Seven Dials Market

Travel Blog: United Kingdom: Part Three- Pack It Up

Hi! Welcome back! As per usual, when it comes to my multipart blog series, this is your pre-blog reminder to go back & read my previous two installments before continuing down the page below. If you’re in need of the two previous installments to this series they will be linked just below this paragraph & we will see you back here once you’re all caught up. If on the other hand, you are an avid reader of mine, thank you as always for your patronage, feel free to skip on to the title card below! Cheers!


THE UNITED KINGDOM

PART THREE:


Day Seven

We last left off in Dumfries at the home of the Donowhos. In spite of the more than gracious hosts they always are & the loveliness that Scotland always provides, it was time to head back down to London. We loaded up the car fairly early in the desire to beat the evening London traffic. Our plan was to sweep in from the Northeast side of London, drop our bags in Covent Gardens, take the car back to Heathrow, & take the tube back into London, more on that later.

If you have read anything from my previous UK trips you’ll know that I require a stop on the road south out of Scotland. Thanks to the gents that played the original Parkfest set with me back in the day, Tebay Services, Farmshop, & Kitchen is now a must stop, of course this time it was no different. We stopped to fill-up both the car & our bellies with a buffet style Full English Breakfast before on down the road we went once again.

There’s not too much eventful that happened along the road to London other than a rather rambunctious, down to the wire change of plans. My father had been gracious enough to lend us some of the Hilton Honors points he’d accrued in his travels over the years. I’d had him book our stay the night before at what was meant to be the Doubletree in Russell Square, sat on Southampton Road. However, when I called to confirm the room they had no booking for us anywhere on their computers so I called my dad back to make sure the reservation had been set. Now, let me be very plain that this is not a dig on my father nor is it meant to come across as unappreciative, I just think it’s a rather humorous story that deserves its slot in the annals of my blog page. It’s also worth noting that my father has never been outside of North America, The United Kingdom is entirely foreign to him. He had indeed booked us a reservation, only when he had pulled up “Doubletree, Southampton” that’s exactly what he got, a Doubletree in Southampton.

If you don’t know where Southampton is it’s about a two hour drive Southwest of London, sat on the Southern coast of England. Needless to say that wasn’t going to work so we not set about frantically looking for not outlandishly priced hotels in London that weren’t booked out for the weekend & that number was rapidly dwindling. Forgoing the plan to drop bags at our hotel & instead switching to dropping off the car first we made our way to Heathrow. It was only after returning the car & dropping down into the tube that our reservation at the only available, none lavishly expensive hotel was finally booked. That’s not to say that the hotel wasn’t lavish, it was gorgeous & we ended up at The Waldorf Hilton, London. After settling in to our *toss toss* upgraded room, we slipped down to the basement gym for some quick cardio, dressed for the evening, & went down the road to drop in on our friends Victoria & Rhys.

I had spent most of the day looking scrubby in my travel clothes but what became my official OOTD was the following: a Gold J. Crew Sweater, Blue Tellis AG Jeans, & Grey Suede Calvin Klein Boots.

We rolled up to the now Jones’ flat & before we could even call to be let in, Rhys noticed us through the window. We were buzzed in, climbed the stairs, & were met at the door by the duo & an almost completely empty flat. You see Rhys & Vic had come to the decision that when they left London to fly back to the states for their wedding, they were leaving for good & starting their life together as a married couple in America & when they flew out, the same day as us, it would be their last time in London until they returned for visits at a later date. Needless to say the apartment was quite different from the last time we’d seen it in April.

We sat exchanging stories before asking to see if they wanted to join us at dinner at Seven Dials Market. They politely declined with exhaustion rapidly setting in & Ev & I departed their company for the evening to grab some much needed sustenance.

Seven Dials was moderately busy, but not over the top. We went back & forth trying to decide on dinner but ending up with the same general consensus. Dinner was to be Thai as the main course, Dumplings/Bao as a side, & frozen Israeli beverages to drink. I got Chicken Pad Kee Mao at Yaay Yaay, Evan Papaya Salad. Evan & I both got a Pork Bao & Pork Dumplings at Yum Bun, then the drinks were a Lemon/Mint Slushy & a Blue/Pomegranate Slushy from SHUK. Once dinner was completed we decided to make a night of it. We invited Victoria & Rhys once again but they were already well in bed.

Our first stop of the evening was The Alchemist. A flashy cocktail bar with locations all across The UK, we actually skipped out on the drinks there this trip, I had my eyes set on one thing, their cocktail book. Once attained we headed over to EVE for our nightcap(s).

