Joe's Southern Kitchen and Bar, London

I really like fried chicken; almost as much as I like burgers. Joe's Southern Kitchen and Bar was on my radar this time last year, but we ended up going somewhere else. Bozos. We were back in London for a few days this week, and decided on the last minute to give Joe's a try. We went to the original one in Covent Garden, but there's also a new branch opening in Kentish Town.  

The bar area displays an impressive amount of spirit bottles (with lots of tequila might I add...) and the dining room is comfortable yet sleek; the kind of place that wouldn't look out of place in New York. 

On arrival, we were given a choice of where to sit; either in the sunshine at the front, or in the shadows at the back. We opted for the back due to a number of rather excitable children in the former. One barometer for greatness (for us anyway) is the selection of beers available. Whilst the choice was not huge, they did have a select number of little belters, including Anchor Steam. I was spitting feathers after a dash on the tube and minor battle with a ticket machine, so opted for the homemade lemongrass lemonade. We were revived and refreshed pronto. 

We were booked into St John for dinner later that day, so we sensibly opted to keep it light. Fail. If you read my blog regularly, you'll realise we made the same mistake with Mishkin's less than two weeks ago. Some folk never learn.

Coq’n’balls - fried chicken and monterey jack cheese balls with hot sauce: Paddy took great pleasure in ordering these... Fried chicken, mixed with cheese, covered in breadcrumbs and fried. They must have been so smug when they popped these on the menu.

Crispy Southern Fried Half Bird - sweet tea brined bird with lemon dust and tabasco honey: It's like a KFC bucket, only if they used proper chicken, and it was actually good. This has set the bar for any future fried chicken I may sample. It featured this afternoon in my mental 'what could you just eat?' thing. It made me angry. This is a good thing. It was a wonderful balance of moist chicken and ultra crispy, seasoned skin.

 Southern fried potatoes: Like roasties, only spicy, and therefore better.

Blue Plate Special - Joe's Southern Fried chicken meal with fries, chicken salt and BBQ pulled pork beans, served with Joe’s homemade lemongrass lemonade: This was a tenner. Yes, that's right, ten English pounds. Although I chose lemonade, you can also pick from beer or wine. Utterly bargainous. I ate about half owing to the fact I was being a total lightweight. Those beans were delirious. Spicy, with bits of pulled pork. Heaven. Ten quid...

I'm hoping that Joe's will jump on the bandwagon and set up shop in Manchester like every other London based bugger, otherwise I may have to go every time I visit London. What made this experience even better was the wonderful service we received too. Every member of staff we came in contact with seemed to be genuinely happy, and wanted us to have a good time. Fake or not - they're nailing it. One word of advice - go.

Mishkin's, London

I have this weird thing. Despite not having a scrap of spirituality myself, I have a fascination with Jewish culture. It started in GCSE Religious Studies, and then I did my degree dissertation on the Jewish community in Manchester - it was a toss up between that and Lord Lever, my other strange love. Don't even get me started on Cyril. 

The food. Oh the food. It's all about comfort and company. A couple of years ago we went to Katz's Deli in New York, and I've been on the hunt for something similar over here ever since. I'm still toying with the idea of making my own salt beef after my mission came up fruitless. 

We were planning a trip to London for my birthday, and decided to invite some of our besties along for the food fuelled ride. As soon as the train tickets were purchased, I set about planning our culinary escapades. We wanted something fairly light for lunch, as we were doing a bigger meal in the evening. My pal Lee suggested a nice sandwich style gaff. And so happy memories of Katz's sprang into my little mind. My quest led me to Mishkin's.

Similar to Katz's, Mishkin's is a Jew-ish deli. Neither are actually kosher, but are still steeped in the tradition that ensures some wonderful, homely food. Thinking back, Mishkin's is actually nothing like Katz's, but it really didn't matter. Although it's been on this site in some form since 1931, the masterminds behind Spuntino and Polpo took over in 2011. It feels old, in a down with the kids trendy kind of way... 

We arrived after spending a couple of hours cooped on a train, and despite our 'train picnic' of pastries and prosecco, we were starved. 

We were greeted warmly and shown to a cosy booth at the back of the restaurant. Drinks arrived promptly whilst we perused the menu. We resisted the urge to order everything, yet still managed to have a table packed with food when it arrived!

Slider - Chickpea, spinach & ricotta: I love the idea of mix and match sliders! Ideal for those with smaller appetities, or indeed greedy pigs like us who want to sample lots of different dishes.

Slider - spicy fried chicken & jalapenos

6oz Reuben burger - beef patty, pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese & Russian dressing: Now that's one good looking burger. Behold that dripping cheese... They actually do a 12oz version of this. Hell fire.

Chicken soup: One of us had to. Lee was very quiet whilst eating this. This is proper chicken soup potent enough to see off colds and general train induced fatigue.

Steak tartare, grilled sourdough: Perfect spiced tartare with crisp sourdough. Heavenly.

Fried chicken & slaw: Good god. This was my choice. I'm just a bit mad I can't remember it in more intricate detail (I think copious amounts of fizz and a cocktail helped with that...). It's the same kind of chicken I had at Pies and Thighs in Brooklyn rather than the Southern fried type. That jalapeno mayo was ridiculous.

