Wishbone

I was so excited for Wishbone last night, I think I told everyone I met yesterday that I was going. Now I don't want to say it was a disappointment as it certainly wasn't, however I think I chose the wrong day to go.  I have visited Market Row and Brixton Village many a time however I think I miscalculated how cold we would be sat in a market unit as the UK began to plummet into a big freeze.

The only table available when we arrived was right by the shutters, squeezed in beside/behind a couple square on to us. This meant we lacked slightly in space on our table/shelf to eat off. Such a thing doesn't really bother me however as we were so cold and lacked a heater over us,  I asked the first staff member I saw if we could move when someone else left. Rabbit in the headlights is the only way to describe his response. I quickly retracted my request for the want of an easy life.

We deliberated whether to stay or not and I am glad we did as the evening improved at a rate of knots. Our lovely and attentive waitress was incredibly helpful when it came to numerous questions about drinks and food menus. With her help we decided to go for a alternative choice of cocktail - a Port Sour. Choosing Port > Egg White Wash > Straight up (See below). It was delicious and cheap - two of the most important components needed for a great drink.

We were then advised to order 2 chicken dishes and then 1 of the more carb heavy sides and 1 of the salad esq. We went for the Thai chicken thighs, the Buffalo chicken wings, deep fried mac and cheese, hot mess and a coleslaw (only to kid ourself's that we weren't just eating a heart attack on a plate and try to adhere to the advice we had been given). Now this is when I wish it hadn't been so cold as I would have been able to eat everything so much quicker if I could of felt my hands.

The Buffalo Wings were BIG wings marinated in a moorish sauce, I think we cleaned every bone dry. The Thighs though were so juicy they oozed fresh mint and chilli and I devoured over half before my date got his gloves off. Part of me wishes we had gone with our gut an ordered my meat and not filled ourselves on side however....

...they did kind of steal the show. Now I hope you visit Wishbone soon and agree with me on this; Deep fried Mac n Cheese needs to be on every menu. With the hot melted cheese seeping out the bottom, each bite was sublime. Then intertwine this with spoonfuls of Hot Mess (hash browns topped with blue cheese dip, mozzarella, pickles, and jalapenos finished with more cheese) and you could easily fall into heavenly carb induced coma.

You could certainly tell that Wishbone was the brainchild of William Leigh and Scott Collins (of the Meatliquor brand), from the alternative menus to the old school 90's hip hop blasting out of the unit and the buzzing atmosphere. Its such a hard combo to perfect and they managed to nail it, which was impressive especially in a small market unit.

I feel that the start of this post was slightly harsh on Wishbone however seating was my only issue with our visit and normally they do have the upstairs section open. This was only closed because they were down a member which also accounts for the occasional slightly frazzled one.

I do assure you though that we will be returning but maybe in slightly warmer weather.

Wishbone, Unit 12, Market Row, Brixton, SW9 8PR
http://wishbonebrixton.co.uk/
@wishbonebrixton
Approx. £15pp with drinks and service

Seven at Brixton

Now, Seven at Brixton was not intended to be the next post and not in quite such quick succession to Wishbone however our visit was just as spontaneous.

After leaving Wishbone, we fancied a final nightcap and so wandered across the road to a very unassuming tapas/cocktail bar. Now I make it sound like we stumbled across it. This was not the case; in fact we have been trying to find an excuse to go for a while. With the promise of fantastic cocktails a £5 a pop, why wouldn't we?

You do have to try your luck with the lesser known named cocktails as there are no breakdowns but this was half the fun. My date went safe and chose a Dark and Stormy. I however decidedly to warm myself up after Wishbone and chose the Haute Toddy. I think I definitely won (if it was a competition that is-which lets not pretend, it always is when it comes to choosing food and drinks). Served in a glass beaker with a caramel biscuit as garnish, it certainly did the job with the perfect amount of amaretto to not be too it certainly warmed my cockles.

Make sure you venture upstairs into the small tucked away rooms to fully enjoy the charm of this tucked away gem. We loved this place and wish it hadn't been a Tuesday night when we couldn't enjoy it to its full extent. Pretty sure we will be returning to kick start our night this weekend in fact.

Unit 7, Market Row, Brixton, SW9 8LB
http://sevenatbrixton.wordpress.com/
@sevenatbrixton

Flat Iron

So here it is. The first post of 2013. 

Aside from being MBFK first post, this was the first meal out I had had since our return from India. It soon became apparent what I had missed during our time away, as within a couple of days of our return I was so desperate for a succulent steak, Flat Iron was the only remedy.

Flat Iron, like many of 2012's new restaurants, has a No Reservation policy. Something that really gets my goat. I had therefore asked my other half to rush over after work and get us in the queue. However 5 mins after his arrival I received the following text - 'I'm upstairs, towards the back'. I nearly buckled down the curb. This was unheard of for a restaurant with such a buzz around it. This was one of many pleasant surprises on our visit to FI.