If you read my last UK blog from April you would’ve seen me rave & rant about Frog By Adam Handling. You also would have read about their sister bar, locked in the basement, feeding off their scraps, EVE. That last sentence is not a jab, EVE literally feeds off the kitchen scraps from Frog which it uses to create new & interesting gastronomy for the bar & the cocktails they sling. We only dipped out toes into EVE last time, this time we claimed a table & sat in for a while.

As far as drinks went, we had a few. I got the Amber Fizz (Johnnie Walker Black, Maraschino, Banana, Berries, & London Essence Ginger Ale), followed by the Lazarus (Appleton 12 Year, Santiago Blanco 3 Year, La Yuzu, Verjus, & Guava), but the star of the night, tasting like a Salted Caramel Espresso Martini was the Little Rise (Santiago 8 Year, Galliano, Coffee, Caramel, & Bitters). Evan has some form of Colada that was a special of the evening & an Il Conte (Patron Reposado, Kumquat, Madeira, Smoked Cocoa Nibs, & Prosseco DOCG).

We sat in the basement bar for around an hour & a half before we decided it was time to call it a night & off we went back to our hotel just down the street.

End Of Day Seven


Day Eight

Thursday we managed to sleep in a little big. I was still desperately craving a workout so we booked something in the early afternoon at Barry’s Soho. Needing caffeination & craving a croissant we made our way over to Monmouth Coffee Company where we both had a Pour Over, I got an Almond Croissant, & Ev got a Chocolate. We sat outside in the drizzle because it was honestly tolerable & we’d actually gotten to wear the raincoats we packed for once!

After our coffees & pastries we still had a little bit of time to burn so we went & perused the shops near Covent Gardens. Starting first in Barbour, I tried on several flannels & a sweater or two before designating it a loss for the day. Across the street at Scotch & Soda, where I’d had so much luck the previous trip, we tried on a varied assortment of the store but never landed on anything that we were head over heels for so off we went towards Soho for our appointment with Barry’s Bootcamp.

The class was a Barry’s Lift class which neither of us had ever taken, the sole difference between it & a traditional Barry’s class being that there was no cardio. That didn’t mean the class was easy, in fact it was one of the hardest ones I’d done, simply because of the massive amount of core work it entailed.

After class we grabbed protein shakes from the shake bar & made our way back through the city to our hotel to shower & get ready for the rest of our day ahead.

My “last night in London” OOTD was a Green Rag & Bone Sweater, Khaki Tellis AG Jeans, & White Goodfellow Trainers, a similar outfit, yet still different, from the one I wore for my Living Room Session two nights prior.

Vic & Rhys had to be out of their flat by 3 PM so we met them just across the street at their local pub, The Round House, where they sat surrounded by luggage, still working remote while sharing a pint. We sat with them awhile until hunger set in & we swung around the corner to Old Chang Kee for one of their “world famous” Singapore Style Curry Puffs! Ev & I both got our own Chicken & Curry Puff which we enjoyed immensely, then walked over to The Espresso Room for a Flat White & another Almond Croissant but unfortunately they were out of the latter.

While Victoria wrapped work, Evan, Rhys, & I formulated a plan for the evening. The soon-to-be Jones were staying at Heathrow for the night but still wanted to kick around London with us for a bit so we decided that we would drop their luggage off at our hotel room just around the corner, go about our business, & they could return with us, grab their stuff, & hop the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. Victoria ended up moving one last appointment we had up so that we could all go out so Evan, Rhys, & I sat enjoying The Waldorf’s Cocktail & Canapé hour while we waited sat pretty in the Executive Lounge (*adjusts monocle). Hey, free booze is free booze. When Victoria arrived we sat enjoying the hors d’œvres for a while longer before hopping a cap over to Tayēr + Elementary.

T+E might sound familiar to any of you that are return readers of mine, it’s another spot we hit back in April & just happens to be considered one of the best bars in the world. Now if your plan is to say that we weren't too adventurous with new things this trip to London I think you’d be slightly mistaken. You see, much like EVE, Tayēr + Elementary’s menu is constantly changing & evolving inviting new experimental gastronomy into the mix so no two people’s experience at either place will ever be exactly the same. We also had only sampled “Elementary’s” menu last time as the two have completely separate menus & feels.

Though residing in the same building Elementary is the front bar & Tayēr the back. Sat around a large, chef’s table/tasting menu type set up I would say Tayēr is the sophisticate while Elementary the playful lending more towards the neighborhood bar feel.

We were actually the first people to enter Tayēr that night. Sat on the corner we each began picking out cocktails as well as little finger foods to nibble on. I typically go for the recommendations of the staff & this was no exception. I got the Haucate as well as a drink that consisted of Etna, Mandarin, & Pachouli & a Makrut Lime cocktail. In addition we ordered a Piña Colada Cheesecake to split, Prawn Couchette’s, & some form of Corn Dog, of which I cannot remember its contents.

