starspinners

Chapter Three: Food for Thought or Thoughts on Food (warning, this is wordy, grab a cup of tea before reading)

At home my husband and I eat a nourishing ( but hardly exciting) bowl of oatmeal and/or a piece of fruit for breakfast most mornings. When I stay at the Morgan Hotel in London I tend to eat a larger breakfast than I do at home. Maybe it's because someone else is doing the cooking and cleaning up.
Here's what's offered at the hotel: eggs ( poached, scrambled, or fried) ; bacon; sausage; sautéed mushrooms; broiled tomatoes; orange or grapefruit juice; toast ( delivered to the table in a toast rack); marmalade and jam; cornflakes or muesli; a selection of fresh fruit, and a selection of yogurt . Whew! I promise I didn't eat ALL that, but I could have if I'd wanted to. Coffee is served in individual china pots as is tea..and mind you, coffee is never served in a tea pot and tea is never served in a coffee pot.
Guests who stay in the hotel's flats eat breakfast in the same cozy breakfast room as the guests who stay in the main building. We Lords and Ladies of the Flats just have a 60 second stroll ( or sprint if it's raining) to the main building. I like opening the front door of the main building in the mornings, the fragrance of toasted bread wafts up from the breakfast room on the lower level...it is very appealing .
Ann liked the breakfasts-she-didn't -have- to- cook . ( She's chief cook and bottle washer at her house.) We left the hotel well fortified for a day's sightseeing.

When I'm in London alone and I'm not meeting friends for dinner I tend to eat a very late, 4:00-ish, lunch and skip dinner altogether. Since I have a refrigerator in my flat I can keep cold drinks and snacks handy to nosh on in the evenings after I get home from the theater.

I do like to eat dinner in London with friends, though.
Stephan, one of my London friends took Ann and me to dinner at The Admiralty Restaurant in Somerset House. I'd been to the various galleries in Somerset House but had never eaten at the restaurant. Of course Ann had never seen Somerset House at all. We walked from the Morgan to the restaurant...that way Ann had a nice view of Trafalgar Square and The Strand at night. The colored lighting of the Somerset's Fountain Court was rather striking, all the water sprays were bathed in golden glow.
The restaurant consists of three separate rooms : a bar and two dining rooms. We sat in the larger of the two dining rooms. The room was painted a soft orange , there was a stuffed cayman plus a few smaller reptiles "adorning " the walls , the chandeliers were shaped like galleons.
I wish I could tell you what each of the three of us ordered, but I can't. I just remember that I had grilled sea bass served on artichoke ravioli for my main course. It was delicious, as was my starter, and our wine...and our desserts. Ann and I each ordered a chocolate moelleux-y dessert that arrived with a small pot of warmed chocolate sauce for drizzling on top. The coffee arrived with a selection of small chocolate candies. It was chocolate heaven.
The service was friendly and the courses were well paced.

After dinner Stephan drove us back to the hotel, but before he did he made several detours so Ann could see more of London by lamplight. We drove along the Embankment, around Parliament and Westminster Abbey, down Whitehall, up the Mall, past Buckingham Palace; we drove around Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street. Ann got her own hop-on-hop off bus tour with running commentary, but she didn't have to hop at all and her' bus' was a Lexus sedan. ;-)


One evening I took Ann to my favorite place for fish and chips, North Sea Fish Restaurant. Grilled fish is offered but I save that option for other places.
What I want here is a thinly battered cod fillet that's been gently fried until it's moist and flakey inside and golden brown on the outside. I highly reccommend this place.

One afternoon we made the somewhat obligatory first-time-visitor-to-London trek to Harrods. We decided to assemble a feast from the food halls and take it back to the flat to graze on that evening. The minute details of our picnic hamper escape me , but I know we had a little protein, a little salad, a little fruit, and generous portions from the bakery and confection departments. ( Apparently we felt we had not consumed enough pastry while we were in France the previous week. Our arteries were crying out for more butter and sugar.)


