists.

Wednesday through Sunday are their busiest evenings, though one bartender will admit that Wednesday is hit and miss. I definitely recommend a reservation or calling ahead. Be prepared for a 1.5 hour wait. Fortunately, the host will call you in case you're at a nearby restaurant or at home. Consider it a fifteen minute warning.

Once allowed in, typically escorted by Todd Colehour (WG co-owner), you'll be beckoned through the concealed door past a dimly lit corridor into the bar area.

This view is from the back. WG offers bar seating, standing room only at the bookshelves, booths, and tucked away high seats on a raised platform toward the bar's right. Maximum capacity is 80 people. Even though this bar gets packed, conversation is relatively muted. I've enjoyed the bar, a booth, and standing room only settings and have been able to have decent conversations consistently. They don't have rules, so I respect their clientele's class. There is light music in the backroom. Also, at some point each evening scratchy blues will be played.

 Here we have co-owner, Sean Kenyon, a third generation bartender. He is an amazing source of information and has a remarkable memory. I say this because he remembered a drink he concocted for a friend based on a butterscotch drink request. He came back with a Flip comprised of Leopold Bros Three Pins Alpine Liqueur, Noci Amaro (walnut based), egg white, and perhaps another ingredient. Anyway, his attention to detail is shared with his staff. Once you meet your server or bartender, they introduce themselves and get your names. So they manage to remember your name, recall last night's special cocktail, have encyclopedic knowledge of spirits, are able to point you to drinks appropriate to your taste, and are equipped to handle problems proactively. There is much to enjoy.

 Here we have the Rob Roy, a drink featured in their Scotch Whiskey section. Their cocktail menu is separated first by house cocktails and then by spirit. The spirit sections include brand name, its respective location (USA, Ireland, Indonesia, etc), and cocktails that features these particular spirits. You can substitute spirits as I did for the Last Word (swapped Spring44 Gin for Leopold Bros Navy Strength Gin) or even go off menu if you have a special hankering. Sometimes you may be guided back to their menu.

And sometimes you might be very intrigued about an interesting bottle on a bar's top shelf. For instance, here is the 1605 Chartreuse (created to commemorate the return of a mysterious manuscript concerning an elixir of long life to the Carthusian monks). It's part of Sean Kenyon's collection and is $25 for that taste. It's well worth the experience.

For contrast, you can enjoy the Green Chartreuse VEP for $15. This picture highlights both its louching and Jason's fine beard.

Olivea working her magic on a fiery apple smelling drink. She worked very well with my friend and I, nailing requests and suggestions.

Hunting for top shelf Chartreuse spirits.

They let me keep the 1605 bottle since we emptied it. I'm searching for the last few herbal drops.

The secret cubbyhole for passing notes between the house front and bar. If you can't see it now, click the picture for a larger view.

Other notes: Be wary of the toilets. Their lids have difficulty staying up, so it might be less dangerous if you sit. The bacon beignets sound like a fantasy. There is a distinct lack of bacon flavor. The paired blackberry sage reduction is fantastic, though.

Williams and Graham
www.williamsandgraham.com
 3160 Tejon Street
Denver, Colorado 80211
303.997.8886