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Welcome to My Living Room: The Fox

28 Paul Street
EC2A 4LB
Tel: 020 7729 5708

Date of Last Visit: Friday, May 19, 2006

The Victim: Jane

The Damage: 20 quid per person

I've been wanting to try The Fox forever. Lunch with Jane was the perfect opportunity. We had a booking for 1, but they'd warned me that we'd have to share the table. I asked if this was normal, and they clarified that at The Fox, it was very normal.

Upon entering the pub downstairs, I was frightened. Where was I taking Jane? The lads were out in full force. Not a suit in sight. We followed the signs to the upstairs dining room.

And there were the suits. Just a few of them. We sat at an oval dining room table for 6. There were two people down at the end. So sharing was not such a terrible thing.

We both ordered the buffalo mozzerella with rocket and beets and it was quite lovely. Now normally, beets are one of my least favorite foods, but somehow, these were quite delicious.

Then what else--I ordered the grilled polenta--which came with more rocket. And it was SOOO good. Who knew grilled polenta could be that good? I just wanted to keep eating. Really. It was so lovely. Fantastic.

Jane has the plaice with potatoes and it looked quite nice. She seemed to enjoy it.

The Fox is small--maybe room for 25 in the dining room. But it's quite perfect and cozy.

The Verdict: I'd go back here. Again and again. Please keep the grilled polenta on the menu.

Sunday Buck's Fizz: Launceston Place

1a Launceston Place
W8 5RL
Tel: 020 7937 6912

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, May 7, 2006

The Victims: Al, Louise, Michael

Al & Louise are fantastic at organizing Sunday brunch, and it's funny because just the day before, I had walked by Launceston Place and thought, "That looks like a nice place."

Indeed, it is a nice place. And it was their anniversary, so we all got free Bloody Mary's. Problem is, I HATE Bloody Mary's. Uggh. Yuk. Yuk!!! I tried to swap it for a Buck's Fizz (aka Mimosa) but no luck. I could have OJ, so I did. And ordered some sparkling wine on the side. :)

So the Launceston is where you should take your grandparents. And I don't mean this in a bad way. But we were definitely some of the youngest folks in the place. Everyone there was deliciously well-dressed and wealthy looking. I was in jeans and trainers.

I started with the potato and leek soup, only my favorite soup ever. It was really, really good. For my entree, I had the duck with chorizo. Oh my was it delicious. But there was so much of it, there was no way I could finish it. And this made me, as usual, very very sad.

We drank some wine, we enjoyed the sun coming through the windows. We were the last people left in the restaurant in that lull between lunch and dinner. And it was good.

The Verdict: Bring grandma here.

A Day Out: The Waterway

54 Formosa Street
W9 2JU
Tel: 020 7266 3557

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, May 13, 2006

The Victim: Dear Old Dad

The Damage: 10 quid. We just had a glass of wine each.

OK, so I now have a new suggestion for a day out in London. Take the tube to Camden High Street. Walk to Camden Lock Market--enter by taking the little footbridge over the canal. Grab some delicious snacks from one of the stalls.

Take the London Waterbus from the other side of the footbridge to Little Venice. This is perhaps one of the most relaxing, peaceful, and nice things I've ever done in London. For 5 quid, you ride a long boat through the Regent's Canal, passing the zoo (we saw hyenas) and then all these different little houseboats (some nicer than others). You end up 50 minutes later in Little Venice, and when you get off the boat, there's a cute little riverside cafe. We walked north a little (at least, I think it was north) til we saw another cute little bar--The Waterway--on the other side of the canal. We found a bridge and we crossed it, and we settled ourselves down.

There was a guy there that looked disturbingly like The Edge. Was it? I was too shy to ask.

So this place--The Waterway--it's on the canal, so you have a nice little view. It's not super-expansive because there's lots of greenery in the way. There were heat lamps out, and the patio was quite large yet cozy. Good seating arrangements--cool benches around the sides. The restaurant itself pretty much has a glass back wall,and they had opened all the doors so the inside became the outside and vice versa.

The crowd was Swedish and beautiful, and I was glad I had my large sunglasses with me. We didn't eat, but we saw some Americans having brunch, which is a good sign.

The Verdict: It's been a while since I've added a new postcode. I'd go back to The Waterway. I'd take the Waterbus to the Waterway. I'd stay here all day on a Saturday. Or a Sunday.

Neighborhood Thai: Thai Thai

Thai Thai East Central
110 Old Street
EC1V 9BD
Tel: 0871 4263053

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, May 13th, 2006

The Victim: Dear Old Dad

Dad and I had had a long day. We were hungry. I took him to Fish Central, but then a fight broke out in front of the restaurant (not good for the former NY city police officer) and all the waitstaff and patrons got distracted and no one would take our order. We were highly annoyed and walked out.

So the closest option from there was Thai Thai. I've only ever experienced Thai Thai as a take-away, so sitting down was a nice change.

Of course,my father being the man he is, noticed that the wait staff didn't look very Thai. Turns out they were from Bangladesh. This made my father a bit perturbed, but I always say that you never know anyone's story, so maybe they grew up in Thailand or something. Adopted children of wealthy Thai-restaurant-dynasty-families? Hey, it could happen.

Our server recommended the mussels and they were FANTASTIC. Chili and lime and all types of good stuff. They were huge too. Mussels must be in season?

After that, I went with the seabass because after eating two fish a day in Tunisia, I was missing my fix. It was perfectly cooked and deboned--always a nice touch. Dad got chicken and veggies, which didn't look too exciting, but he seemed to like it. Yes, I managed to steer clear of the Pad Se Eu, only my most favorite Thai dish. It was hard, but I managed.

