Burger Queen

My aim is to tell you stories, through food, of my life and travels, not forgetting the characters I meet along the way! #burgerqueenblog

[ahqueenoh]

A Very (Unhealthy) Vegan Affair,

We all know the damage we have caused to planet earth, and I mean it when I say that the easiest thing we can all do is reduce our meat and dairy consumption, something I started doing late last year and intend to maintain.

Where I can (and whenever I can) I eat vegetarian and vegan meals, at home my kitchen does not carry any animal based products and I was surprised at how easy it was to swap my favourites (here’s to you yogurt!) for vegan alternatives.

Sometimes it’s not about being perfect, as a society we do not need four people leading a perfect zero waste Vegan lifestyle. We need everyone doing their best to make better decisions and we live in an age where it is so much easier to make plant based choices.

If you’re a vegan, vegetarian or just plan curious, here are some of my favourite places to eat as the world’s worst vegan:

Kalifornia Kitchen

Another Instagram find, hidden in a side street just off of Tottenham Court Road this pink gem is home to the best vegan burgers I have had the pleasure to consume.

The staff are unbelievably friendly and the Panko Chikken Burger was the closest I have come to tasting real chicken in months, the burger was moist the bun maintained its structural integrity throughout (which seems inconsequential, but there’s nothing worse then being on a date and taking a bite of your burger and everything falls apart).

Now the chips (fries)! These could have a blog post of their own, think Five Guys spicy chips without the burning sensation, these chips had exactly the right level of spice, crispness and mouth watering moisture. I savoured every bite and tried to pinch my dinner guests, who valiantly defended their right to their own chips and only let me pilfer one.

Overall a delightful evening with wonderful company (and my instagram looks better for it!) but I would skip desert if I was you, Kalifornia Kitchen is all about healthy plant based food so their deserts leave much to be desired for my sweet tooth.

Address

19 Percy Street, Bloomsbury, London, W1T 1DY

Temple of Seitan

As an East London resident I have the joy of having a Temple of Seitan in Hackney (yes you’re reading that correctly). Designed in the style of the classic English chip shop there is something quite devilish about treating yourself to fried Chick’n. My guest and I went after we had both had an extremely long day at work, we ordered enough food to feed the five thousand and sat in a corner and stuffed ourselves silly. There is something so comforting and welcoming about the classic British chip shop, a rare moment in society where the class divide means nothing and both barrister and barman queue together for their daily dose of grease, something that The Temple of Seitan gets so spot on that you don’t have to feel sad about giving anything up in your quest to be more ethical.

Plus the food feels less heavy and fatty then an actual British chip shop, which leaves you wanting more, exactly as the devil intended I’m sure.

*For those of you not in the know, Seitan is wheat gluten which is often used as a meat substitute because of its excellent ability to absorbed flavour and maintain a “meat” texture, however is not celiac friendly.

Address

Temple of Hackney

5 Morning Lane, Hackney, London, E9 6NA

Temple of Camden

43 Parkway, Camden, London, NW1 7PN

Dirty Vegan

During my Vegan initiation I think I missed the class on Vegan related puns, nonetheless if you really are in need of a McDonald’s or Burger King style junk food meal, look no further then Dirty Vegan.

I personally enjoyed a Bare Back Three Way, yes that is genuinely the name of the bonkers burger I ate.

But the real star of the show were the sides. Two things I find myself missing is bacon and fried chicken. Dirty Vegan offered fried BBQ Jackfruit (an excellent substitute for chicken and pulled pork) and bacon cheese fries, both sides I gobbled with a child like grin on my face, for the first time on my (worlds worst) Vegan journey I found I couldn’t tell if I was eating meat or not.

The BBQ Jackfruit felt rich and fatty like meat and fell apart in my mouth, the BBQ sauce was perfection, tangy and sweet and made my taste buds dance! A bit of Jackfruit followed by the Bacon Cheese Fries made my heart sing (and my doctor cry) as the rich “cheese”, crisp “bacon” (I am genuinely curious what it was substituted for!) and gorgeous fries filled my belly with love and happiness.

My guest and I ordered this meal to be delivered on New Years Eve and I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new decade then fine food and fabulous company!

At the time of ordering (and eating) Dirty Vegan had a pop-up in Shoreditch, I don’t think that is there anymore however their main base is:

The Balcony, Westfield (Whitecity), Shepard’s Bush, London, W12 7GE

Fortnum and Mason

Every so often a family member (or two) fancy going for a lavish afternoon tea for their birthday. This year it was to F&M, I went with the intention to avoid meat but I was pleasantly surprised, when I asked for a milk alternative, that I was also brought a vegan menu.

I was even more surprised, when I ordered the Vegan Afternoon Tea, that it was so delicious and heavenly, I ordered more sandwiches. The sandwiches, cakes and even the tea where extremely decadent and rich (far from healthy) but oh so gorgeous!

F&M has an expensive tea room, but one way that they go above and beyond (and many other tea rooms could learn from them) is they offer free plate refills. This afternoon tea experience was by far the best I have had in London and was certainly the only place that I have felt the price matched the experience. Definitely a must do if you’re in London and fancy a spot of tea.

