London Wine Show

Jon and I went to the London Wine Show yesterday. Despite the steep admission price (£17.50 per person), we couldn’t stay away. Even though we’re not wine experts by any stretch of the imagination, the event takes place at a convention center around the corner from our flat, the Business Design Centre (such a unique [...]

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Taqueria, Notting Hill

Tonight, Jon and I made tacos at home. It’s impossible to find small corn tortillas here, but even when we have to use the 9” diameter El Paso flour tortillas, our food tastes a lot better than what we had this past Saturday at the Taqueria in Notting Hill (139-143 Westbourne Grove). El Paso, by [...]

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Paris – L’Astrance & Pho 14

Foodwise, my last day in Paris was a mix of high-end and low, though all delicious.  After all the rave reviews I’d read of Pascal Barbot’s Astrance restaurant (really, just try googling it), I kicked myself for not having made reservations in advance. The restaurant seats 26, total. Still, at 11 a.m. the day I [...]

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Paris – A Trip to the Louvre and L’As du Falafel

Taking a break from the pattern of long French meals yesterday, Cathy and I enjoyed a day of eating little “snacks” of things like macaroons, falafel and banh mi.Cathy dropped by Pierre Herme yesterday to pick up a 100g box of assorted macaroons – a box which included salt caramel, chocolate-and-passionfruit, olive-oil-and-vanilla, and my usual [...]

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Paris – Le Comptoir

This morning, Cathy, Lauren and I visited the Tuesday market at Place Maubert Mutualite.The market was so-so. There was a mix of fresh produce (which of course you don’t get to pick out yourself), weird schlocky jewelry and clothing stands, and then gross tourist stuff (aka polyster tablecloths in “Provencal” colors). The produce was fresh, [...]

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Paris – Chez Catherine

It was a gorgeous day today in Paris. Sunny, high in the low 70s. Perfect for walking around.This morning, like yesterday morning, I went for a two-lap run along the perimeter of the Luxembourg Gardens nearby. I loved feeling the bright late-autumn sunshine as I ran past the Luxembourg Palace and watched all the kids [...]

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Aux Lyonnais, Paris

Jon and I are in Paris right now. He’s used up more of his 25 vacation days than I have, so I (and my friend Cathy) rented an apartment in Paris for the week in order for me to “catch up,” and Jon decided to come along for 24 hours (he has to go back [...]

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Slides at the Tate and the Churchill Arms (a Thai pub)

This entire week, I’ve been thinking of the British phrase: “roll on, Friday.” I’m pretty sure it’s the equivalent of “come on, Friday, dammit.” After leaving work today, I took the tube to London Bridge and joined the crowds walking along the South Bank. I relaxed as I walked past the tourists clustered around Shakespeare’s [...]

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Eh to Cinnamon and Ode to Huong Viet, Dalston

Yesterday, our team went out to lunch because a company alum is rejoining the team as a temporary contractor to help cover for a guy who’s leaving the company. We decided to try out the restaurant at the Hilton that just opened in Canary Wharf in July 2006. The hotel restaurant, Cinnamon, is all slate [...]

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To Market, To Market (and more pie and pub action)

This weekend, Jon and I did a lot of cooking and eating (surprise, surprise). We had, for example, almost a dozen small apples dropped off by the organic farmer delivery service, so I whipped out my trusty Joy of Cooking and baked the pie you see above using the “apple pie 2” receipe. It is [...]

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Charles Lamb Pub, Islington

I organized an outing on Thursday night at the Charles Lamb Pub (16 Elia St, N1 8DE, 020 7837 5040), which just happens to be in my neighborhood (here’s to the prerogative of the planner). I love that I live in a city where someone connected Elia and Charles Lamb. In case you’re a little [...]

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Goodbye, Apple.

Thank you to everyone who today sent me the story most relevant to my blog: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/04/nyregion/05applecnd.html I wasn’t planning on ever explaining the naming of this blog, partly because it might seem pretentious and partly because I didn’t want to draw attention to it (and therefore give anyone the idea that I am an expert [...]

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Out and About – Isarn, Aubaine, Keston Lodge

This past weekend, I met a few of Cathy and Bobby’s banker-couple friends for brunch on Saturday. We went to a very attractive and fun French-y place called Aubaine on Brompton Road. I see its appeal, but the food was pricey for what it was, though not bad. I guess you’re paying mostly for the [...]

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