Fairly buzzed we all stumbled back into a cab & returned to Soho & The Waldorf where The Jones’s retrieved their bags & Evan & I went off in search of more food.

Really wanting Nando’s seeing as it would be good & quick we made our way that way. The site said they closed at 10:30 but for whatever reason they’d decided at 9 PM to call it early so on our search for food went. We ended up happening to pass Blacklock, a chop shop that I had had on my “travel list” from the last go round. Blacklock readily let us in & we were shown to a seat near the entrance.

We were truly looking for an abbreviated dinning experience, feeling almost entirely ready to call it a night but still rather famished so we just threw in & went with the “All In,” a pre-chopped selection of Beef, Pork, & Lamb, along with two sides & Grilled Flat Bread. We devoured it though quickly the stuffiness of the basement restaurant, the heat, & the meat began to get to us & we had to evacuate the premises.

I truly wish that I could give Blacklock more of a glowing review, I do. The food was very good & the diversity of menu options, lengthy, but I fear falling just short of having a full blown panic attack in their primacies due to the stuffiness of the place, I’d be hard pressed to feel warm & fuzzy about it.

Anyway, feeling stuffed, but still wanting to satiate the dessert stomach we went in search of ice cream/gelato. Unfortunately all of the shops were closed so we called it a night, returning to the hotel defeated.

End Of Day Eight


Day Nine

Our last day in London we pushed that “late checkout” to the limit. We awoke & packed before we decided to make one last hoorah of London & heading over to Heathrow. We had stumbled upon Abuelo the day prior & I had made some joke about the restaurant simply being called “grandpa.” It decided to pull a full on Uno Reverse & say “look who’s laughing now” as it popped up for one of the top listed brunch spots in Covent Garden, so it became the destination of where we were to break our day’s fast.

Surprisingly enough, Abuelo is an Australian coffee shop, well, Australian with South American influences, & it did not disappoint. Evan & I order to share, something savory & something sweet, of which we would each eat half of then swap plates. Evan order our savory course, The Big Bondi (Avocado, Dukkah, Goat Cheese, Pickled Jalapeños, Cress & Flowers, & Egg atop Sourdough) & I the sweet; Banana Bread w/ Caramelized Cinnamon Peaches, Dulce De Leche Marscarpone, & Ginger Biscuit Crumb, in addition to a Cappuccino & a Pour Over respectively.

After a glorious breakfast we made our way to Tesco to grab a goodie bag for our flight attendants & made our way back to The Espresso Room in hopes that the Almond Croissant had made its triumphant return, it hadn’t, they were still out. So we shuffled, defeated, back to The Waldorf to collect our things & hop the tube to Heathrow.

Normally this is where I would leave you all. I would conclude the travel with our last meal or interesting feat we accomplished but in fact the intrigue of our voyage is not yet over. About halfway between Covent Garden & Heathrow the tube operator came over the speakers & announced the the Piccadilly Line would not be making its normal stop at the terminal that feeds Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3. As we were in Terminal 5 this was of no concern to us, though the rest of the passengers seemed less pleased. After each subsequent stop the same announcement was made until it changed, subtly. I truly think it was a slip of the tongue but the announcer added “due to its evacuation for public safety” to his announcement of the lapse in stop. I immediately pulled out Twitter.

The reason the train would not be stopping at Terminal 2 & 3 was that there had been a bombing threat upon Terminal 2 & the entirety of Terminal 2 had been evacuated. There never ended up being an actual bomb, as far as we know, but when we rolled through the train station for those two stops the feeling of unease in the car was palpable. The terminal was like a ghost town, not a person in sight. It was eerie. I’m just glad that no one got hurt & the threat itself ended up being nothing, again, as far as we know.

Off to Terminal 5 we went where security was a breeze & we sat in peace munching on Smoked Salmon Sandwiches until it was once again time to depart the dear United Kingdom.


End Of Day Nine


End Of Part Three


End Of Blog

Travel Blog: The United Kingdom-Part Three: There & Back Again

Welcome back to my United Kingdom travel blog! If you’ve made it this far, congrats, you’re onto the last part!!! If you’re reading this like “last part?! whaaaa?!” then I invite you to go read through Part One & Two before returning to finish out this most epic of trilogies. You can find links to both here:

Part One

Part Two

All caught up? Great! Let’s move on to Part Three then!



Part Three:

There & Back Again


Day Ten

We departed Dumfries right around 8 AM, our rental was due back in Camden by 5 PM & we had a long drive down from Scotland through England to make. We unfortunately didn’t get to say goodbye to Carolann on our way out but Ali & the rest of the crew definitely gave us the royal send off.