Address

Fortnum and Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St Jame’s, London W1A 1ER

National Theatre Terrace Restaurant and Bar

Next time you’re seeing a show at London’s iconic theatre, look no further then the Terrace Restaurant. A Spanish tapas style of food, it is recommended that you order three to four plates to equal a standard main, their menu is more vegetarian heavy then vegan however there was enough options for me to order the recommended amount.

The plates were absolute works of art and the food… interesting, I did enjoy my meal however I found many of the dishes dominated by one or two flavours which became boring and bland the more I munched. One such example was the aubergine mousse, deep charcoal in colour, whipped to perfection yet boring in comparison to the artichoke and cashew stuffed mushrooms. However, where the Terrance restaurant triumphed was its dessert. I treated myself to an old favourite of mine, rice pudding. The terrace put quite the modern spin on the stodgy British classic (and at the time I wasn’t sure how I felt about it) by creating rice pudding balls in a passion fruit syrup, and despite my original reservations, it was gorgeous!

Address

National Theatre, South Bank, Bishop’s, London SE1 9PX

Nopi

Last, but most certainly not least, Nopi is part of a small chain of restaurants in London. Their menu has very few vegan options, but enough to make the meal enjoyable.

I have been to Nopi before and it is certainly pricey, but the friendly staff and fiendishly good Gnocci justifies the price.

They also make the most fabulous vegan chocolate chip cookies with Almond Milk, the milk is made in house and is creamier then any shop bought nut milk. The cookies ooze with rich chocolate, while still maintaining the crunch and doughy texture one desires in ones biscuit.

If I ever feel the need for a childhood comfort that equals its (non-Vegan) original, I am on the first tube to Oxford Circus.

Address

21-22 Warwick Street, Soho, London, W1B 5NE

[ahqueenoh]

Miracle at 34 Mayfair

It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas, especially given that 34 Mayfair has a ridiculous amount of baubles hanging from its ceiling. It was a little like having dinner under the Sword of Damocles, nonetheless, the mish mash of vintage Santa’s, gorgeous baubles and Christmas trees (that looked like they had been apparated from the great hall of Hogwarts itself) created a fabulous atmosphere that even the greatest Grinch in your life would (reluctantly) feel festive in, and, if like me, they chose to have three courses I can guarantee that their heart would also grow three times in size.

34 Mayfair certainly got us in quite the jolly spirit! Or perhaps that was the cocktails… Mrs Claus’ Mistake was delicious although rather bitter but I deeply enjoyed the other Christmas cocktails, so much so I have forgotten what they were called. (I seriously recommend proceeding with extreme caution! These cocktails do not taste like alcohol so much so, that apparently after dinner, I walked through central London without any shoes on…)

The staff are unbelievably friendly and delightful. The restaurant triumphs in creating an “ambience” without making the mistake of plunging its dinner guests into pitch black.

With large decor and rich food comes an even larger price tag. 34 Mayfair is extremely expensive and some of my guests did not think the food was worth the price, I don’t disagree with them, however, when I weigh up the food, friends and fabulous atmosphere I do think that the experience itself makes it worth every penny.

At 34 Mayfair I spent a delightful evening with those closest to me, getting mildly merry, in a beautiful restaurant with wonderful staff and in London, that’s absolutely priceless.

What I ate:

I started with Burrata and Chargrilled Peppers. Burrata is a cheese that has an outer shell of mozzarella with an inside of stracciatella and cream, I personally prefer this to straight up mozzarella as it feels more indulgent without causing an upset stomach. The peppers were chargrilled to perfection and absolutely super!

I followed the Burrata with a pumpkin dish, which I cannot remember and when I checked, does not seem to be on the menu anymore. Now perhaps the cocktails had kicked in at this point, which may be causing my fuzzy memory, however I am more inclined to believe that the course itself was not memorable.

Moving swiftly on to the best bit, desert!

Now if you were ever at a Primary School in the UK, you will be more then familiar with Apple Crumble. No child could make it to 11 in England without experiencing the sheer terror and delight of Apple Crumble! I remember taking my first bite of this delightfully British desert, I wasn’t sure whether it was going to crack my tooth or crumble in my mouth while simultaneously complimenting the sweet taste of the fruit. On that occasion I did, indeed, chip a tooth, however, to this day I will always order a Crumble if it’s on the menu. The traditional Crumble is (of course) Apple but I’ve always had a soft spot for Summer Berries and Cherry.

You’re also supposed to eat Crumble with Custard, but I assure you hell hath no fury like a Burger Queen who’s accidentally been too close to a bowl of custard (let alone tasted it!). So you can imagine my delight when 34 Mayfair, not only, had Apple Crumble on the menu, but it was served with vanilla ice cream rather then custard!

