A Photo Tour of Toulouse

A brief sojourn to the South West of  the motherland, where my own weight in duck parts was consumed.

Joy for €2.50

From Quiet Pint to Ukulele Madness

Tricity Vogue rocks the Ukulele

Only in London can a quiet post-work drink at the Smithfield Tavern end up with me on a stage wielding a ukulele and taking part in an improv musical with 1920′s cabaret diva Tricity Vogue… There’s even a youtube video coming soon – I shall be sure to post it here!

The troupe in Action: Premiere of the Golden Ukulele!

Domaine les Aphillanthes at La Trouvaille, Soho

I took a few folk from the Rendez-Vous Francais de Londres to a wine-tasting at my favourite Frenchy hangout in central London, La Trouvaille… This particular wine-club evening was themed on biodynamic wines from the Côtes du Rhône, showcasing specifically a selection from a small domaine by the name of Les Aphillanthes, run by husband and wife duo Daniel and Helène Boulle who got into biodynamic viticulture after discovering that their son suffered strong allergies which this kind of vine growing could prevent.

Everyday is Noël at L’Atelier de Joël (Robuchon)

Entering L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is like stepping into a kind of deliciously sexy combination of Japanese geisha ryokan, Manhattan boutique hotel bar and upmarket Greek island disco lounge. The décor of dark woods, deep red, soft lighting and the living wall of climbing plants are as soothing as the staff who might as well stroll around offering hot facial towels and sponge slippers or the odd shiatsu shoulder massage such is the attention and gentle lulling towards the eating experience.

Bottoms Up: Where is the Itinerant Epicure?

This month I can mostly be spotted at the following wine events…

Divine Wine Hotel – The Yeatman, Portugal

As if I didn’t enjoy drinking the stuff enough, stunning new hotel The Yeatman has now opened on the banks of the undulating Douro river at the heart of the vibrant city of Porto which not only offers to educate you in wine, open your senses to wine, explore the tastes of wine but also bathe in wine (Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa - opening soon!), sleep in vats of the stuff (empty, of course), walk through the vineyards from whence the wine comes and generally enjoy a completely delectable wine experience at the heart of one of the most exciting emerging wine destinations: sunny northern Portugal.

Jedi Nights at Gordon’s Wine Bar

Continuing my foray into the world of internet dating… its amazing how fast two humans can arrange a second “date” once they’ve discovered a mutual affection for lightsabers (note: this is not an innuendo – I really am talking about Jedi techy stuff here).

So, not quite the Mos Eisley cantina, but dark, stuffy and sufficiently cavernous to pass for a distant Tatooine cousin, the Gordon’s Wine Bar near Embankment station was the setting for an evening of too much (good) wine, too much (good, smelly) cheese but just the right amount of good conversation.

Cracking Good time at Prix Fixe Brasserie

Meandering through the wierd and not so wonderful world of the post-break up, heart still a touch battered and appetite on a whirlwind of ups and downs, I decided to amuse myself by exploring a little light-hearted internet dating.

Call it part social experiment, part desperate attempt to move on, part insanity.

Polpo – A Slice of Venice in London

Polpo touts itself as a Venetian bacaro in London. I’ve never been to Venice, so far be it for me to say how authentic it may or may not be, but frankly it looks just like an enoteca to me… It serves the Italian equivalent of tapas, “cicheti” the kind of small, taster dishes you’d find in any good wine bar in the major Italian cities.

The place is always buzzing and you can’t book, just bowl up and don’t expect to find a quiet table. The one really authentic Italian element to this place is the noise level, and that’s without the massive family christening parties with screaming babies.

12-hour braised shin of beef

I stole this from the River Cafè cookbook and it must be the most fool-proof, hassle free and delicious way to pot roast a beef I have ever come across. You’d be hard pressed to mess this recipe up, and it sunds impressive enough to ellicit “ooohs” of wonder from your friends.

First arm yourself with a 2.5 kilo piece of beef shin, with the bone still in it. Then go and purchase a couple of bottles of Chianti, doesn’t need to be the best at all, but Chianti has good flavours to marry with the beef.