SUMMERS, KILBURN

It's hard not to sound biased sometimes when I write about restaurants, cos a lot of the ones I go to and love, are run by friends of mine. But that's never what sways me. What makes me love any restaurant is the food. That's why I go. To eat good food. Sure, the service and ambiance and drinks list all add to it, but ultimately, for me, it is always about the food. Which is why I've totally fallen for Summers. Yes, it's run by a mate, and yes, I got invited to try the food for free, but do you know what, I'll be going back and paying my hard earned money to eat there over and over again.

Summers is a dining room above the Sir Colin Campbell pub on Kilburn High Road. It's not the most glamorous location, and possibly not the easiest to get to, depending on where you're coming from, but you should make the journey and go. The "shabby, not quite chic, in the best possible way" dining room holds 20 covers. The menu of small to large plates changes daily, showcasing the best of the British produce available, and the wine list offers easily priced bottles at £25, £35, £45 and £55. And they make a mean negroni.

We picked a few bits off the menu, but could've worked our way through the whole thing had we been there with another couple to help share the load! Ox tongue, chicory and watercress was mustardy and rich and tangy. I know so many would steer clear of tongue but done as well as it is at Summers, it's absolutely worth ordering.

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THE STONEMASON'S ARMS, HAMMERSMITH

Last week something weird happened. Two weird things actually. I discovered somewhere to eat in Hammersmith that is a) better than good and b) I hadn't previously discovered (I've lived near Hammersmith for more than five years now). This makes me happy, but also sad that I've only just discovered it now. The Stonemasons Arms is a five minute walk from Hammersmith station, towards Ravenscourt Park and is part of the Fullers group. It's a cosy pub - a real pub with uneven wooden floorboards, a big bar, local and guest beers, a ridiculously good wine list, and the food is phenomenal. Having spotted pictures of their food on Gary's Instagram I followed up on an invite from Fullers to review one of their pubs and headed to The Stonemasons Arms with Julie for a Wednesday evening catch up over some serious food and wine.

There's an evening set menu (£23 for courses or £29 for three - you'll want three) with wine suggestions for each dish, or a la carte. We mixed it up between the two menus, choosing carefully so we could sample as much as possible. Before our chosen starters we were presented with an "amuse bouche" of charred sweetcorn, cylinders of confit potato, paprika popcorn and tarragon, all brought together by a delicious homemade mayo. With a pouch of warm bread and caramel butter things were off to a very good start, and we hadn't even properly started.

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THE POINTER, BRILL

As a country girl at heart my ideal Sunday is spent mooching round the countryside in wellies, dog(s) in tow, working up an appetite for a hearty Sunday roast in a beautiful village pub. And that's exactly what I spent the Sunday after I got back from Japan doing (blog posts on Japan coming next week btw). I'd been sent the press release for a pub called The Pointer, in Brill near Oxford, by a PR I work with, accompanied by her “favourite pig picture ever” and an invite to spend the morning on the farm that produces most of the fruit, vegetables and meat used at The Pointer, where I would then have lunch.

Polly and I jumped on the 3o minute train from Marylebone to Thane and Haddenham Parkway, where we were greeted by Fiona, who along with her husband David, owns and runs the farm, pub and butchers in the village, as well as running a weekly market in Brill where local producers can sell their wares. She whizzed us straight to their farm (which they've grown from what was essentially an extended five acre garden when they bought it, to 150 acres) where we donned some wellies for our guided tour of the land and animals. I’m a massive believer in eating good quality meat (and veg) and it was so refreshing to see how well looked after all their animals were. Fiona and David are absolutely committed to growing chemical free food and rearing animals to the highest welfare standard. They breed cows, sheep, chickens and pigs on the farm that are reared on natural feed and live full, happy, free lives. Some of the animals are bred as show animals and have won many prizes, and others are bred for meat. We saw their Highland cows, Longhorns, Tamworth Kune Kune cross 10 days old piglets, Indian runner ducks, Middle White pigs, Hampshire Down sheep and lambs, a couple of horses and their bee hives!