Our first stop on the way down is a must hit if you’re traveling up or down the Northwest coast of England, Tebay. I was first introduced to Tebay by the Liverpool/Manchester gents who played RNLI Park Fest with me back in 2019 who try to make it a stop anytime they play up north. Tebay, while technically a small English town, is also a service center. For my American folks think a truck stop but way way way way way nicer. Tebay Services, Farmshop, & Kitchen has two locations; one northbound, one southbound. It is exactly as the name states, a service stop in addition to a restaurant & shop. The beautiful thing about Tebay, aside from the immaculate view it offers, is that all of the food served comes from within only a handful of miles from the stop.

We arrived around 10:30 AM & breakfast was still in full swing so we went the full on English Breakfast route! I had Scrambled Eggs, Beans, Cumberland Sausage, Roasted Tomato & Mushroom, Haggis, Bacon, A Raisin Scone w/ Orange Marmalade, & A Drip Coffee. Evan did the same sans Mushroom, Scone, & Haggis & also got a Pork Sausage. After taking in breakfast with a gorgeous view of the English countryside we walked around their Farmshop! It’s really almost three shops put into one. There’s a genuine market selling uncooked ingredients from around the area, there’s a local clothing/item section, & there’s a section dedicated to foods distinctly from The United Kingdom including small batch chocolatiers, distillers, bakers, etc.

By the time we’d finished up & were getting ready to go the hand pie stand had opened up so we grabbed a few of those for the road. I got a Chicken & Mushroom Pie, Evan got the Onion & Cheese. We grabbed gas & a few drinks & down the road we went towards London.

To be entirely frank I was quite nervous about driving in London, especially since we’d be arriving around rush hour. When I picked up the rental our drop off options were Camden, Tower Heights, Gatwick, or Heathrow & I didn’t feel like driving an hour outside of London just to spend an hour & a half on the tube with luggage felt economical, so Camden it was.

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy I found driving in London rush hour, it was far easier than New York City even with the inclusion of driving on the other side of the road. We did end up dropping off the car a little late but the agency couldn’t have cared less. From there we walked to Euston Station & hopped the southbound train to Covent Gardens back to Victoria & Rhys’s.

Seeing as it was now around 6 PM the hunt for dinner began. We were presented with the idea of Seven Dials Market, a coalition of street food vendors that had come together in an old cucumber & banana storage warehouse, a theme that is still prevalent throughout. At Seven Dials Market you can order drinks from the bar to be delivered to your table but as far as food goes you need to go to the different stalls to picket what you want. I grabbed an Iced Masala Chai from Chai Guys & we began the task of picking which of the over a dozen food options we wanted.

Evan & I decided on splitting a few things. We were really craving a burger so we went downstairs to Truffle but found that we couldn’t decide between The Truffle Burger (Beef & Bacon Patty w/ Raclette Cheese, Crispy Onions, Fig Jam & Truffle Mayo) or the Cheeseburger (Aged Beef/Bacon Patty, Cheese, Pickles, Lettuce, & Truffle Sauce) so we got both in addition to some Truffle Parmesan Fries. On top of the burgers there was also a dumpling stand that was calling our names so we got an order of Pork Bao & Pork & Chive Dumplings from Yum Bun! All of the food was outstanding & for dessert Victoria got us all a Chocolate Hazelnut Finger Doughnut from Longboys to share!

Practically bursting at this point we waddled back to the flat, stopping at Tesco to grab some snacks (yes that includes Strawbs) & drinks to enjoy later on when we sat down to watch Shutter Island before calling it a night!


Day Eleven

In desperate need of a workout after almost a week without we joined Victoria at Barry’s Soho for their 8:45 Full Body class. Following my “I can’t workout in the morning rule unless I’ve had caffeine & food prior” I ended up booking double floor. I knew running wasn’t going to happen. I’d done a touch of carb loading before just to be safe though, having gone downstairs to Tesco to pick up an energy drink & some fresh baked goods from their untouched morning selection. Scarfing down a soft pretzel & a croissant along with an apple the three of us walked to Barry’s (Rhys went once again with his trainer).

The class was hard! It was a circuit set meaning it built. Four total exercises per circuit, each targeted for a minute at as many as possible before combining them for two. We ended up walking back separate from Victoria because she was in need of a shower & we had planned to wait until we got back to the flat to bathe.

Along the way we had decided that another caffeine source was necessary so we walked over to WatchHouse. The barista recommended the Iced Peruvian Pourer so that’s what we got! The coffee had a nice almost bread & jam taste, very similar to my Raisin Scone w/ Orange Marmalade the morning before. It smacked! We walked back the rest of the way before showering & dressing for the day.