I waited with baited breath as the cheery waiter served me my Crumble, on a beautiful plate with the just the right amount of ice cream (so perfect was the Crumble to Cream that the Golden Ratio is quaking in its boots)

Now it didn’t quite give me the nostalgic feeling (or risk of needing expensive dental work) that I remembered from my childhood, but it was absolutely stunning, not only to look at, which if you’ve ever seen a Crumble you can appreciate the effort that went into making it presentable, but also to eat, my stomach was instantly filled with a tender glow and satisfied sensation. My cheeks felt warm and rosey and it was the best Christmas treat I have yet to receive.

I will most certainly be returning to 34 Mayfair for seconds (and thirds) of the most delicious, life affirming, Crumble I have had the pleasure of eating since my childhood.

If you’re willing to spend on more then a meal, then 34 Mayfair is, without a doubt, the place to be.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and here’s to more great food in 2020!

[ahqueenoh]

Berlin to Budapest.

If like me you have the travel bug, but equally prefer travelling alone, I couldn’t recommend Contiki more! They are a travel company for 18-35 year olds and they go (almost) everywhere. Every trip is an adventure and the people you meet along the way make every moment worth the long flights and sleepless nights.

This is my third time travelling with Contiki (my 4th is already booked! Bring on January!) and as the title suggests, we went from Berlin through Prague, onto Krakow and finished in Budapest. I had a wonderful time and many delicious meals, starting with Berlin Street food!

During the Second World War a woman called Herta Heuwer would approach US soldiers and swap liquor for ketchup and curry powder. She would combine these together, pour it on top of a sausage and you had Currywurst (pronounced curry vurst)!

Still a traditional street dish in Berlin you can find the kiosks EVERYWHERE. So of course I decided to try this special meal.

In all honesty, I did not know what to expect, I had been to Germany before and was still on the fence about the cuisine, that coupled with the idea of curry powder and ketchup did not fill me with joy.

Nonetheless we queued and paid, I went for Currywurst with chips (fries) and a drink, so if it was inedible I at least had something to last me until dinner.

In our group, we were also surprised to see that the kiosk offered vegan and vegetarian Currywursts so for all you none-meat eaters you too can enjoy this dish.

And enjoy it we did, the first taste to hit you was the sweetness of the ketchup, followed closely by the warmth of the curry powder. Of course you could taste the sausage too which added to the pleasure of this street dish. There’s something unique and indescribable about German sausages but I couldn’t imagine enjoying a Currywurst without one.

Since the dawn of the 20th century, Germany has gone through two world wars, the Nazis, the Soviets and five currencies. It is now one of (if not) the strongest economies in the EU and its capital is a diverse city that boasts being one of the safest cities for solo travel, a hub for street art, nightlife and reinvention. Nothing quite sums up all that history like this eclectic street dish, so should you have the pleasure of being in Berlin I can’t recommend Currywurst enough.

The adventure didn’t stop there, almost as soon as we arrived in Berlin it was off to Prague, which was certainly one of the most beautiful cities on this trip, but one of the biggest highlights for me (of course!) was the food.

We had the joy of attending a restaurant called Michal’s, (organised by Contiki) to enjoy a traditional Czech meal in the heart of this stunning city.

We began the meal with bread, soup and a garlic butter, the butter itself merits an entire blog post, it had the texture of cream cheese, the taste of butter and just the right amount of garlic.

For me, the soup was the real standout of the meal, I will go out on a limb and say, there is nothing more special in east Europe then their soups. Light, rich and full of big chunky vegetables and meats these soups are the cure to your worst break up, hardest heart ache and the most dismal of dismal days. We do not have the equivalent in England and it breaks my heart a little every time I eat Heinz Canned Tomato Soup (which gets far to much glory in the UK).

I could’ve easily eaten ten bowls of the beef soup but I was promptly presented with a platter of meat and potatoes. Again another triumph, so tender it fell apart on the journey from platter to my plate.

Czech cuisine is not for everyone and is rich and heavy to the extreme, but for me it is the sort of comfort food to make your soul sing and to bring all kinds of people together.

The restaurant certainly succeeded in bringing our tour group all together, a band played traditional music while two people danced. Of course there was some audience participation from inhaling enough water through a plastic sword to fill three wine glasses (my personal sucking skills won me a small bottle of liquor) and the dancers selecting some of our group to get up and dance.

Overall a joyous evening, full of food, laughter and copious amounts of wine.

A must do if you’re in Prague.

We waved Prague goodbye and zoomed off to Krakow (well, not quite “zoomed”, one cannot simply “zoom” in a coach containing 31 passengers and their luggage).

Sadly we were greeted by torrential rain which put quite the dampener on our first day and the chocolate box Old Town Square, but! In the spirit of making the best of a bad situation we persisted with a bicycle tour (which was rescheduled to the next day) and wondering the Cloth Hall, now a tourist market hall featuring the finest souvenirs this side of Poland, and generally getting rather soggy.

After drying our toes, Contiki had organised another restaurant extravaganza, this time at Kogel Mogel, rated highly by Michelin and known for their Perogis, we were given the chance to experience fine food and a cooking lesson.