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A WEEKEND IN CHURT

Last weekend was our anniversary. We always like to get away somewhere in the UK for the weekend, as it's right after Christmas - and while Christmas is such lovely family time, there's no "us" time, so it's the perfect weekend for a little jolly in the countryside. I obviously take over all planning, to find the perfect place to stay that's within walking distance of a well rated pub or restaurant. The boy would do the planning, if I let him, but I don't, and that's ok. It means I'm happy with the place we end up staying, and he's happy too!

So off we went to Churt in Surrey for 2 nights last Friday evening. I've spent a fair bit of time in and around Sussex but my only venture to Surrey has been to Kingston, and I don't think that really counts. So as we drove down the A3 then off into the countryside proper, I was squealing with excitement as we wound our way through tree lined rounds and found ourselves outside The Devil's Cradle in Churt, which was to be home for 2 nights. Now I wouldn't necessarily write about a romantic weekend away on my blog, but I have to tell you about this, as both the B&B that we stayed in, and the pub that we spent nearly every waking hour in were both so perfect. I found the B&B through Google searches. We now only ever use AirBnB when we go away, but I couldn't find the perfect place I had in mind so turned back to Google and found The Devil's Cradle - a self contained chalet, with under floor heating, it's own kitchen, a wet room shower and four poster bed. It costs £75 a night without breakfast and £85 with - between us - £170 for 2 nights in paradise!!

 

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THE BOLLO HOUSE REVISITED

I've blogged about The Bollo before - it was one of the first reviews I ever wrote on my blog. Since then we've been more times than I can remember, for food, drinks, Sunday lunches, last minute dinners, meetings, cocktails.... It's our regular so we end up there for many reasons or no reason at all. Then you can imagine my horror when I called to book earlier this Summer only for the phone to ring and ring with no answer. They'd closed! During Summer!! But a bit of further investigation led me to find out that it was only temporary as they were undergoing a full front and back of house refurb, and they'd be open again soon. So the night after they reopened we were there like a shot to try out their new range of drinks and updated food menu.

The Bollo changed hands pre-refurb and is now run the by the same group who own The City Barge in Chiswick, which is another new favourite of ours, so I was excited to see what they'd done to improve this place we call our second home! A lot is the answer!! I'm so happy that all has changed for the better. The inside of the pub has been given a lick of paint, the slightly odd seating arrangements are gone (it used to be a bit of higgledy mix of bench seating, large tables, sofas and various types of chair) replaced with more tables, creating a restaurant feel in the main dining area, but without having lost any of the pub feel in the bar area. And talking of the bar area, their drinks selection is awesome now. There's about 10 different craft beers, a lot of which are brewed in London, on tap - one of which is a new favourite - 3 Weiss Monkeys - a wheat beer brewed in London Fields which is light and refreshing with a delicious lemony taste to it. We sunk 5 of these between us before we'd even ordered  food - oops! If you like wheat beer or are interested in trying it, go for this, it's the best wheat beer I've ever tried.

But the main event for me was the food - we loved the old, seasonally changing menu that had our favourite dishes on it which we ate over and over again. I was nervous about the change, but I needn't have been - it is SO good! The menu has been spruced up - bread to nibble that used to be served with oil and balsamic has been upgraded to delicious slices of a seeded loaf, now served with oil and dukkah. Salt and pepper squid is now calamari with merguez sausage - traditional has been replaced by modern with a twist.