After Ann returned home, I had a few more dining experiences I'd like to mention.
I'd posted a message on Fodors to inquire about the possibility of a GTG in London.
Here's is the URL for that message. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34526973

The outcome : Ggnga ; her friend, Doug; and I met for afternoon tea at Claridges. I booked the table via email well before I left for Europe.
Claridges was prompt in replying to my request and was able to offer me a choice of times .
Since I was the one to have made the arrangements I wanted to be sure I was first to arrive at the hotel.
Ggnga and Doug arrived within 10 minutes. I'd booked a table for 4 in case M_K2 decided to join us. He didn't.
The three of us had a nice time. We introduced ourselves and chatted about our travel plans.
Tea was being served in 2 adjacent rooms, I had requested we be seated in the Reading Room where smoking is not permitted and we were.
We had a number of teas from which to choose, I selected a silver needle white tea.
I must confess I was a bit disappointed in the service. Our server brought our tea pots and poured our first cups of tea. A plate of sandwiches arrived next..the usual suspects: egg & cress, ham, and salmon. We chatted while we nibbled our sandwiches. We continued to chat..sitting there for quite a while before the server brought us a pot of hot water to add to our tea pots. I thought that was unusual, I had anticipated our being offered entirely fresh pots of tea, it seemed odd that we were expected to add water to tea leaves that had already been steeping for quite sometime. ( Yes, I know I could have requested a fresh pot.)
We were offerd more sandwiches, but we declined .
The scones and slices of cake were served on a flat silver server in lieu of a tiered cake stand. Ok, maybe I am being picky, but a cake stand is what I've grown accustomed to at hotel afternoon teas. ( And that includes The Brown Hotel and Savoy in London , the Empress in British Columbia; and even the Ritz-Carltons in the US )
Still it was a pleasant afternoon.

I also got to renew my acquaintance with Kavey, whom I had met last year in London.
She had booked a table for us one afternoon at Circus on Upper James Street . We had a jolly time chatting. It was a blustery day, so ordering the pumpkin soup for a starter seemed a good idea to me. I had a very good tomato and basil risotto, too ...and then Kavey and I debated the merits of dessert. The raspberry pavlova won out.
Our waiter took a snapshot of Kavey, the desserts, and me. We are sitting in front of a large window..so you will see the street scene behind us.
http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...id=12140875506
should link you to a photo album that I've just begun filling.
Kavey told me Circus does a pre-theater menu, that would make the restaurant a viable option if you are going to one of the theaters near Piccadilly Circus.
If you've read the link to the thread ( posted above) you'll know that Kavey fell on her way home from lunch.

My ramblings about food are getting lengthy, but there are a few more things I'd like to mention.

The Cinnamon Club remains on my favorite's list. The same friend who took Ann and me to the Admiralty took me to The Cinnamon Club last year and this year as well. It's in the Old Westminster Library, the walls of the mezzanine and the bar are lined with shelves of books. The food and wine were excellent, the service impeccable and friendly. I had a zucchini flower and asparagus starter and I ordered spice encrusted monkfish for the main course.

I also dined at Benares on Berkeley Square. This is a place that had been recommended to my friend, Stephan . Each year we like to try one Indian restaurant that is new to both of us.
The restaurant furnishings are contemporary with colonial touches .
One reaches the dining room via a flight of stairs. There are several water features, one of which is a low pool with floating flowers.
The cuisine is Pan Indian. The menu wasn't extensive (but I always hope that indicates each of the dishes will be cooked to perfection.) We were brought crispy poppadums and a selection of fresh chutneys. My starter was a chickpea and spinich salad. My main course was sea bass that had been poached in coconut milk. Stephan had prawns in a spicy sauce. We shared a raita and a paneer that was seasoned with fenugreek and onion.
The good was good, the service was friendly, the surroundings were stylish. We may return.

Last word about what I ate ( I fear I'm being garrulous).

I have friends, Jenn and her husband ,Chris, who live about 35 miles outside of London. Each year they generously take me out for a Sunday lunch. I usually take a train to a place they've named, they meet me at the station, we go driving around Kent exploring 'old relics '( as Chris likes to say) and then we have lunch at a country pub . They insist on driving me all the way back into London , which is terribly out of their way. The reasons I am not 'allowed' to take the train back are: "It gets dark early this time of year, we don't want you leaving the train station in London in the dark." Or... " The trains will be full of football fans who are 'in their cups'.
So; we all ride into London together, we laugh and joke the whole way, they drop me at my door, and then they drive all the way back to Essex. ( Lovely people, aren't they?)
This year we met on Halloween and drove around a bit in Essex. We ended up in an old fishing village, Leigh- on -Sea, which is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. There's a small artist community and there still is an active fleet of cockle boats. I mentioned that I'd never eaten cockles....that promted a stop at one of the cockle sheds, where fresh seafood of all kinds was being sold. One could also buy cooked cockles and eat them at nearby picnic tables . We dubbed our cockles as our Sunday lunch pre-stater starter.
Chris had been snapping pictures of Jenn and me the whole time we were walking around. ( I have pictures, too but haven't downloaded them from my camera yet.) He's talented in creating web pages and I found an email with a link waiting for me when I returned home: www.chicksee.co.uk/judy/Judy.html
He managed to include the most unflattering pics of Jenn and me.
Honest, the cockles didn't taste THAT bad! They just needed generous lashings of vinegar.

starspinners

I neglected to mention that Judi Dench and Maggie Smith star in a new film "Ladies in Lavender". They play spinster sisters who live in Cornwall in the 1930's.
The film had not yet opened when I left London last week, but there are posters for it all over the Tube stations.
I'm anxious to see the movie when it opens in my town. I've seen the two other movies they've been in together and I was fortunate to see them together on stage in London a couple of years ago.
I don't know when the US release of "Ladies in Lavender is scheduled.