Of course we started the meal with the aforementioned Perogis, almost anything can go in these traditional dumplings, usually they are filled with potatoes, meat or cheese (my personal favourite is red cabbage). The dumplings KM served us were a selection of potato and cheese, deer and pork.

Perogis always baffle my brain a little. While in your mouth the dough feels thick and heavy but the filling is often light and fluffy. You anticipate bloating and stomach ache but instead feel warm and satisfied.

The restaurant was kind enough to show us how to make Perogis and to let us have a go. The recipe and execution was simple enough so we gave it a go, needless to say I was hopeless but I got better, as with most Eastern European food, the key seems to be a caring hand and lots of love, a skill I can utilise when eating Perogis, not so much when making them.

After marvelling at our peers Perogi talent we returned to the table for our main course which was delicious but the standard meat and potatoes.

Now back to the Perogis, we had another dish of desert Perogis which I am ashamed to say I did not enjoy, for the simple reason they were stuffed with plums, a fruit I find so disgusting I am offended at its very presence on my plate.

However this has given me a vocation, I am now on the hunt for more sweet Perogi flavours to try.

Alongside the plums we had a dish that seemed to be like a Creme Brûlée but was not, this compote like desert, was extremely sweet and just hit the desert spot I had been craving since Berlin.

If you ever find yourself in Krakow it would be plain old bad manners to dine anywhere else but KM.

Our last stop on this epic adventure was Budapest. Technically three cities, Buda, Old Buda and Pest (pronounced Peshed) this was our sweetest stop on the trip, which was an ideal ending for me, as a large woman with an even larger sweet tooth I was certainly missing the sweet treats I love to indulge in at home.

Introducing Ruszwurm, a gorgeous confectioners established in 1827 and still going strong today, you can find this little gem on the Buda side of the city, within spitting distance of the Fisherman’s Bastion.

My first tip would be to go in a small group. I decided to go on a day the rest of the group was going to the famous Budapest Baths, another must do, so I was able to find a seat easily.

I was absolutely desperate to try the famous Ruszwurm Vanilla Kreme, a cake that is 90% cream, sandwiched between two thin biscuit/cake layers.

As soon as it arrived I regretted coming to the confectioner alone. It was large and thick and I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish one alone.

How wrong I was! This cake is the most delicious cake I have ever had the joy to taste, it has already had a reoccurring role in my dreams and I went back the next day with a few of my Contiki friends for another slice of this devilish Kreme.

Like Perogis, this cake will mess with your mind a little. It is able to stand securely with a solid thick looking cream centre and the biscuit like pieces, provide a strong hard looking foundation for the cream to sit on, but once on the lips, the cream melts into a light, perfectly sweet, whipped vanilla taste that makes me weak at the knees, the matching wafers crumble and crunch providing an excellent contrast to this sweetest of sweet treats.

This Vanilla Kreme was clearly made by a man who sold his soul to the devil and I thank god we cannot find this cake in London otherwise, within a week, I’d be bleeding cream.

If you take nothing else from this post, you must go to Ruszwurm when in Budapest.

Honourable mention:

Beetroot Soup- a delicacy in Poland that also contains little meat Perogis. This vibrantly coloured soup has a mild pickle taste that I deeply enjoy and with the accompanying Perogis is a must have lunch dish.

Central Market Hall- located on the Pest side of Budapest, this old market hall plays host to excellent street food and souvenir stands alike, an excellent stopping point for food and presents (for all the haters at home who wish they were in a city like Budapest). The “must have” street food is Langos, essentially fried bread with sour cream and cheese (most places will allow you to add various other toppings as well). Goulash is also a popular choice in Hungary and makes for a convenient lunch. Neither of these meals are a Burger Queen approved “must” I found Langos too doughy for my taste and strikes me as a pretentious pizza (not quite why I travelled all the way across Europe.) and goulash has nothing on my favourite Polish or Romanian soups.

For me, the must have is Cabbage Rolls, a dish I had the delight of eating when I worked with some fantastic Romanian women and went to Bucharest. It is the must eat meal of choice in the iconic Central Market Hall. You are served a huge portion with a side of additional cabbage. The “roll” is pork and rice (vegetarian options available) wrapped in pickled cabbage I love them so much I would marry them if I could.

Needless to say Romania and Hungary share a border and a close history so the Cabbage Rolls are (almost) as good as Romania.

[ahqueenoh]

Cereal Killer Cafe

I am, most definitely, part of the Instagram generation. If I’m looking for places to eat I will look up their insta page, well before I look up any written reviews.

Not only do I look at their page but I spends hours, (nay! Days!) scouring the pages of the people who went to these restaurants; what did they eat? Did they enjoy the experience? Most importantly were their social media pages improved by the pictures they, inevitably, posted?

One such place is the Cereal Killer Cafe, located in London’s iconic Brick Lane, this Cafe boasts glorious US imports, an avocado toast twist and Spice Girl wall paper.

You are greeted with extreme 90s nostalgia as soon as you step through the door, we were led to the back where you literally sit on beds and eat off of colourful tables. The walls are covered with video tapes and funky boxes of cereals, my personal favourite were the Barbie Cheerios.