Thick cut chips and macaroni cheese: Like we needed sides. Crispy chips and lovely soft mac and cheese with a grilled breadcrumb topping. Loved.

Peanut butter and jelly cheesecake: 'We'll share a dessert' we said... Little did we know that it would still finish us off. So much for the light lunch we had planned! I'm not mad keen on peanut butter, but remembered the amazing offering from Red's in Leeds, so ran with it. This was surprisingly light in texture, but still managed to pack a peanutty punch.

Chocolate milkshake: The boys opted for milkshakes as they thought they wouldn't be as filling. Wrong.

We left with full bellies, sore sides from laughing, and each of us being referred to as 'Mishkin' at least twice a minute - this one's still ongoing.

I adored our little Jew-ish deli trip with the other Mishkins.

Pitt Cue Co, London

So we found ourselves in London with a whole day to fill with food and beer. For the first time in ages there was nowhere that I had a burning desire to visit, so I consulted 'the list'. Pitt Cue Co has been on my radar since before it even opened. I read an article in one of the food magazines about a young chap called Tom who had a food truck and a whole lot of ambition. I was sold.

So why have we never been before? No reservations. Grrr. If I'm travelling all the way to London, I do not want to be disappointed - remember what happened the first time I tried to get a table at Lady Dinah's? It was not a happy tale. 

However, it was still on the list. Our train was due to get into Euston at 11am, and Pitt Cue Opens at 12pm, so we had ample time to get in line to sample some of their famous barbecued meat. I was all psyched up for a huge queue, and a long wait. No bugger there. I was amazed!

The restaurant is tiny with around twenty seats downstairs, a couple more in the bar upstairs and a few benches out front. We read the menu pinned to the net curtain rail, and listened to a few builders pondering whether a Rustler's burger can be eaten without microwaving. I would have thought not, or ever for that matter.

When the doors opened we were shown to the dining room where a pleasant young lady went through the specials with us, and offered drinks. The artwork is minimal and meat related, tables are small and the lights dim. If you like your personal space, forget it. I generally fall into this category, but my greed outweighs it sevenfold.

Lamb's heart: Busted. We had originally planned to go to St John, but Smithfield was closed and Bread and Wine had a full takeover. This scratched the itch for my offal loving husband. He practically inhaled it. I won't tell you what else he did, just rest assured it was rather ungentlemanly.

Smoked chicken thighs: Actually one of the best things I have ever eaten, and I eat a lot. Sticky, sweet, smokey and moist. I have that anger I usually get when I am unable to summon something I actually loved. Hogwarts here I come.

Beef fore rib: This was on the daily specials menu. It was cooked slowly on the bone, but was still beautifully pink and tender.

Mash with bone marrow: Another option for the offal fan. Creamy and light with a healthy dollop of herb infused marrow and beef gravy.

Pulled pork with sourdough, pickles and green chilli coleslaw: I know. Pulled pork went out with the Ark, and none of the cool kids are eating it any more. To coin the phrase from school, 'bothered'. I adore pulled pork. It embodies everything that is wonderful about barbecued food, and this was a particularly fine example. The tart pickles complimented it perfectly, as did the tangy coleslaw.

Well worth the wait. I know decent barbecue isn't hard to come by these days, but a good example of it is not watered down by it being readily available. Pitt Cue are not a carbon copy of the likes of Duke's, Bodean's and Red's. Their menu is small, changeable and wholly dependent on what produce is coming in that day, and I'm sure a little of what they fancy. Service is fast and friendly, and queuing is not a problem if you get there early, even on a Saturday.

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Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, London

Would it be unreasonable to go to Tokyo just to visit their cat cafes? Yes, that's right. If you've never heard of this notion before, there are cafes... with cats. This is my idea of heaven. Cake and kitties. However, I was thwarted. No sooner had I heard of the felines' arrival in London, than they were fully booked for months. This was to be a quest...

We are actually booked into Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium in October, but I was determined to get to stroke some puss cats before then. We went down to London a couple of months ago, but no joy. Then (cue dramatic drumroll) I saw a tweet saying they had experienced a few 'no shows' for planned bookings. We were visiting on the day of the first England match in the World Cup - prime real estate for flakey feline bookers. 

We popped over to Shoreditch around 2.30pm and pleaded with the lady on the front counter. Eyelashes were fluttered, the 'mad cat lady' eye-glint was summoned and cat-faced shoes were pointed at. I was using everything I had with the keepers of the cats. She advised us to come back for the later session around 4.30pm to see if there were any cancellations. And there shone a shiny glimmer of hope... At 5pm we were told that two people hadn't turned up. I'm going to be honest with you, if they had turned up at this point I may have kicked them. Hard. 

Before entering Lady Dinah's you are told of the house rules; no mithering sleeping cats or generally getting all up in their grill - in other words, don't do what you do to your own cats. There are gaps between the sessions for 'cat naps', and it's obvious that their welfare comes above everything else. Saying that, everyone who was in there seemed to know how to handle themselves around feline friends. There was plenty of supervision to ensure the cats were happy. 