Another film that's being advertised in the Tubes is " Finding Neverland". The story is about the experiences that led to J.M Barrie's writing "Peter Pan." Johnny Deep plays Barrie. I believe that one is open in the UK now . It may already be open in the US, too, but not where I live.

And last, but not least, the " Mary Poppins" premiers begin on December 6 at the Prince Edward Theatre. Those tickets should be a hot item during the holiday season.

mvor

starspinners, your report is really fun to read (although now you have me craving Indian food AND chocolate). This is your second GTG that I've missed: last year I was visiting a friend in York and this year we left the day before your GTG (maybe next time).

Kavey, if you read this I hope you're feeling much better--you really do have an awesome attitude.

Mathieu

Thank goodness I'd just eaten lunch before I read your food chapter Starspinner. Very much enjoyed it. Good work.

sol_veracruzano

Pavlovas

They look so good

What's in them?

SeaUrchin

I am enjoying your report, thanks!
I just love Chris' website of your day, what a wonderful, clever friend. It makes me want to join you with the cockles!

Kavey, I hope you are doing better, I love your duck face pictures, you are such a sport.

JoeG

Judy,
I enjoyed reading your current trip report. We took many of your suggestions on our trip to London in March and they were all spot on.

The Morgan is not the Ritz, but as you said, great location, clean rooms, great value and we thought the breakfasts were a great way to start the day. The North Sea Fish Restaurant is a small, cozy neighborhood place with good food and a surprisingly good wine list.

We shared your reaction to Jerry Springer. At the time, we wondered if this would go over in the US. I heard that it's opening in San Francisco sometime in the next year.

Wow, Nathan Lane in The Producer's must have been a kick.

Thank's for rekindling the memories.

Did you post your France report yet?

starspinners

Mvor,
Thank you.
I hope we can get together next October. I already have my normal accommodations booked and will book the plane after the first of the year.

Mathieu,
Thank you.
I am on bread and water, at the moment.

Sol_veracruzano,
The 'basic' pavlova is a meringue filled with whipped cream. The ones Kavey and I ordered had raspberries spooned on top.

Seaurchin,
Thank you.
The web site pictures made me howl with laughter.
Chris and Jenn are wonderful friends; they're going to be my houseguests for a few days next year. They've been to the US before, but never to Louisville, which is where I live now. Little does Chris know that I plan to hand him a paintbrush. ;-)

JoeG,
I remember reading the report you posted when you returned from London last March. You and your wife seemed to have had so much fun.
Thank you for letting me know my travel tips were useful.
Yep, seeing Nathan Lane was definitely a highlight of this year's trip. I still have that "Oh, Wow! " feeling.
I haven't done anything about posting a report for the Paris/Avignon/Montpellier portion of the trip... but do you really want to hear about how many pastries I consumed? <grin>

janis

What a wonderful report. Your restaurant recs are going straight into my "London File".

Maybe I missed it, but how much do the flats at the Morgan run? I personally prefer staying down in Pimlico, but a lot of friends ask me about places farther north and east, the British Museum, etc.

cigalechanta

starspinners, enjoying your report.
Kavey, get well soon,
Johnny Depp's film opened here and we saw a preview with him as a guest on the Oprah show.

internetexplorer

Starspinners,fun reading. Thanks for sharing your trip and the cockles pictures.

cigalechanta

Yes, you warmed the cockles of my heart!
cockles are little tiny clams and even tinier are the Tellines of the Camargue.

Bree

starspinners, aren't you the other person (besides me) who likes the violet-flavored chocolate from Fortnum and Mason? (Don't ask me why I remember that, but I do!) Were you able to pick some of it up on this trip?