The staff were equally quirky and extremely friendly, we went on a quiet Sunday so they were not exactly speedy but neither were we in a rush.

If you’ve never been before you will need the menu explaining to you, which the staff are more then happy to spend the time going through everything. Once they did we placed our order and munched on our food when it arrived.

After taking many Instagram pictures and eating rather a lot of food, it was time to leave.

We both really enjoyed our Cereal Killer Cafe experience and I can’t wait to go back!

If you’re in London, (for any amount of time) you simply must find the time to go to Brick Lane, if Cereal isn’t your jam you’ll find any number of food markets, stalls and restaurants that certainly will be, the whole street is covered in niche boutiques and vintage shops with an endless supply of gorgeous street art, you can really loose yourself in the busy side streets and friendly venders.

Certainly the best way to spend any Sunday.

What I ate:

Lucky Charm Milkshake: I do love Lucky Charms, the milkshake was pretty standard but satisfied my shake craving well.

Unicorn Poop Cereal: a mix of Fruit Loops, Fruit Pebbles and Little Marshmallows, this sweet fruity concoction simply hit the spot and certainly felt like a super imitation of unicorn feces. Cereal Killers Cafe also has a wide range of alternative milk, so I had my Poop with Soya Milk (this was purely due to taste preference).

Fruit Pebbles Fried Chicken: heaven on a plate. I had heard of corn flake fried chicken but never had I imagined I would experience fried chicken so sweet, crisp and moist, (my mouth is salivating while I am writing this) be warned, however, the chicken does come with a buffalo sauce which is far from my favourite and certainly burned my mouth. Nonetheless the absolute highlight of my meal, my guest and I ordered three pieces to share and he barely got any I was so in love. If you’re a meat eater you must order the chicken. It would be simply shameful not to!

Restaurant address:

192a Brick Lane, London E1 6SA

[ahqueenoh]

Peggy Porschen

I love pink, seriously, I can’t get enough pink in my life! So, naturally, when I heard about Peggy Porschen, an awarding winning patisserie which is housed in a pink building adorned with flowers and sugar, I couldn’t resist.

We arrived at the gorgeous pink building, with the aforementioned flowers, basking in the sunshine of late July and we were asked to queue (because we decided to sit inside we were seated rather quickly). Peggy Porschen has many award winning cakes and the menu indicates which are the winners and which are customers favourites. My guest and I decided to order three and split them between us. Unfortunately many of the cakes were sold out, so bare this in mind if you choose to go late in the afternoon on a busy summers day (like we did). However we were able to make our choices and we got back to our conversation.

Sadly it went slightly downhill from here.

All that separated us from the dishwasher station was a thin wall, so throughout our time there all we heard was BANG BANG CRASH as the sink was run and the cutlery thrown about. By the end of our meal we had headaches.

This however seemed to be the atmosphere Peggy Porschen was aiming for because if we weren’t listening to the clanking of cutlery we would hear the staff calling/shouting to one another jokes, sarcastic comments and general tidbits about their job that irritated them.

When our cakes eventually arrived (it was rather surprising that it took so long, given that all the cakes are housed in a counter at the front of the café) they looked delicious! However I noticed we had not been given a knife to split the cakes we were sharing, so rather then wait the 100 years for a member of staff to get us the knife, I went to the counter to ask for one.

Not one member of staff even acknowledged or looked at me and when I said “excuse me” a second time, a waiter gave me an irritated look before saying “yeah?” Then opened a draw and handed me a knife.

For (up to) £9 a slice of cake, receiving service like this was rather disheartening.

However the atmosphere was slightly redeemed by cakes. They were glorious! A light fluffy textured sponge matched perfectly with a thick sweet icing, every cake was beautifully balanced, so although everything was terribly sweet it wasn’t overdone, I also chose to wash my half of the cakes down with pink lemonade (I love pink remember?) which added to the flavour immensely! So at least my stomach felt fully satisfied after we paid and left.

Part of me got the impression that Peggy Porschen relays so heavily on their Instagram popularity that they don’t feel the need to provide anything more then that because Instagram does all the work, if true, that is a real shame. Instagram can only take you so far, and when I think about all Instagram restaurants that I have been to that live up to the hype, Peggy Porschen could do with taking a page out of their books.

In closing, I would not visit the Peggy Porschen on Ebury Street again. The staff were not friendly and (although you cannot see it in my Instagram pictures) the actual café looked like it needed a fresh lick of paint and some TLC. I would, however pay their Kings Road flagship a visit. I wonder if the Ebury Street branch was more of an after thought in the Peggy Porschen powerhouse, it certainly seemed it, so perhaps, the Kings Road branch is their main focus and with that comes a beautiful atmosphere with an engaged team of staff.

Whatever I say about the actual café, the cakes are delicious and rightly deserve their awards and recognition, so really I think going to the Ebury Street branch, purchasing the cakes to take away and enjoying a summertime picnic in Hyde Park with a cool drink and good company is (until I’ve been to King’s Road) the best way to experience Peggy Porschen.