We had been prompted with a text of “Borough Market tomorrow?” on our drive back to London the day prior. Victoria had a mind for a Sausage Roll from The Black Pig & I, for one, am always down for a trip to Borough Market so that is where our pre-afternoon began!

We walked the same path that Evan & I had taken the week before; past St. Paul’s, over the Millennium Bridge, by The Globe. Borough Market was a zoo! There were far more people there this Saturday than the one prior which was surprising seeing as the previous had been Easter weekend.

We made a beeline for Bread Ahead as our glowing doughnut review had left V&R wanting. I returned for the Blackcurrant Cheesecake, Evan for the Pistachio, V&R split a Blueberry Jam, thought naturally they all got passed around between the four of us.

Rhys got Cod & Chips from Fish!, Victoria went after her Sausage Roll, & Evan & I got in line for the special at Northfield Kitchen, an Aged Corned Beef Sandwich on Rye with Pickles, Spicy Mustard, Swiss, & Cole Slaw. We all sat around on a barricade munching on our lunch & sipping Prosecco Punch but heading over to hop the Uber Boat back up the river to Westminster.

V&R headed back to the flat but Evan & I decided to continue on back to Soho to hit up Carnaby, Regent, & Bond. We wafted in & out of a few shops, most of which clearly didn’t get the memo that the weather was nice out because they were blasting the heat like it was midwinter. After mostly coming up dry in our shopping escapades we ended up at Scotch & Soda where I almost bumped smack into Tom Felton & his girlfriend.

I have had an obsession with this sweater that was shown in one singular scene in one of the later seasons of a show that used to be on called “Penny Dreadful.” It’s an oversized button shoulder turtleneck sweater & while I still have yet to find something exact, I did manage to find two button shoulder sweaters at Scotch & Soda that worked for me! I was ecstatic to discover them & purchased them immediately & naturally I wore one of them to dinner later! However, if you or a loved one know where I can find my oversized button shoulder turtleneck sweater, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Post shop we took ourselves a little nap, having woken up at 7:30 AM & walked hither & yon. It was about 6 PM by the time we’d made it back to the flat & we he had a 9:30 dinner reservation at Frog by Adam Handling to look forward to! A glass or two of red wine made that slip into a nap very, very easy.

I’d made the executive decision to try to get to Frog about thirty minutes early, not because I thought they’d squeeze us into our reservation earlier, but because I thought they’d squeeze us into Eve, their companion bar…which is exactly what they did!

Eve is a cocktail bar that makes excellent use of its upstairs neighbor, Frog. The premise behind Eve is that they push the boundaries of craft cocktail using ingredients that would otherwise be wasted from the restaurant above, going as far as having a lab present to distill & infuse certain ingredients into their drinks.

When you’re seated in the stained glass anointed underground bar you are greeted with a welcome cocktail to cleanse the palette, this night is was an Apple Daiquiri. Bright, refreshing, & full of spring! I then proceeded to order the Tiki-Ero, a Clementine & Banana Peel infused Rum drink paired with Allspice, Coconut, & Lime. It was revitalizing & forward while still being warm & comfortable. We were then ushered upstairs for dinner service.

You ready for it?

Dinner at Frog started off in the normal tasting menu way, with snack courses! The thing to remember here going forward is that Frog is centered around tradition ingredients found within the UK, in fact the “menu” includes a map marked with the places each of their star ingredients were gathered from. Now, back to the snack.

The first of the snacks was a twist on Eggs & Bacon served in a ceramic eggshell nestled into a bed of straw with dry ice concealed underneath. When presented water was offed to the bed causing it to “fog” the table. In addition to the breakfast staples the custardy dish also contained Maitake Mushrooms otherwise known as Hen-of-the-woods. Adorable.

The second of the snacks was reminiscent of a Cucumber Sandwich. It presented as a one-two bite Tart filled with little Jellied Cucumber Drops, Edible Flowers, Dried Oyster, & Caviar. I’m not usually one to toot the horn of cucumber but this little tart was so full of life its hard no to! Springy, salty, savory, while still maintaining its effervescence!

The following dish, if I’m being honest, was my least favorite of the snacks, that’s not to say it was bad by any means though. It was Black Cod, a staple fish of British cuisine, served as a mandala’d Cracker. The spokes of its black wheels were hollow offering a very pleasant mouth feel & crunch!

The final snack was a Beef Tartare, a dish that I feel can be rather polarizing to most. I personally am great fan of the Tartares of the world. This varietal contained a Crispy Wrapping, a crown of Edible Flowers, & Kimchi harkening back to its roots as originally a North East Asian dish followed by its rise in popularity throughout Europe in the 19th Century. The mince was soft & moist & that added crunch brought me back to my favorite setting of beef tartare, served atop bread!

Onto the main courses!