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THE JOLLY POACHER, BRIGHTON

After our mammoth lunch at 64 Degrees in Brighton and a quick trip back to our Airbnb flat, we wandered back into town for some arcade and dodgems fun on the pier before our friend's play started that evening. We had a lovely time mucking about, and really enjoyed the play. Afterwards we went to the pub next to the theatre for a few drinks with the cast, but Brighton was heaving and all we really wanted was to find a nice pub, with good beer, where we could relax and drink for the evening. Our friend whose play it was suggested we go to The Jolly Poacher, run by a mate of hers, so we jumped in her car and headed 10 minutes up the hill to the pub. I'm particularly fussy with pubs, and even if I'm just drinking in one I like the ambience created by a good gastropub, and that's exactly what The Jolly Poacher is. In fact, whilst perusing the menu over late night Saturday drinks we decided this was where we should come for our Sunday lunch the next day before the drive back to London. We booked a table, drank more beer, stumbled home and awoke on Sunday SO ready for some good food.

I already knew what I wanted before we even got to the pub on Sunday. When we'd been there on Saturday night I had a long chat with the chef, who'd said he had one portion of a few things on the menu left, so I'd reserved one of those things for my lunch! Although with their seasonal menu using locally sourced ingredients, most of their dishes were right up my street.

As we were in Brighton and near the sea I couldn't not start my meal with a couple of juicy, fat oysters - served with a really good red wine shallot vinegar they knocked my slightly fuzzy hungover head straight back into shape!

These were swiftly followed by goose liver parfait (yes, that is a sneaky way of saying foie gras), rhubarb compote, pickled asparagus and toasted brioche - it was so good. The parfait was smooth and iron-rich, and served with some of my favourite seasonal ingredients. I thought the brioche was the perfect bread to serve with this dish as it wasn't too heavy like normal toasted bread would've been.

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PRINCESS VICTORIA, UXBRIDGE RD

I must've been told about The Princess Victoria pub on Uxbridge Road by more than 10 different people over the last year, recommending that I eat there. And having booked a table about a month ago which we weren't able to make, it was high time I got myself down there to see how good it really was.

So that's where we headed for lunch on my birthday.

The Princess Victoria is halfway down Uxbridge Road, between Shepherds Bush and Ealing Common. It's an unassuming building, with frosted windows facing the road, and is somewhere you could easily walk straight past if you didn't know what was hidden inside. But don't let that put you off - once inside it really is quite impressive! Wood panelling lines the walls, and a large circular bar swoops into the first room you enter. Past the bar area is the main restaurant, full of solid wood tables with wooden chairs. A long serving table goes up one side of the restaurant room, with various homemade breads out, ready for service. 

It was Monday lunchtime when we went, and although not busy, there were a few people eating. I was surprised they were serving food at all, as most gastro pubs I know don't do Monday lunch.

We were offered a table in the main restaurant, but opted for a cosy table in the bar. The ratio of staff to diners was about 1:1, and the staff were all really friendly and welcoming.

I could've sat and tried to work my way through their entire menu, as it's really my type of food, made with responsibly sourced ingredients. But we had a lot of unpacking to do, so decided to share a starter and have a main each.

The menu at Princess Victoria is split into Charcuterie; Oysters, cured and smoked fish; Starters; Mains; and "From the ageing room....".

We went for the Tamworth pork and peppercorn pate with pickle and toast to start (I'm a sucker for a pickle, and this one was perfect!) I could've done with a little more of the crispy toast on the side, but that's probably just because I'm a little greedy! The pate had an excellent texture and just the right balance between salty and sweet.

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A NIGHT OF GAME AT PUTNEY'S DUKES HEAD

You might have read my recent post about supper club coordinators extrodinaire, Grub Club. Well they very kindly organised for me to go and try out one of their supper clubs, so I invited my brother and his fiance, her sister and boyfriend, and the boy along, to try it out. We had a raucous Wednesday night, full of game dishes and excellently chosen wines. My little brother is a wine salesman and came along to choose appropriate wines to match our meal. He's written a few words for my blog about the wine - see the end of this post.

The night took place at The Duke's Head in Putney in the private upstairs room. A lovely, tranquil (until we arrived) space, that suited the occasion perfectly.

This particular evening was all about game meats. We started the meal with an amuse bouche to share of duck rillettes, carpaccio of duck and smoked duck egg yolk with asparagus. This was my favorite course of the meal, with all 3 components presented beautifully.