Restaurant address:

Cakes & Terrace: 116 Ebury Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 9QQ (where we went)

Breakfast & Brunch, Lunch & Cakes: 219 King's Road, Chelsea, London SW3 5EJ

[ahqueenoh]

What I ate on my Holidays

Sarge’s Delicatessen and Diner

548 3rd Avenue, New York, 10016

Sadelle’s

463 West Broadway, New York, 10012

Katz’s Delicatessen

205 East Houston Street, New York, 10002

Naples 45

200 Park Avenue, New York, 10166

Naples 45 reminded me of an American style Carluccios. The area is a prime location for city workers and so the restaurant was full of people in suits. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, this sort of environment lends itself to efficient service, which we received. We were sat quickly, fed promptly and our waiter was excellent and very cheery. The food was good, but I wasn’t wowed (I am of course comparing this to Italian food I ate in Italy) and the atmosphere was too loud for my taste, my guest however throughly enjoyed herself and loves the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant.

Should you be around Grand Central Terminal and wanting a bite to eat, Naples 45 is far from a bad restaurant, everything about it was pleasant but I would recommend some of the other places on this list first.

Smith and Wollensky

797 3rd Avenue, New York, 10022

Smith and Wollensky stands out like a sore thumb on third avenue. It is a green and white vintage building in a sea of modern skyscrapers, clean cut and high end S&W is a steak house. Upon entering the establishment you are quickly plunged into darkness, this is what posh restaurants call ambiance and what I call a pain, because quite frankly I like being able to see the person sat opposite me. Nonetheless we squinted at our menus and tried not to impale ourselves with our straws as we ordered our steaks with a selection of sides. We went for whipped potatoes, (mash potatoes, older more sophisticated cousin) spinach (because I like it) and a small mountain of broccoli.

The food was absolutely delicious, most certainly the best steak I have had in a while, although I feel I must warn you, we went for pepper sauce which was peppered to the extreme, and exactly to my tastes, but my guest found it a bit much.

S&W is a high end restaurant and so with that comes high end prices, if you are willing to splash the cash I really recommend dining here during your time in New York, just perhaps, bring a torch.

The Odeon

145 West Broadway, New York, 10013

While going in the wrong direction when hunting for Sadelle’s, we stumbled on The Odeon and it was like it had been pulled from the 1930s. It also helped that a film crew was outside in full vintage kit (with matching cars!) with big movie set cameras! I had to eat there if only for the Gram!

The inside was just as vintage and decadent, the bar alone was Art Deco with polished wood that sparkles.

We were perfectly on time for breakfast and it was fine, I wouldn’t say memorable but if you are looking for a place that has that je ne sais quoi The Odeon is the best place to be, however there are more restaurants on this list I think are a “must” visit over The Odeon.

Chelsea Food Market

75 9th Avenue, New York, 10011

The Chelsea Food market reminded me of a smaller, fancier Camden Market, I had already researched where I wanted to eat before we had even arrived and I settled on Friedman’s Lunch, a burger place which pleased me aesthetically. The burgers were rich and delicious and the staff were friendly. The restaurant could easily fit more tables in their space but they choose not to, which I appreciate, I don’t enjoy feeling hemmed in.

Of course we couldn’t visit the CFM without a visit to the Doughnuttery, as soon as you walk into their unit you are greeted by a slogan that read “don’t worry! We’re used to people staring at our nuts!”

These doughnuts reminded me very much of the fair ground doughnuts we ate as children. Various flavours were available and so my guest and I settled on buying 12 and having four flavours.

We went with:

Pumpkin Brûlée: this flavour tasted like the the feeling of Halloween, simply divine!

Peanut butter and jelly: AVOID at all costs. This tasted like fire and burned every inch of my mouth and asophacous on its way down.

Paris Time: their best seller, this particular concoction of lemon and sugar is simply delightful, and I see exactly why this product is so popular.

Sugar: we really leaned into the fair ground theme… sometimes less is more and this certainly made me want more.

Pinch Chinese

177 Prince Street, New York, 10012

Apparently Sunday brunch is a must if you are in New York, so of course, we went straight to our concierge for a list of places and Pinch was our first choice.

After a small issue with seating arrangements we got our table and began our meal. Pinch (apparently) is known for its Dim Sum, so we went with vegetable, chicken soup dumplings and shrimp. This was my first experience of Dim Sum and I was not disappointed, each dumpling was melt-in-your-mouth-I’m-in-heaven delicious, particularly the chicken soup dumplings which almost popped in your mouth releasing soupy goodness that filled your cheeks and soul with warmth and flavour! Of course this was not enough for us so we followed the Dim Sum with Dan Dan Noodles, they had a mild spicy kick and were topped with a fried egg, and finally if that wasn’t enough, we ordered pork strips on egg fried rice. I have never in my life tasted rice so delicious with spring onions that were crisp and full of flavour!

If you love Chinese food Pinch is the place to eat!

Blue Smoke

116 East 27th Street, New York, 10016

My guest and I were desperate to have some ribs while we were in New York so we paid another visit to our concierge and he pointed us in the direction of Blue Smoke.