The first official course is one that I’ve been talking about for weeks now. It truly warmed my heart to the core & reaffirmed the reason I love the shared culture of food so much. Food is often the story of our lives. Fresh Bread was served along side four other plates. The first of these plates contained a Stuffed Chicken Wing. Boneless, a singular bite, juicy & supple on the inside with a crisp skin pinned in place with a barb & a rooster feather. The next to plates were spread; Fresh Butter with Chicken Cracklin’ on top & Chicken Pâté. Both were meant to be spread & enjoyed with the bread. The final plate contained a card. On this card sat a story. It said the following:

“My sister, the fussy eater that she is, would only want roast chicken every family Sunday lunch. But Mondays were my favourite-leftover roast chicken in a white, floury Scottish bun with loads of salted butter. Delish!

This dish is my take on the happy memories of that Monday morning roast chicken sandwich.”
— Adam Handling, Bread, Chicken Butter

This. This folks is why I love the culinary arts, because they are exactly that, an art. They are an expression of ones life story through the food that made them the person that they are today. It is the culmination of heritage, culture, trial & error, failures & successes, life, love, loss, & time. It speaks to us not through merely our eyes or ears but through each of our five senses. It tells a story in a single bite & expresses the unseen or unheard effortlessly.

Sorry for the rant, back to our scheduled programing.

Dish number two! I know right, how do we follow up the tangent I went on with that one? The second dish was an ode to the Tomato served in the form of a Gazpacho. The three stars of this dish were Tomato, obviously, Pepper, & Basil. The gazpacho was presented patiently waiting below a Tomato Crisp served with a Red Pepper Granache draped over. I think this may have been my least favorite of the course, not because it wasn’t an amazing expression in its own right but simply because my personage tends to have an aversion to Bell Pepper.

The third course was simply titled “All About The Sturgeon” & much like the bar hidden beneath Frog, it too sought to use different parts of the fish to great success. The common sturgeon having been a popular choice specifically for its caviar is considered a “Royal Fish” meaning that they, along with Whales, are the property of the British Monarchy when in sovereign waters, much like Swans. This dish was absolutely one of my favorites of the evening.

Sat prim upon a Heart-shaped Waffle was a dollop of Sturgeon Mousse, topped with Sturgeon Caviar, & covered, in its entirety, by Maple Syrup. This dish was so complex in its flavor profile while still being entirely familiar. It blended salty, sweet, savory, all on the most perfect of levels, allowing each to take up battlements on the pallet & wax & wane over the who had control. Each bite a new battle always resulting in the consumer’s favor.

Course four was another favorite. I feel like I keep saying that, but y’all, this meal was truly exceptional! A Scallop from the Orkney Isles up off of the northern point of Scotland swimming in a Foam Emulsion & Herb Reduction featuring prominent flavors of Za’atar & tap root, specifically an assorted shaving of Rainbow Carrots. The dish had a very nice heat to it without being overbearing. It was earthy & smokey without compromising the natural citrus notes of the scallop. Absolutely wonder!

Next came a course with yet another card attached only this time it wasn’t a note or a story. Course five was a spoon full of Duck covered in freshly shaved Black Truffle & served on a plate of beach stones with a picture of a very satisfied looking black lab named Stanley. In the photo Stanley is standing overtop a bowl filled with freshly foraged black truffles. These were Stanley’s truffles & his hard work was being recognized in glorious fashion along with I hope heaps of belly rubs at home. I’m always a sucker for fresh truffles, especially when served with water fowl & a picture of a large dog. The spoonful unfortunately didn’t last too long seeing as it was a one to two biter, but that’s my only true complaint revolving around it.

Next we were back to Cod, only this time served as a filet, not as a cracker. Lemongrass reduction formed a moat the fillet itself. I wish I could recall the what made up the remainder of the dish, from the crispy wafer on top to the puree that elevated the fish out of the reduction. My notes mention something about there being Grape in the dish but I think between the wine & still fawning over Stanley being the goodest boy it’s been lost in translation a tad.

Course seven came with two options; Wagyu Beef with Hen-of-the-woods or Lamb with Sweetbread, & Morels. We went with both each ordering one or the other then swapping not only plates halfway through but also the paired wine. I’m going to go in order of my tasting starting with the Beef.

Served Medium Rare the British Wagyu came with the aforementioned Hen-of-the-woods Mushrooms in addition to some grilled onions & an Au Jus made from Beef Tongue. The steak was incredibly tender & truly melted in your mouth with the inclusion of the Tongue Aus Jus. I also really enjoyed the little stenciled leaves that were served along the side of the plate, separating out the vegetables. It was then my turn with the Lamb.