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GRUB CLUB - SUPPER CLUBS GALORE!

Grub Club is a brand new website, that has been sent to answers my prayers... kinda! It lists most of the supper clubs in London and allows you to easily book places at any that take your fancy. I managed to catch up with Liv, one of the co-founders of Grub Club, to ask her a bit about her inspirations, aspirations and food influences. Here's what she had to say:


What is Grub Club and what was your inspiration behind setting Grub Club up?

Grub Club is a platform for food entrepreneurs. We help creative chefs find underused spaces in order to set up temporary restaurants. Foodies then search and book delicious, unique meals through our site. 

The idea of organising dinner parties for people to eat delicious food and meet like-minded people seems so simple, yet it was incredibly difficult to find these places online; it felt like the type of niche event only open to those "in the know", whereas we believe everyone should have the opportunity to eat great meals in relaxed, social surroundings.

How long has it taken you to get to this stage?

Sid and I decided to get the platform built in August, but we only officially launched Grub Club in mid-January this year.  

There are various websites doing a similar sort of thing to Grub Club - what sets you apart?

The idea behind Grub Club is to create connections amongst the foodie world, so everyone can benefit from being part of a group that shares the same passion. Although it's a complex web of collaborations behind the scenes, the platform we have built is intended to make it simple for anyone to use. So as a foodie, you can find interesting and enticing meals within a couple of clicks. Simplicity is key!

What are the future plans with Grub Club?

The idea of Grub Club is to bring people together around a table. Food is what connects us all as human beings and breaks down barriers. We would like to bring Grub Club to a wider audience than London within the next 12 months, so that next time you go abroad, instead of relying on your Lonely Planet and following the same tourist trail as everyone else, you can book yourself into a Grub Club meal anywhere around the world and get a glimpse of local life in any city you travel to.

What's the best supper club you've been to?

It's difficult to compare them. What's exciting about these meals is that each one is utterly unique and full of the passion and creativity of the host. Whether it's a Michelin-level meal by a top chef unleashing his creativity or the traditional home-cooked food of a Brazilian woman, the experiences I've had at the various meals have all been exciting and unforgettable in their own ways. There's always something to suit my mood and I continue to be blown away by people's talent, warmth and imagination at these meals. 

Favorite restaurant?

The old traditional Pizzeria, "La Siesta" that was by my school in France. Best pizzas ever! I'm still looking for somewhere in London that comes anywhere near. Always looking for suggestions! 

What makes a successful supper club?

Passion and belief in what you do. When chefs want to share the love of the food and culture they are transmitting, it's usually a recipe for success. Of course good food is essential, and is a key reason for attending, but it's about more than the food - it's what hosts want to share with their guests, which is why it's so much more than a restaurant experience. The people you share your food with, will be people you share your experience with, and this can lead to unforgettable memories and long term friendships. 

What would your last supper be?

My mum's Vitello Tonnato followed by the Yoghurt cake she and my little brother used to bake together when he was 3 years old.  

Where is your favorite fresh food market?

I still love going to Portobello Road. As a West Londonner, I'm envious of all the upcoming and buzzing markets popping up around East and South East London, but I love the buzz and unpretentious vibe of Portobello road fresh food market on a Friday, before all the weekend crowds arrive. 

Weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

A banana. Give me fried brains or chocolate-dipped ants any day and I'll find it less weird than eating a banana. I get very upset if someone is eating one within a 10-metre radius of me, especially on the tube.  

Favorite cookbook?

My mum's cookbook! It's full of all our favourite recipes as children, as well as stories of her growing up on a farm in Lancashire. Her strong connection to food in its most natural state is what has inspired her simple yet delicious way of cooking and is the only thing that would unite us a family. I had 3 brothers growing up, and my mum's food is just about the only peacekeeping element she could bribe us with to try to make us get along. 