The next came as I entered; This place was so much bigger than it looked from the outside and it was already nearly full by 6.30pm. I found my dinner date exactly where he said he would be, on a fairly cramped table at the back. The seating is quite difficult to position yourself on and you do end up getting to know your neighbours very well, with the occasional elbow jab for good luck. Due to this, I wouldn't recommend here for a romantic, 1 on 1 meal. We however left that sort of date night behind long ago and were more interested in the menu and satisfying our carnivorous urges than staring longingly at each other.

With one thing on the menu, we ordered quickly. Steak it was, with sides of chips and creamed spinach. Served with Fred's sauce (a tomato based accompaniment with a slight twang). With a carafe of the spicy Italian Negromaro.

As you can see, they do not scrimp on the portions here. I think my iron intake was sufficiently replenished from this one meal after our 3 weeks with no red meat. It was cooked (rare) and seasoned to perfection and melted in your mouth. Accompanied by the right amount of sides for two, we couldn't have been happier and wished we could have had more (we were just too full to manage it).

Flat Iron continued to astound me all the way up until the bill arrived, on a incredibly heavy duty metal slab; for a moorish steak, delicious wine and attentive service, we we were only due to pay £38. We left for the cinema feeling incredibly full and pretty smug that we had found ourselves a slightly undiscovered new regular date night eatery.


17 Beak Street, Soho, W1F 9RW
www.flatironsteak.co.uk
@flatironsteak

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year to you all.

I am currently lapping up the last few rays of the first day of 2013 on a beach in India.

This post however is a promise to you all that as soon as I return to London Town. My Best Friend Kate will be back, regularly and for good!

X

Heritage Deli @ Brixton Village

This will be a short post, as very little needs to be said to persuade people to go to Heritage Deli (Recently renamed THE JOINT) - which is back at Brixton Village, Unit 87.

Their Pulled Pork and BBQ Chicken rolls are hands down the best in town. But make sure you get down their early to grab yourself one as a large proportion of those visiting the south east market will have the same idea as you. The succulent meat is melts in your mouth and has just the right amount of sauce/spice (depending which you go for). My only criticism is there is sometimes a bit too much coleslaw which makes eating a little messier but also takes away some of the fantastic flavours away from the main star of the show.

The unit is also on a row of the market which is slightly less busy and allows for you to sit comfortably and not shout over each other as you do at some of the larger, more restaurant-esq stalls/restaurants. They also serve their water in THE CUTEST jars.

Not that I am encouraging over excessive alcohol consumption BUT if you did find your self suffering the next day from doing so, Heritage Deli is guaranteed to sort you out - that is unless you are prone to the meat sweats.

Unit 87, Brixton Village Market, SW9 8PS
@thefoodjoint

Meat Liquor

So here is the promised return of MBFK. I promise I won't leave it as long again; life seemed to just take over. That does not mean however I haven't wined and dined myself in some fantastic places in the meantime.

Now it seems appropriate to return with a blog post about one of my guiltiest pleasures ever - Meat Liquor. This was my second visit to the haven of dirty cocktails (I still talk about the Cideritas from my last visit) and greasy meat and as rightly stated by one of my girlfriends, its a place you can only really go to once a year so you have enough time to work off the increased levels of saturated fat you consume before the next visit.

Having been open to about a year now, we had expected queues to have reduced significantly since our last visit at which we endured a 2.5 hour wait. However whether it be returning or new customers, our hour wait is a true testament to the funky diner and the fun that is waiting inside for you. You are however now rewarded for you patience and are served onions rings and fried pickles, two of the tastiest options on the menu. 

The dark, graffitied, dungeon like space you finally enter into, immediately invites you in to overindulge on drinks and food. To our disappointment though, Cideritas are no longer on the menu, and so we consoled ourselves the only way we knew how- by ordering 3 tankards of GROG (limited to 2 per person on ML's advice). 

After a 10min wait at the bar, we sat down at our table and immediately reeled off our meaty desires. 

1 x Chilli Cheese fries, 

1 x Slaw, 

1 x Buffalo Wings,

1 x Deep Fried pickles,

2 x Cheeseburger, 

1 x Mushroom Swiss.

Now how could we ever be disappointed with what turned up. Answer: We couldn't. My mouth still waters looking at this picture. We couldn't eat quick enough and our tray - YES TRAY - of food disappeared in minutes. The champion of the meal being the deep friend pickles and blue cheese dip (as per last time) however the burgers never fail to disappoint and they disappear so quickly the I think they must evaporate in your mouth.