Upon entering Blue Smoke I immediately felt transported to the Jazz era when many southerners had migrated to the north and opened bars and restaurants to feed the home sickness (literally).

Sadly my guest and I never got a chance to enjoy the basement jazz club but the staff, ribs and beignets (pronounced Ben-nays) gave you a homely southern state feel so much so that we went two nights in a row.

The food was heart warming and delicious. The whole place really made you feel like grandma had sat you down and wasn’t letting you go until you were full to bursting point because she was worried you were “too thin”.

You simple must eat here when adventuring in New York!

Dunkin Doughnuts

Literally everywhere

As my mother always says “you can’t go to America and not have Dunkin Doughtnuts!” And she’s not wrong, a lighter, fluffier version of Krispy Kreme, these doughnuts still give the sugar rush you crave without the bloat and buyers remorse later.

These delectable doughnuts can be enjoyed as a mid-morning snack or even for breakfast, and I chose to enjoy my vanilla iced doughnut (with sprinkles!) with a coffee.

Now I must admit, us Europeans can be, shall we say, coffee snobs, however I have always enjoyed my coffee exactly the same way I like to keep my enemies, sweet and weak which is just how DD brews their joe!

Needless to say there is something quite American about indulging in a coffee and doughnut, it is an inexpensive luxury, everyone can afford and so I simply must insist that if you are in any State of America you go and munch on some DD, you will regret it if you don’t!

[ahqueenoh]

Sadelle’s

When I booked my trip to New York I had a vision of being like Holly Golightly, dressing fabulously and having breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Now Miss Holly’s definition of breakfast at Tiffany’s was dressing in her finest clothes and eating a croissant outside the grand jewellers on 5th.

Unfortunately, you are not able to eat a sit down breakfast at Tiffany’s (trust me, I looked into it and went to the store) but if anywhere could give you the same feeling it is Sadelle’s.

Sadelle’s is absolutely gorgeous, with a vintage feel but modern decor it feels like somewhere Miss Holly would take her gentleman friends.

There is an alarming amount of staff, which I realised, quickly, was because each person has one specific job they carry out, this allows you to be served with speed and efficiency, Ford’s moving assembly line looks painfully inadequate against Sadelle’s staff.

The exposed brick teamed with the pastel blue details perfectly accents the presentation of your food, which is brought out on a stand, much like afternoon tea and stacked in front of you, your coffee is poured into Sadelle’s signature blue Le Creuset mugs. The whole experience oozes luxury.

No matter your time in New York you must find the time to eat breakfast at Sadelle’s it would be sinful not to, but, whatever you do, don’t order the coffee, it’s indescribably awful.

What I ate:

1st time

Omelette with breakfast potatoes

Coffee

Side of bacon and Salt and pepper bagel with cream cheese

2nd time

Blueberry pancakes with bacon

Salt and pepper bagel with cream cheese

Sadelle’s is known for its bagels, it has quite the selection and I really recommend you eat a New York bagel! The traditional bagel is served with cream cheese and smoked salmon (which can also be referred to as lox), however I do not eat fish, so chose to have my bagel on the side of my meal. I also should point out, that under normal circumstances I don’t eat eggs (the smell bothers me) but on this particular day I fancied trying something different, I was not disappointed, the omelette was fantastic and breakfast potatoes are an export we desperately need in London. As for the bacon, simply the best bacon I had in New York.

I will warn you about the pancakes though, I am not a maple syrup fan and everything in America comes with maple syrup (that is only a minor exaggeration I assure you) however the pancakes are rather salty, this would be offset by the syrup but if you don’t want syrup on the pancakes, they’re a little inedible.

As it turned out my guest loved maple syrup, so I gave her some of my pancakes and she slathered them in syrup which inspired me to do the same. Never in my life have I tasted a syrup so smooth and rich, it was quite frankly delightful! So it worked out for me. I did ask the waitress, about the maple syrup and she told us it’s organic and imported directly from the Canadian producer and therefore unlike many syrups you will try in New York and I did try syrup at other restaurants and hated it so it is clear to me this experience is unique to Sadelle’s.

Nevertheless if pancakes aren’t your game, there are plenty more options on the menu that I am sure would satisfy even the hungriest appetite.

[ahqueenoh]

Katz’s Diner

I will be the first to hold my hand up and admit that the only reason I went to Katz’s Diner is because I am a HUGE When Harry Met Sally fan, it is literally one of the best Rom-Coms in history and I will not let anyone tell me differently and I simply had to eat in the diner that iconic scene was filmed in!

Katz’s was packed from the moment we entered, you have two choices when dinning at Katz’s, you can “self serve” which is when you queue at various numbers, order your food and then find yourself a seat or you can have wait staff, which the hostess told us was a 25 minute wait for a table.

We decided on waiting for the wait staff which, on this occasion was only around 10 minutes.

