Two friends, one week, two oyster outings - J Sheekey and The Cow
My best friend showed up unexpectedly in London a couple of weeks back. We had a great get together, enjoyed a meal at home, went to Tate Britain and then travelled to the hipster White Cube gallery to enjoy the new Tracey Emin exhibition.
She was then off to work out of town and coming back to London so we set another dinner date; this time with oysters. I trawled online through the usual suspects, starting with the Cow of course, due to its proximity to my house and my reluctance to travel where there are Too Many People, which these days, is pretty much anywhere in central London or trendy areas: we had already endured pushing our way through Borough Market for about ten minutes until we could take no more.
All our favourite haunts were fully booked and I just didn’t get it. Then I did. The night we wanted to eat oysters was Valentine’s Day. I realised we had little or no hope of finding a seat anywhere but we did find a bar stool only booking at Wright Bros right near Borough Market. We agreed it would be better than nothing and Wright Bros do offer very fine food. Valentine’s Day and oysters go hand in hand of course. And I have never had it impact on me before. Our preference was J. Sheekey but it was hugely overbooked. I laughingly said that as it was the Most Romantic Day of the Year, we could probably count on an argument or two and a cancellation closer to the day. And that was the end of the conversation and it drifted out of my mind.
The morning of February 14, I wandered off to work and starting looking forward to another meeting with my mate. I heard my phone ping mid afternoon and while she had been engaged in Very Important Meetings, she had also found time to call around and guess what? There was a cancellation. At J. Sheekey! What a fine result. Every cloud indeed has a silver lining.
So I hot footed it down Piccadilly across Leicester Square, where I noticed again, the deluge of TMP (too many people) and squeezed past the heaving masses and found myself in the quiet and definitely genteel delight that is J. Sheekey. It is an establishment of the luvvies and been around in theatreland for 100 years - literally - and I had forgotten how gorgeous it was. I was a bit ahead of my friend so I was parked at the bustling bar and ordered pink champagne. It was, after all, Valentine’s Day and as there was no one there to buy it for me, I would buy it myself. “There you are my sweetheart, enjoy”. It slipped down way too easily and I proceeded to down several more during the course of the evening, necking the quality bubbles like it was lolly water. Sweet nectar indeed. I had gone off champagne but gladly can announce that I love it again. Very much.
Seated at the bar were a couple; a gorgeous young woman with a scowl and her older male, fawning companion. Next to them a flamboyant gay couple with crazy shirts and lots of style. Next to them another male and female grouping, having a quiet fight. Ah, Valentine’s Day was in full swing. Bickering all round. Why people insist on putting themselves in these stressful situations I really do not know. Next to me stood two diminutive people, probably actors, who looked vaguely familiar and there was further gushing by the maitre d’ as he settled another couple into their seats.
I was settling in with round two of the pink champers when Ms M then arrived. She ordered the same and no sooner had we been served, we were ushered through the very full Atlantic Bar. In the corner, there was the best seat in the house, a two seater corner booth. The cancellation! The romantic date gone sour. And that was where we sat. In pride of place. We felt blessed and laughed that we had predicted such an outcome. We were served swiftly and beautifully by the highly professional and efficient staff. And we had some French oysters that I had never had before. They were Ostra Regal and just a mmmmmmmmouthful. We also enjoyed the tried and trusted jersey royals; always a safe bet. Utterly satisfying food experience. Loved them.
We followed with our second course of whole crab and prawns. I had forgotten how high end this place is and the quality of the food was sublime. We washed it all down with more wine and every morsel was perfect.
It was the first time the two of us had been left to own devices for years so we just nattered and chattered for hours, backward and forwarding in our lives. Remembering being young teenagers and making career plans and fast forwarding to what had actually transpired.
And as we are now deep into middle age, we had time to reflect on such things and realise how we have remained true to ourselves and our passions. I have always written and forever wanted to write a book - will a sitcom do - and Ms M is incredibly artistic and talented. Finally we both have time to finally spend more time on these pursuits instead of getting caught up in Life and Careers. My one regret is that I have always been so easily distracted away from my passion but am now on a steady course. If I do not pursue it now, it will be all too late and oh so tragic. So we discussed how lucky we have been and remain so, with good health, sharp brains and the wit and wisdom to pick up our dreams where we had dropped them back in our 20s. I mused over my younger self and accepted that some of my artistic goals were simply ahead of their time and that these days, are appropriate. And writing is a pleasure that definitely gets better with age, as confidence and wisdom have a bigger role to play than one’s ego.
Oh yes then we had the most fantastic dessert. Served in a caviar tin, it was a quaint collection of chocolate treats, each one a mouth pleasure. Washed down by more champagne.
We said farewell and planned another get together in two months. And she was gone.
Four days later, her partner and my other bestie, rocks into town! They were both up in the air passing each other as one flew south, the other north.
VD was now over so I made a booking. At the Cow. I think this is where I came in.
We met at the downstairs bar and raced upstairs to the restaurant. I have done so many favourable reviews for the Cow. It remains good value with high quality food. My daughter joined us and we started with some oysters. Non romantic and flavoursome oysters. We had jerseys again and fines de claires.
Now, I have, over the years, eaten more than my body weight in oysters, all over the world. And in the Cow, dozens of times. But! As my baby girl - well she is now 28 but always my baby - picked up one shell, there was a small worm wriggling on it. Ewww, ewww, ewwww. She flung it down and I motioned to the waiter to please explain. He did explain and it did make sense, and apparently it is not uncommon to have some extra sea life on the shells occasionally. It definitely was on the shell and not squirming around in the oyster and he did bring another clean replacement, although I wasn’t sufficiently sickened by its appearance not to eat the wormy oyster. And they were very lovely as well.
The three of us had a big reunion chat and recalled being together in Sydney twelve months ago, living the life in central Sydney. Followed by a stint in the Dordogne last August, sitting in an infinity pool, sipping drinks in blasting heat. What a year that was. We had a most enjoyable night and said our goodbyes as the uber taxi turned up.
And that is what long term, long distance best friends do. I am already excited at the prospect of them both being here together in May and I think another visit to J. Sheekey may be in order. No notable card flogging days due at that time, exploiting people’s emotions and feeding their feelings of inadequacy.
Thank you my dear friends for always looking after me, looking out for me and accepting me. I love the laughter, the singing, the freedom and the fun that true friendship offers. You are both so precious to me and I love and treasure you. And we have 3 lifetimes of years to prove our ties are unbreakable.
Shirley xxx