The sheer demand in this place never ends and even at 9.30pm we were asked to move (in lieu of a free drink) to accommodate a larger group who had just arrived. Therefore leading up to finish our evening, rebelling against the recommended dose, with 2 more rounds of Grog.

Do not let the idea of large queues put you off, it is well and truly worth it and with more branches opening up across the capital; Meat Market (Covent Garden) and Meat Wagon (Hoxton Square - Set to open any day now); more of you can get drunk on their meaty goodness.

74 Welbeck Street, London, W1G 0BA
www.meatliquor.com
@MEATliquor

Evans & Peel, Detective Agency

Amongst the throng of speakeasy's that have opened across London over the last couple of years, Evans & Peel's Detective Agency easily tops them all.

After wandering around Earls Court Road in search of the unassuming door, we eventually found the entrance. Disappointingly we bumped into people leaving as we buzzed in and so did not get to speak to our 'detective' prior to entering. As we arrived into his office, we were instantly quite confused. Unlike many other 'speakeasys' in London, Evans and Peel had gone all out and we found our selves transported back in time to a 1920's office, with no obvious entrance to the bar, and quite abruptly asked if we had an appointment by the dapperly dressed Detective behind the desk.

After confirming our appointment, he asked us how he could help? After my other half began to ask if we could have a drink and I saw the look of disapproval spread across our Detective's face, I threw myself into a story about my missing brother, surprising myself as much as my date. With the final question, 'Does he have an distinguishing features?', he thought it best to seek help from his colleagues and with the pull of a book on the shelf beside him, a bookcase then swung open into a buzzing, lowly lit prohibition bar. 

Noted at the bottom of the menu, The Detective Agency cannot serve alcohol without food and so although having filled ourselves earlier that evening we had to be served a small plate of bread and oil. The decor was a delicate mix of antiques and modern inserts, with dirty, cracked porcelain tiles behind the bar and furniture perfectly sought. We sat opposite other on a 1920's wooden desk and browsed their fairly extensive cocktail menu. The cocktails are all slight twists on old classics, and to die for. 

We only stayed for an hour, as it got fairly packed and sitting by the door slightly ruined the atmosphere for us. I would however wouldn't think twice to go back (we have already booked to go again) and would highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who want to immerse themselves into the theme. 

http://www.evansandpeel.com/

Reservations: detective@evansandpeel.com

Cocktails: Approx £9.50 Each

P.S If you wanted to go a step further, you could also join as a member who are given the opportunity to purchase one of the think wooden spirit drawers (£300 a year) behind the bar, in which you can choose a bottle of spirit to be decanted into an Evans & Peel bottle, wax dipped and sealed. Then return time and time again with your key to use your chosen spirit in measures and cocktails as you please.

Bonnie Gull New Venture

Following the success of Bonnie-on- Sky and previous London Pop Up's, Bonnie Gull's new pursuit is  finally a permanent resturant of their own. After a very cagey conversation with Co-Founder and Director Alex at Platterform's Bonnie-On-Sky, about their new location, it seems all paperwork has been confirmed and they will be finally settling on Foley Street, Fitzrovia.

A seaside restaurant on in the city, with full focus on 100% British produce. Head Chef Luke Robinson, formerly of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen will have a daily changing menu to coincide with that days catch. Dishes such as Scottish Langoustine, pickled apple, roasted pork belly and endive salad will tickle our taste buds to start with and could be followed by Fresh Razor and Surf Clam Linguini or Whole Devon Crab with Shack Mayo. A careful constructed menu that will make this new venture one of the hottest seats in town.


Reservations for the main restaurant are already being taken and will be from October.
Foley Street, W1
http://www.bonniegull.com/
@BonnieGull

South Place Hotel

South Place Hotel, opens 3rd September and is the next venture from D&D London. With the
mantra of more 'Meet than sleep', it is therefore no surprise that alongside the 80 rooms, South Place will be opening the Angler Restaurant and Bar on the seventh floor with unrivalled views of London (bar Sushisamba and Duck and Waffle). As its title suggests, Angler has full focus on native fish, shell fish and crustacea. Seating 80, opening for lunch 12pm - 3pm and a later dinner sitting 6pm - 10.30pm.

Further to this restaurant come viewing platform, the ground floor at South Place will open a more casual Shoreditch style restaurant - 3 South Place. As more of a british diner, they will be following in the recent trend of glamorising well known comfort food. Seating 70 and open nearly 24/7, 6.30am - 2am.

Finally to compliment both of these diners, South Place will have a lower ground floor bar with resident DJ and more casual bar menu and upper terrace with outdoor grill and extensive cocktail menu.

3 South Place, Moorgate, EC2M 2AF
http://www.southplacehotel.com/

Today Kate Likes...

Elvis....

...the most adorable Golden spaniel known to man.