All the tables in Katz’s are communal, we were sat at a four with a couple who (like us) were clearly tourists, although (unlike us) spoke another language, so as we both got on with our respective conversations our waiter appeared and the only way I can possibly describe him is a human embodiment of a Ronald Dahl character brought to life by Quentin Blake’s illustration.

He seemed about ready to retire, with a friendly face, worn out uniform and the energy of a 30 year old (despite the face of someone more mature).

Where this energy came from I couldn’t tell you, because throughout the meal there were moments where I truly believed he was going to topple over. Unlike almost every other waiter who served us this gentleman stopped, asked us exactly what we wanted and diligently wrote our order down and read it back to us before he left our table. Be warned though, part of the fun of Katz’s is our protagonist of this story will spill your beer and the odd chip but that’s part of the fun!

There’s an energy in Katz’s that can’t be found anywhere else, from the staff that all resemble characters from my childhood books, to the people queuing for their sandwiches at the deli bar, as I write this I can almost hear the whoosh of the meat and cheese slicers and the babble of New Yorkers desperate for their sandwich to be made just how they like it!

Everything about Katz’s is simply glorious! The walls tell you a detailed story of the people who worked there and the many guests they’ve fed, a sign tells you just where Harry met Sally and their slogan of “send a salami to your boy in the army!” is plastered everywhere. You can even purchase various Katz’s T-shirts to memorialise the event.

Overall Katz’s has a vibrant, colourful atmosphere topped off perfectly with delicious food and cheery staff, if you have the time to go (and the patience to queue) you will thoroughly enjoy your meal.

What I ate:

Pastrami sandwich

Fries

Katz’s is famous for its pastrami, they make it themselves in store so you really must have a pastrami sandwich when you go there in fact, in my eyes, the only acceptable reasons not to have pastrami are:

1. you’re allergic to pastrami

2. You’re a vegetarian

3. You’re a vegan (darling, perhaps Katz’s is not the place for you)

Now if, sorry, when you order your pastrami sandwich you can add a range of things to it, onion, cheese, coleslaw, mayonnaise (the menu suggests mayo “at your peril”).

Now given how large these sandwiches are, my guest and I decided to split one, she also, kindly allowed me to add cheese and onion to the mix, while she ordered us a side of fries which just hit the spot. The fries or (as we say in London) chips, were thick and chunky (exactly the sort of chips you’d expect at your local fish and chip shop) yet fluffy and light inside. Each meal comes with complimentary pickles, which brought a smile to my face a spring to the step of my rumbling belly.

But really the crown jewel was the sandwich, now, I had never had pastrami before Katz’s but this sandwich was the work of a god, it was crafted to perfection, melting in your mouth! Your taste buds engulfed by the delicious meaty, peppery taste of heaven.

(Seriously my best sexual experience had nothing on this sandwich.)

Both my guest and I agreed that the cheese and onion was a great addition, marvelling at the glory of this sandwich, but, alas, as soon a we had tasted this slice of heaven it was gone.

The sandwiches may be large and in charge, but don’t let the size intimidate you, despite its mighty girth, this perfect example of a sandwich did not cause me to feel overstuffed, bloated or sick. Both my guest and I left Katz’s in a warm haze, shrouded in an afterglow that only the finest foodgasim can give you.

(My guest later told me she did not like pastrami, however deeply enjoyed the sandwich we had shared and that, her views had slightly changed on pastrami as a whole.)

Restaurant address:

205 E Houston St, NY 10002

[ahqueenoh]

Sarge’s Delicatessen and Diner

If you choose to enjoy a meal at Sarge’s you won’t be disappointed, however don’t expect the wait staff to stop for you. You must be quick and concise when ordering your food otherwise the blur that is your waitress will miss something.

The people sat next to us did not seem impressed by Sarge’s staff, however, in my opinion this is a quintessential New York dinning experience, the hustle and bustle of the city confined to waitresses whizzing down the narrow gaps between tables armed with steaming coffee pots (most certainly a health and safety violation in London) ready to fuel New Yorkers for their day.

Occasionally your waitress will stop, point her finger at you and bark “you ok?” Because despite the haste at which they move, every person at Sarge’s is full of warmth, and they most certainly want to make sure you’re full of food before you leave.

I visited Sarges twice during my ten days in New York and it is most certainly the best kept secret in New York.

If you fail to eat there while in this gorgeous (all be it aggressive) city you deserve to have your passport revoked.

What I ate:

1st time:

Sarge’s Cheese Steak Sandwich (with fries)

Vanilla Milkshake

2nd time:

Chocolate chip pancakes with bacon

Side of homemade fries

I would really recommend the Cheese Steak if you’re a meat eater, literally so delicious I took the left overs back to the hotel and ate them cold for my dinner and it was just as good! The milkshake is everything you want from an American milkshake, although is almost a meal on its own. The pancakes were the best pancakes I’ve had in New York (so far!). The only negative I can think of, is the potato side I ordered (the second time) was clearly reheated but only slightly and so practically cold. Everyone gets a complimentary portion of homemade coleslaw and two pickles which was so divine!

Restaurant Address:

548 3rd Ave, NY 10016