the salt & pepper diaries

I know it looks like I’ve been hit by a bunch of PR’s recently, what with this promo for St. Germain and the last shout for the newly opened Grand Union, but it’s not true. I just picked up this email from the St.G team this morning offering 50% off on a Monday night and thought definitely worth the post. Not sure how long this deal lasts, but I imagine for next month or so.

If you do get the chance to head down on a Monday night then well worth using the offer - great Steak and a killer Espresso Martini.

Apologies to all reading this - not for the content, but for simply lifting straight from a press release announcing the re-opening of the much loved Grand Union Camden sent to me last week.

I haven’t yet been down to see the new bar, but when I do, I’ll post my thoughts. So in the mean time, have a read of their opening press release.

After significant refurbishment, the site opposite Camden Road Station has a new layout. Now offering more space, with an eclectic mix of decorations it is once again the place to be in Camden. Doors more or less pried apart by the adoring band of regulars were opened on Thursday the 6th March for a typically Grand weekend.

The structural changes have opened the building considerably, with the idea to accommodate more late night revelers and diners alike. Aesthetically, the mood is similar; a shabby eccentricity is achieved through a selection of bits and pieces from reclamation yards, auction rooms and vintage junk shops.

A more homely front section includes an interesting mix of old English furniture, with Oriental knick-knacks like Chinese lanterns and Japanese fan umbrellas, giving a chameleon like appeal, reflective of the Camden area. The back section, slightly more formal and diner friendly boasts a new feature wall, where rough brickwork has been exposed behind booth seating.

The renowned burgers are a breath of fresh air in a time that has seen the majority of operators turn to pre-cooked frozen food. Made in-house using 100% Beef on specifically baked sesame seed buns, the towering portions beg the question why is one often paying more for frozen pub grub?

Beef is not the only option however; The Grand Union serves up a broad new Classic Burger menu. More interesting choices include the Greek Lamb with cucumber raita and for vegetarians, the Chargrilled Aubergine and Goat’s Cheese Burger is just one of the options.

For the chips rated in Time Out’s top ten ‘Best in London’, the process is simple yet effective. High-quality Maris Pipers are cut to 12mm, rinsed thoroughly and boiled to 90% in salted water, then finished in the fryer. This method creates a rich tasting classic style chip that is surprisingly healthy.

Fresh cocktails remain a must; the extended list includes contemporary new flavors from top mixologists in their very own Latino Lover, while holding on to traditional classics like the Sidecar and Old Fashioned.

The Grand Union Camden

102-104 Camden Road

NW1 9EA

Tel: 020 7485 4530

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Brand new and amongst Frank Bruni’s Top 10 NY independent restaurants, Resto is basically a premium Belgo’s. Perhaps this is a little unfair and doesn’t generate a great image for those that know Britain’s best Belgium fun-pub, but it’s the first thing that sprang to mind when I saw the menu and it’s many moules options.

I doubt though this is what Christian Pappanicholas was thinking when he first decided to set up this mid-town eatery. An ex-banker, he decided to trade in the life of a Wall Street general for one of a Trappist restaurateur. He hired chef Ryan Skeen, of Café Boulud and San Francisco’s Elisabeth Daniel and briefed him to show what Belgium really has to offer beyond the mussels and fries.

The room is dominated by a long bar to your right as you walk in. Seating at the rear and along the side are spaced well and comfortable, but the table to ask for is the front kitchen bench that seats six. Originally designed and crafted by Christian’s brother, it’s made the trip from his apartment to the restaurant – a nice touch and tangible evidence of his personal input and effort into the venture.

The Belgo’s flashbacks continued when deciding what to eat due to the different varieties of Moules on offer, so I had to blank these out. However, the rest of the menu is very, very good. Not being able to decide, we ordered every appetiser followed by a selection of entrees to share amongst the four of us. A Belgium Tapas of meat-based dishes soon arrived, quickly followed by many compliments from us. The stand out items include devilled eggs served on crispy pork toast (nice fried bread basically, pig cheek that simply melts in the mouth, a large bowl of crispy pigs ear salad and spiced ‘Four Story Hill Farm’ lamb ribs sheep’s milk yogurt with pickled tomato.

A huge Côte de Bœuf for the main option fed all four and was truly incredible. However, we were perhaps a little greedy going for the Beef Cheek Carbonnade as well!

This kitchen understands meat and this should really be high on the list of any carnivorous connoisseur. I’d actually suggest going here over The Spotted Pig, but I know many will have opposing opinions on this one!

Resto
111 East 29th Street, New York, NY 11016.
(Between Park & Lex).

Tel: 212.685.5585

Billed as New York’s new hot haunt, this Greenwich Village ‘pub’ requires all guests to bust through a line of paparazzi before entering. If you succeed the scrum at the door, you’re rewarded with a neat, dimly lit bar with stool seating and a handful of tables to eat at.

photo | schatz (my Waverly dining partner)

If you don’t venture to the loos, sorry restrooms, you’ll fail to see that this tiny drinking area is simply the warm-up to very large restaurant space, made up of a three large rooms, and a few nooks and crannies that all work their way toward a huge atrium with a single table that seats about 30. Bare brick walls covered in Ivy in a few places all help create a really fantastic dining space.

Opening in 2007 by Graydon Carter to much hype, The Waverly definitely pulls in a certain class of New Yorker – there’s a mix of Wall Street dollars alongside the fashionistas, all topped with a sprinkling of celebrity to keep the paps in business on the sidewalk. I liked the review comment in the NY Times - when Adam Platt asked “Who the hell are all these people?” he received the answer, “They’re all people wondering who the hell you are,”. This sums up the experience well.

photo | matthew rautheim

The food though deserves some scrutinising. The Oysters we kicked off were little more than average and the crab cakes looked somewhat on the dry side. The Dove Sole as an entrée improved things a little, but the sauce was overly sharp and it would have been better simply served with little more than butter. I didn’t try the duck that also came, but the friend I was with gave it a non-descript so-so review.

It’s pricey, so the quality was disappointing, but the pound is still strong and eating out in London at anywhere that boasts a similar profile would definitely break the bank. And who cares about food when you could bump into Paris and pals! So if you get the chance, don a pair of dark shades, practice your air kisses and get the champagne in. Mwah, Mwah darling!

The Waverly Inn & Garden
16 Bank St., at Waverly Pl.; no phone (unless you’re in the know!)