The Lamb was definitely the more eloquent of the pair at least as far as presentation goes. It included a Morel Reduction along with a few stocks of Asparagus. The slight gaminess of the Lamb lended itself wonderfully to the earthy/springy clash the mushrooms & the asparagus brought. I think between the two I preferred the beef, though Evan preferred the Lamb. I wouldn’t have been mad to receive either though. With savory courses now wrapped we moved on to dessert!

The first of the dessert courses brought Britain’s favorite springtime veggie to the forefront. Rhubarb. Appearing in the form of a Rhubarb & Wasted Wine Sorbet served alongside a Fresh Whipped Creme. The tart bouncy rhubarb was brought well into balance by the presence of the cream & it made for a very pleasant dessert/palette cleanser!

The final course of the evening, pre-dessert snack course, was a Yoghurt Cheesecake topped with little spots of Apricot & a serving of Lemon Thyme Sorbet. Another mellow dessert it was the perfect end cap for the warm spring night. Then came the snacks.

As I’ve mentioned before in other tasting menu blogs, it appears to be customary to end the evening with another snack course, just as the evening is started with one, Frog was no exception. They served what they call their Petit Fours…though there were five. (And yes I know Petit Fours refers to bitesized desserts, not the quantity of the bite sized desserts.)

First up, served as a pair, were a simple Blackberry Jelly Gumdrop & a White Chocolate Frog Truffle filled with Yuzu. The jelly bite, as I stated above, was simple, none offensive, but carried with it a subtle charm. Their dashing little frog companions was citrusy with soft floral undertones.

Next on the list were the Chocolate & Miso Tarts. I am always a huge fan of the combinations of Miso & Chocolate. The umami of the miso really lends itself to the bold sweetness of the ganache-y chocolate. It had a nice give before finishing off with the crust.

Our final in restaurant dessert was the Strawberry & Cream Possett. Unlike the earlier egg custard dish this one was served in an actual eggshell instead of a ceramic one. It was a sweet little twist on the traditional “strawberries & cream” formula that made for a very nice introduction into the summer months coming ahead.

I regret to inform you that the last of the Petit Fours was not had by us. You see it was a take home item & in our more than now inebriated state we completely forgot that we had it on our walk home & left it in the fridge at the flat.

As I was writing all about this meal again & experiencing it vicariously through my words I had the following thought that I stand by adamantly. I would fly from Nashville to London just to dine at Frog again, turn right back around & come home. I would sit through 14+ hours of travel overseas just to spend another three house in this restaurant. That is the extent to which I recommend Frog by Adam Handling to you. If you find yourself in London or in The British Isles or hell, even in France, make the trip to London to eat here. Eat here before its well deserved two Michelin stars become three & this place is booked out for the next eternity. I promise you will not regret it or look back. The story of food that Adam & crew tell at Frog is that of many lifetimes converging to create spectacular art that fills you to your core. It is few & far between that the love gushes so freely from the likes of a tasting menu but I cannot overstate how beautiful an expression of food this place is. Run, do not walk to Frog.

I wanted to end this, our last full day in The UK with the note I wrote & sent to the Frog crew on the plane ride home.

Frog,

I wanted to pass along a thought to you. I know you neither asked for it nor is it by any means a slight or mark against you & your institution. I am also utterly aware that as someone who merely dabbles recreationally in the culinary arts I have no grounds to file suggestions based on your food. Again, not that you need it by any means, yours & your teams’ cuisine & masterful practice of the art form are up there in the highest of the upper echelons. What I can offer you is insight from one story teller to another. While I communicate with the world at large primarily through words, lyrics, music, & writing, yours is the craft of communication through food; you tell stories through experimentation, retellings of tradition, & personal connection. It’s that last bit that really struck me last night while having the pleasure of dining in your establishment. You see I have been fortunate enough to participate in many a tasting menu as life changing food is a true passion of mine. Today I find myself not so much discussing the items on your menu that I enjoyed most from a palette stand point but those which invoked a feeling of connection to you & your staff. In my many years of gallivanting the food scene I have never been presented with a story to accompany a dish, or I guess in this case a course. I’m sure at this point you realize I am talking about your “leftover” chicken dish. The subtle art of story telling is one that thrills me to the core & it was an honor to experience a slice of your life through the expression of love, admiration, & nostalgia you put into that. I applaud you on your candor & your vulnerability when openly sharing a shining glimpse into the food, events, & emotions that led you to cook the food that you do. In addition to this radiant moment, I also truly enjoyed the touch of perspective you injected into your truffle course with Stanley. You have created food that is deeply personal, not just to yourself but also to those involved in its construction & that is the true measure of great art. I am grateful for the experience & hope to have the fortune of dining with you all again very soon. These moments of passion & love are the subtle strengths that elevate you to the stars my friends, of course not discounting your impeccable preparatory skills, but I would be remiss if I did not express my hope that you continue to find places to insert them into the story that is an evening at Frog.