The dining room is cat heaven. Toys are strewn across the floor, tunnels and tubes provide handy hiding places, wall shelves mean they can get away from the action when needed, there's a hammock stretched across the stairs, and even a giant wheel that the cats can run around. Whilst some were clearly sleepy from the morning's excitement, others (namely Loki and Indiana) were happy to jump up on people and chase multiple things on sticks.

I was really very fond of Biscuit because she looks a little like my own Poppy monster, and Loki the little panther boy, because her reminded me of my late Charlie Boo - a right little bugger who loves to chase things. He was rather fond of grabbing the butterflies on sticks and running off with them!

I hear that Donnie is head honcho of the Emporium's cats. He's a right little sweetheart who enjoys belly tickles and head rubs.

Mew is the mummy of most of the cats who live at Lady Dinah's. She was busy standing guard at the window, unamused by the crowds of people looking in. She has perfected the nonchalant, 'blue steel' gaze, but seemed quite happy to have a belly ruffle!

Little Petra. A right little fluff bag with tufty toes! She has a big bushy tail and a tiny wee face. She was enjoying hiding in the tunnels but soon wanted to join in when her brothers were getting all the attention.

Indiana and Romeo are a right handsome pair. They spent most of their time sphynxed on the floor with brief periods of plastic butterfly chasing.

Nearly forgot to mention... they do food too! We were far too entertained by the cats to notice much about the food to be honest. They could have served me Baldrick's rat fricassee and I probably wouldn't have batted an eyelid. However, I did stop for a moment to take a mental note, and of course some pictures. It was a little warm for tea, so my husband went for lavender iced tea and I had Fentiman's dandelion and burdock. We ordered a couple of scones too (one plan, one fruit), which came with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Delightful. 

If you're a cat lover, you recognise another when you see one. The ladies who run Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium clearly love their boys and girls. The cats are incredibly well looked after, and their every need is catered for. There is a £5 charge to enter Lady Dinah's, which goes towards their care and vets bills. 

Our little Poppy had been quite poorly this week, so I think we were due some catty good luck as a result. As we left for London on Saturday morning, our little poppet was feeling much better. We both got the vibes that it was worth the risk of cancelling our dinner reservation in order to take a chance on Lady Dinah's. I'm so glad we did, we had the time of our lives. 

 

Disclaimer: I understand that this post has demonstrated just how mental I actually am. You have become privy to lingo commonly used in our house, which may make no sense whatsoever to the average layperson. If I've caused confusion, I apologise. If you don't like cats, then I doubt you got this far anyway!

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Afternoon Tea at Harrods

A few weeks ago, I was asked to go and review afternoon tea at Harrods. We didn't actually have a trip to London planned, but decided on a whim to pop down over my birthday and check out what was on offer at the iconic London store. 

Afternoon Tea is taken in the Georgian Restaurant, which is on the fourth floor. We managed to locate it without too much trouble (that place is seriously like some sort of Labyrinth - without talking worms), and we were seated promptly despite the fact we were ridiculously early. Everyone around us seemed to be having exactly the same thing, which felt a little odd in all honesty. 

Service is efficient and prompt, but lacked the warmth we have enjoyed at similar places - formality does not need to mean spiritless service. We have been to restaurants with three Michelin stars where the charm of the Maitre d' is as memorable as the dishes we ate.

We picked our teas; an Afternoon Special and Assam Gold Rush, as a platter of preserves was delivered. There was a thick strawberry jam, rose petal jelly and thick clotted cream.

Within a few minutes our triple tiered afternoon tea arrived. Although this looked magnificent, we were given very little explanation of what it included. It did look fairly self explanatory, but it's always nice to be told.

The finger sandwiches included roast beef with sweet onion relish, cream cheese and cucumber, egg and cress, smoked salmon and a prawn and lobster brioche roll. Between us, there were a few of these that we weren't keen on, but that was just personal preference. We both liked how Betty's in York give you a small sandwich menu to choose from, therefore solving the problem. The flavours that we did like were lovely, and perfectly sized. The beef and onion ones were delicious.

The platter came with both plain and fruited scones, both of which were still warm from the oven. They were by far the best part of the show. The rose jelly was a pleasant alternative to standard strawberry jam, but it was nice to have the choice of both.

The cake layer included a lemon meringue tart, raspberry macaron, iced fruit cake, chocolate hazelnut delice and a mille-feuille Napoleon. They may have been small, but boy did they pack a punch! All were beautifully finished and topped the afternoon tea stand off magnificently. I think my favourite had to be the mini lemon meringue tarts.

Buy a Gift offer this package at £59 for two people, which is about standard. Afternoon tea is a bit of a treat, a decadence that we rarely indulge upon unless it's a special occasion. I think this would be a lovely gift for someone who can easily access central London. What's particularly nice about the service they offer is that if you do buy it for someone, and it's not really up their street, it can be exchanged for any of their other experiences instead. I stuck with the afternoon tea, as the segway rally wasn't really for me...

Disclaimer: I was given a voucher to cover the cost of afternoon tea by Buy a Gift. I was under no obligation to write a review or tell porkie pies of any sort. This is my honest opinion.

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