We obviously also have the same taste in theatre, as I saw several of the shows you mentioned on my trip last month, and I thought your reviews were right on target. Your comment on "Jerry Springer: the Opera" ("I wanted to hate it, but it was too entertaining&quot perfectly summed up the way I felt about the show. I could quibble about a couple of things: I actually liked the projected scenery in "The Woman in White" (I thought it was the most creative thing about the show, but then I've never been a big fan of Lloyd Webber's music), and I thought "The Solid Gold Cadillac" was pretty funny (and I'm not even a senior citizen!), but for the most part we're solidly in agreement. Would you consider going back to London in a few months, so you can provide advance theatre recommendations for my next trip, in the spring?

starspinners

Hello Janis,
Thank you. I would be very much interested in learning what your favorite Pimlico/Victoria area restaurants are.
I believe the rack rate for the Morgan's 4 flats is £130 at the moment. That price is inclusive of VAT, daily housekeeping, and breakfast for two people.
If one wants accommodations near the British Museum, the hotel could hardly be more conveniently located. I can look out 'my' flat's bedroom and kitchen windows into the rear area of the Museum. The Museum is literally around the corner from the Morgan.

starspinners

Bree,
What a memory you have.
Yes, I do like the violet chocolate thins at F&M.
But I didn't bring a box back with me this trip ! What on earth was I thinking?
Now, of course, your mentioning them has made me want to lash myself with a wet noodle.
So next trip I'll just have to import two boxes..or three.
In the meantime, please enjoy your violet candy when you return to London in the spring and know that I am envious.

I re-read the comment I made re: senior citizens enjoying " Solid Gold Cadillac".
Oh dear, on second read it appears I'm using the term 'senior citizen' in a pejorative manner. Mea culpa.
I fully intend to be a senior citizen one day ,well into my 90's , and I hope to have wonderful theater outings in London just as was the group who was in the " Solid Gold Cadillac" audience.

janis

That's a good rate for a flat w/ housekeeping and b'fasts. I usually stay in unserviced (or only serviced once or twice a week) flats so they tend to be cheaper. I have seen the Morgan while walking in that neighborhood and always intended to step in to pick up some info/brochures.

Pimlico is pretty residential but there are several good restaurants/pubs. I usually spend a fair amount of time at Goya on Lupus St, not gourmet but really good. It is a Tapa bar w/ a restaurant downstairs. I love the Tapa bar because it serves late and has several yummy coffee/liquor drinks on the menu. Often after a play, instead of fighting my way through the throngs in Covent Garden/Soho, I head "home" to Pimlico and go to Goya for post-theatre supper/drinks.

There is a terrific Indian Restaurant in Moreton st., but I'm having brain fade at the moment and can't remember the name of it.

Kavey

Oh my, I'm sooo mortified that my clumsiness and accident diverted Judy's wonderful report!

Thanks so much for all the well wishes. I really appreciate your messages, very sweet.

My lip and face look totally normal to other people now, so that's good news. The hard lump that extends from top of the top lip down and around underneath it is scar tissue rather than saliva gland - no idea how long it will take or if it will go. A bit uncomfortable but not really painful unless I knock it hard. I have had two dental appointments so far and the third on is this Friday coming and he'll hopefully be able to fix the crown (he took impressions last time) which will give me a reasonably normal looking set of teeth again before we go away on Sunday for the next trip. (Ask me when I get back, though which forum does Antarctica come under?).

Judy, thanks for posting that picture of us - everyone can see how huge those pavlovas are and what greedy girls we were but weren't they delicious. Btw re the Circus set menu - we ordered of that ourselves - we did our starters and mains off it and then went for the pavlovas from their full menu. The set menu (lunch and pre theatre) is excellent value but the a la carte is not an outrageously priced one anyway given quality of food and service. I also like that the tables are decently spread out so one doesn't feel like one's eardropping everyone else's conversations!

I love all your restaurant reports, thanks Judy. You know I'm a foodie! Looking forward to your next London visit - does it really have to be a whole year away?

starspinners

<i>I've been attempting , off and on, to open the Fodor site since early afternoon.
First problem was that the page wouldn't load at all.
Then the page would load but the message threads were vaporized.
Then the whole page appeared but I was logged out.
Then I tried to log in but I received dire messages that tossed around phrases such as 'stack trace' and &quot;ColdFusion Documentation&quot;.
I 'd finally reached the conclusion that Fodors was toying with me..when presto- chango the site in its entirety appeared from out of the blue.


Thanks Kavey,
If I can return to London sooner than next October, I will be a happy camper. </i>

Scarlett

Kavey, happy to hear that you are on the mend. I know someone with a similar scar inside the lip and that lump did go away in time...good as new now as you will be too.
starspinners,
I, for one, would love to hear how many pastries you ate

flygirl

excellent report! I'm printing it out for my trip tomorrow...