It is with the warmest of regards & deepest appreciation that I write you,

Your newest regular,

Charlie Rogers


Day Twelve

Even though all other COVID regulations for travel had been lifted at this point & even though both Evan & I are fully vaxxed & boosted US Citizens, we still had to get a COVID test to reenter the US no more than 24 hours before our flight.

Evan had scheduled us a 9 AM appointment to have a rapid antigen test done, we hadn’t gone to bed til at least 2 AM that same morning. In addition to lack of sleep we were hungover as all get out so crawling through Covent Garden to Soho at 8:45 was a struggle & a half.

Our tests were quick, only taking about 10 minutes total in the testing location, but once again we were in a facility with rude, entitled Americans.

I truly give Americans a bad rep in this blog series don’t I, or at least I have a knack for calling them out on their BS. I don’t mean to appear “greater than” it’s just, y’all, we have to be better.

Anyway, back to this rude American couple. They were both well in their late-60s & truthfully were not only rude to the French attendants at the clinic but also to us upon entering. They hadn’t made a reservation, an ongoing theme it seems, & were demanding to be tested asap. Luckily for them there had been a no show so they had tests available. The clinicians handled it much better than I would have too, I’d have told them to kick rocks & maybe plan ahead next time, have fun rescheduling your flight!

Now tested & still wildly hungover the daily hunt for coffee began. We decided to try a coffee shop just down the street from the flat called The Espresso Room. Ordering yet another Iced Drip I also was instructed to get an Almond Croissant, a pastry I had passed up a week prior at Monmouth. WHY DID I PASS UP THE ALMOND CROISSANT?! No one told me they were filled!!! This almond croissant was massive, like almost a foot long, & it was incredible. It has also instilled a new dopamine obsession for me, that of course being the almond croissant. Don’t sleep on her, she’s busin’.

We decided that a walk would probably help the hangover & the streets of Covent Gardens were completely deserted, so we went walkabout. On our voyage around the borough we stumbled upon a little courtyard that had a catholic church tucked in the back, St Paul’s Church. The exciting thing, to us, about St. Paul’s is that they had cats. Two absolutely stunning black cats that have been residents of the church all their lives & spend their days wandering Inigo Jones Garden. Even though we were only a day away from being home with our animals we had to stop & spend a little time with the kitties.

It had now become time to pack & prepare for our departure. Heading back to the flat we gathered our belongings, forgetting the breakfast offering from Frog, hugged V&R goodbye, & hopped the Piccadilly Line back to Heathrow.

From here the journey is pretty standard; security, snacks from duty-free for the flight attendants, one last smoked salmon sandwich for the road, a matcha latte, & finally boarding. We were sat in the same exact seats as our trip into the UK only this time the plan was stay awake at all costs. Remember folks, the rule is sleep overnight going East, stay the hell awake going West. I wrote the above note, did a bit of object writing, we caught up on Moon Knight & then proceeded to bing Heartstopper.

We arrived at JFK around 9PM EST ready to PTFO, unfortunately we still had to go through immigrations, customs, grab bags, hop into an Uber, & drive across Queens to our hotel just outside of LaGuardia, all of which turned out to be fairly painless.

We arrived at Aloft around 10:30 & were passed out, having had dinner from a vending machine, around 11.


Day Thirteen

We really only got around 5-6 hours of sleep, our flight out of New York was early, departing around 7 AM. We had to be in line for the shuttle by 4:30 AM & it was packed!

LaGuardia security was more of a pain than Heathrow & customs combined, so I’m glad we got there early.

There’s truly not that much more interesting to tell from here on out. We landed in Nashville at 8:30 CST, had to pay far too much for an Uber home, then stayed up all day to try & beat the jetlag…it didn’t work…



Afterward

If you’ve made it this far I’m grateful for you taking the time out of your day or night or whenever you’re reading this to do so!

Traveling, exchanging stories, customs, cuisine, art, music, & culture are the things that fill me with life. It is truly my honor to go one these adventures & share these experiences with you. I hope you gain something out of reading them & find them informative & or inspiring in one way or another.

I’d like to thank Victoria & Rhys for being so accommodating to us, The Donowhos for your years & years of love & support & willingness to help me & mine, the people of Dumfries for opening up your town & hearts so hospitably to me, & anyone I may have missed along the way. Shoutout to Ross for putting your sound & videography skills to use on my behalf, I can’t wait to show off the footage! Thank you to Evan for being the patient, easygoing travel companion you are! You all made this trip a joy & made my 30th one for the books.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to give this a read!

Much love to you all,

-C

End Of Part Three



End Of Blog Series For The United Kingdom