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This Wednesday I'm going to a supper club at the Duke's Head, which I arranged via Grub Club. Hosting their first game pop up, with this month heavily focusing on duck, local butcher, Parson's Nose is supplying beautiful quality birds and have inspired double rosette winning chef, Daniel Kelly to create a mouth-wateringly excellent menu. Expect elegant canapes, snippets of tender wood pigeon and rich and intricately balanced flavours of duck. A true taste of end of season game - I can't wait! There are still tickets available, so if you fancy joining us, book yours at http://www.grubclub.com/Event/Details?eventId=87&utm_source=Users+for+Newsletter+First+names&utm_campaign=2a5d331bb1-Mar_Newsletter3_2013&utm_medium=email.

And for information and tickets for other up coming supper clubs, go to www.grubclub.com and take your pick!

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LONDON'S FINEST with VIVI IN STILE - WIN FREE DRINKS!

A few months ago I read an article in a London magazine about a new style guide app that had just launched. I promptly downloaded it, won a competition through the app to go to an outdoor rooftop cinema (which I was actually unable to make) and forgot all about it, until last week. I have a habit of downloading lots of new, exciting apps, only for them to fill up my screen, get filed away in folders and for me not to look at them again. So I had a bit of a clear out, and rediscovered this brilliant app.

The app is easy to use, super stylish, and if you follow its advice, you're in for a great night at some of your local city's finest eateries and bars. Click here to download the app for free and see for yourself. It currently covers London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds and Liverpool.

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THE PELHAM ARMS, LEWES

Having driven through Lewes (in Sussex) a couple of times I knew I wanted to spend a weekend away from London there, so when our anniversary came around it seemed like the ideal time to do it. We booked to stay at The Pelham House Hotel - a lovely old house in the middle of Lewes that looks out over the South Downs (although it was so foggy we couldn't see much beyond the end of the hotel garden!)

I had originally wanted to eat at the hotel restaurant as the menu looked very appetising and at £20 for 2 courses seemed reasonable. However we were told that the hotel restaurant was fully booked, so were recommended the The Pelham Arms pub, which is a 10 minute stroll up the high street. I'm so glad that we ended up eating at the Pelham Arms.

We arrived, welcomed in to a cosy pub, with a dining area to one side. The table reserved for us was in the corner of the dining area, and once we'd seen the pub and the restaurant area, we decided that we'd prefer to eat in the pub area, so our table was changed straight away.

Nestled next to the fire with a pint of Badger's excellent 'Pickled Partridge' ale, we were ready for some food. The kitchen at The Pelham Arms uses local Sussex suppliers for food where possible, and is committed to using ingredients that have been ethically and responsibly produced - as all kitchens should, but often don't! Starters cost £6-7, and include various pates and terrines, soups and croquettes. I chose the locally smoked salmon pate with confit beetroot, tempura mussels and chive crème fraiche. The boy had pheasant, pigeon and apricot terrine with spiced chutney and brioche toast. Both starters were seriously delicious, and packed a proper punch of flavour. 

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EALING'S HIDDEN TREASURE

The Bollo in Chiswick is one of my favorite local eat-outs. Their menu offers good hearty meals, with meat and fish, as well as vegetarian, all living up to their own. So, I was  very happy to discover that the owners have a few more gastropubs, the other one nearest to me is the Ealing Park Tavern. Located a walk through the park away from me, it couldn't be better. I booked in for dinner recently and was not disappointed.

I have a small obsession with reading restaurant's menus online before I visit them, and noted that the Ealing Park Tavern had less options on the menu than The Bollo, but seemed to be a slightly more upmarket version, with higher priced dishes - the choice of ingredient dictating the value. I love the food at The Bollo so was excited for the EPT, despite it's unassuming exterior.

The restaurant was quiet when we visited, but beautifully furnished and with a welcoming fire blazing. The service was brilliant throughout, attentive but not intrusive. Our starters of pork, pistachio & apricot terrine, apple chutney, toasted brioche and baked pecan & thyme crusted goats cheese, pickled beetroot, baby pousse, balsamic dressing were very good.

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