Decor is very Thai, and Buddha is everywhere.

The Verdict: A good local eat-in Thai place.

Another Lovely Gastro: William IV

7 Shepherdess Walk
N1 7QE
Tel: 020 3119 3012

Date of Last Visit: Wednesday May 3, 2006

The Victims: Julie, Feathers, Bastiaan, Renee

The Damage: Thought to be around 20 quid per person

Everyone was in town, so we made plans for dinner. I called the William IV and they had space, and I'd been wanting to try it for ages. We meandered over. It's a very peaceful place, the William IV. Although it certainly wasn't empty, it wasn't crowded either. But they had a good number of people there, so it felt full. If you know what I mean.

We found our way to the table and placed our drink orders at the bar. The problem was, we were STARVING. (It was 8 p.m. and us people from my country, we like eating early and hadn't eaten since noon.) I tried to ply some nuts or other similar snacks from the bar to no avail. My only option was nuts in foil bags. Uggh. They can certainly come up with something better.

I went for the cod (or was it sea bass?) in the potato stew. Renee had the onion soup, and she shared the meat platter with Feathers. Bastiaan enjoyed the meat platter all by himself. It was a very large meat platter. Very large.

For dessert, we shared a cheese plate which was very disappointing. Just two types of cheese. (Apparently, it was the last cheese plate they had.) I kinda felt ripped-off.

But see, at the same time, I felt perfectly perfect and comfortable at the William IV. The lighting was really good--who doesn't like a candelabra?--and the seating was cool--two really long tables across the length of the room. Also loved all the white which was white but not in an overly "Don't you dare spill anything" sort of way. I was reminded somewhat of The Garrison in Bermondsey, but not really. (I think the Garrison is a bit more crowded and country-ish. I can't explain why.)

The Verdict: The food wasn't bad. The atmosphere was very nice. I'd go back.

Que Loco!: Crazy Homies

127 Westbourne Park Rd
W2 5QL
Tel: 0871 0755844

Date of Last Visit: Monday, May 1

The Victims: Julie, Kristi, Adrien

Given my previous day, it was time to re-celebrate my birthday. Julie and I met up at The Westbourne, where we were instantly sad we weren't Swedish and wearing dark sun glasses. Al & Louise joined us before jetting off to the theatre and we passed a leisurely few hours.

But then it was time: 6 p.m. I had been planning this for weeks. Crazy Homies. Mexican food. Yes. Mexican. Si. Si. Si. I had eaten at Crazy Homes before--sort of...Rutton ordered take-away from CH for the Superbowl back in January, so I was familiar with their guac and some of their different salsas. But I had never actually eaten IN at Crazy Homies.

Although I had been muy triste the day before--mis Cumpleanos--I was muy contento on May 1st, sitting there, drinking margaritas and eating tortilla chips and guacomole and all different types of salsa.

The chips and salsa at Crazy Homies is truly to be commended. It's fantastico. Really. We could not get enough. It was a big bowl of chips (I'm wondering how long this will last--this big bowl) and delicious guac and interesting salsas. And they refilled all without charging us any extra. (Secretly, behind now used to London, I'm wondering if they just forgot about charging and if we were, instead, just lucky.) On the upside for them, their margaritas were delicious but so full of ice that they were all margin. So maybe that's the secret.

We had many margaritas. Many. And then we ordered our food. Now, I used to eat Mexican (or Tex-Mex or whatever you want to call it) quite often, so when I saw Gringas on the menu, I was a bit intrigued. I had never heard of Gringas before, although I know Gringas means white girls. Being as such, I ordered the Gringas.

And I learned that Gringas means Quesadilla in Crazy Homies parlance. This makes me sad because Quesadillas to this Long Island girl are not MAINS. They are starters. So I wasn't too excited.

My gringas were delicious though. I cannot truly complain. I just wish I had ordered the Burro (aka English for American "Burrito"). I do enjoy a delicious burrito.

I must mention that during the time we were there, this crazy homie came in and played 50s and 60s ska and it was so perfect. And he had dancing Barbies. It was cool.

Ah, well, I suppose that is all. We loved our chips and salsa. We loved our gringas. And the music. And Adrien loved his burrito.

The Veridct: I will go back many many times.

A Steal: The Steele

97 Haverstock Hill
NW3 4RL
Tel: 020 7483 1261

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, April 30th

The Victim: Myself. And Julie.

The Damage: Julie paid!

It was my birthday. Yes. My day. Suffice it to say, I spent most of my day celebrating someone else's day, which is so not so fun when it's YOUR day and no one remembers that. So I was anxious. And in need of a little celebrating.

Julie suggested a couple of places in her neighborhood, so after jump-starting the world's lowest mileage 3-year-old Audi convertible, we eventually met up at 8 on Haverstock Hill.

Our first choice, The Hill, was packed. So we headed to The Steele instead.

I have just two words: Mixed crowd.

Loved it. The young, the old, the dirty, the clean. They were all there. And so were we.

I have a new theory about bars with Thai restaurants. They're associated with the Thai mafia. I betcha that there's a guy out there selling Thai cooks all over London. The bar gets food, the dude gets 60% of the profit. A good deal.

I ordered my standard: Pad Se Eu. LOVED IT. It was honestly very delicious. My expectations were so, so low. But it was very, very oh so very good. Despite my ban on carbs, I ate it all. Every last bit.

I hate bars that tell me to be wary of my personal belongings. So that's a big minus about The Steele. But we were tucked in a corner and no one stole anything, so we were fine.

The Verdict: Supposedly, Sadie Frost hangs out here. I wouldn't bring my parents here, but given their lovely outdoor garden and delicious Thai cuisine, I can see some field trips in my future.