/

BACON MY HEART @ ST JOHN Bread & Wine, LONDON – Solo Dining

Halloween was yesterday. However for the past few days I have been coming to terms with something more frightening than: killer clowns, ghouls, witches. Do you want to know what it is? I opened my fridge on Sunday and uttered the scariest line ever:

where’s the bacon?

There is no bacon in my fridge. I love bacon. In fact when I was in my right on teen years and vegetarian for a couple of them – on one fateful Sunday the smell of bacon was all too much that I caved. Yes I wanted to save animals but does bacon count. Having lived in France and visited the USA a number of times I can tell you that no one does bacon like the English. It’s not just the bacon there are several other factors:  the bread, sauce and to butter the bread or not. I’ve eaten some terrible bacon sandwiches in my time. However, sometimes you chance upon the perfect bacon sarnie and it’s so good there are no words. The best bacon sandwich in London can be found at St John Bread and Wine.

Location, Location

IMG_1946

It’s located across the way from Spitafield market – so you can have a wander round the shops in there and then cross over the road for a sandwich.

Good Vibes

IMG_1947

You don’t come here to look at the fancy interior. It is all about the food. St John created by the great Ferguus Henderson is all meat. He introduced the nose to tail eating – nothing is wasted here. This is carnivore heaven, apologies vegetarians. The interior is old school actually it felt like an old school room. The menu is given to you on a sheet of paper or you can look at the blackboard. It is also very relaxed. Your order is taken and then in the great British tradition you are left alone to read, look around or just be.

Drinks & Eats

IMG_1950

I ordered a cappucino and bacon sandwich. I know this is nose to tail eating and there were certain items on the menu I couldn’t bring myself to eat. Kidneys in the morning no thanks. I came for the bacon sandwich and this is what everyone should strive for. Fresh grilled homemade bread, just enough butter so that is when your teeth sink it the bread your fingertips glisten but, most importantly, there is no ooze. The bacon rashers just enough fat and a slight chew. Can it get any better. Yes – the ketchup is homemade. There are times when I am grateful to dine solo and this was it. A meditative moment, musing on the greatness of the bacon sandwich.

As for the cup of coffee; rich, dark, smooth and strong just how I like a lot of things including my coffee.

If you want to experience good meat and the perfect bacon sandwich get yourself down to St John Bread & Wine.

IMG_1948

Baby in the corner? Not at all – not only did I arrive 30 mins before end of service I was allowed to sit anywhere I chose! Now that’s service.

Pricey? My sublime coffee and bacon sarnie cost less than £10.

Where? 94-96 Commercial Street , London , E1 6LZ

How? A leisurely 10 minute stroll through Spitafields market

Open when? Breakfast 8am – 12pm / Lunch midday – 4pm / Supper 6 – 11pm

Website: https://www.stjohngroup.uk.com

Square Meal

/

Full Of The Joys of @Spring, Restaurant – solo dining

 

 

Sartre was right – hell is other people!

Alas my full time passion of writing and and film criticism doesn’t currently pay the bills.  I’m back temping in a “proper job”  to pays all the bills plus a little fun and frolics. I hope whoever devised open plan working is living out their days miserable as sin. Open plan working is like experiencing hell ever day. There is nowhere to hide! Those flirty texts need to kept to a minimum and other people’s conversations funny for the first time but when you’ve overheard the same story  ten times and seen pictures of their puppies, babies push one to the proverbial edge. I now just put my headphones and whack up the music although I have no desire to become deaf. So now I just put them on, bop along to non existent music and people leave me alone. Result! All that means is I cannot wait until I work for myself and remove myself from the crazies although somedays I do wonder who’s crazier. Lunch is supposed to be peaceful but not at your desk and sometimes you need to Spring into action. At these times I take myself off to a ritzy place. Afterwards, I return to the office hot and flustered as if I’ve done something naughty.  We all need a little decadent, naughty fun in our lives, even just in a lunch hour, more so when you’re daily existence is open plan! View Post

/

Film Bites

 

Let me explain

irrational_man_10

The above picture is a still from Irrational Man by Woody Allen that I attended the press conference last year. Yes, that’s right press conference. I moved home, unsuccessfully tried to eat solo and darn it I just have too many friends. However, one solo pleasure although truly when reviewing films it is less pleasure and more how long do I have to write up my review. It all started as an accident back in 2011 when I was on a work trip and must be the only person to be involved in a road traffic accident in Singapore whilst sitting in the back of a taxi.  Seven weeks of sick leave back in Paris and the only people who talked to me were the baker and the cinema attendant. I watched a lot of films with my MK2 unlimited cinema pass.

Fast forward 5 years and I’m almost (cough cough) a professional actually I am. The 9-5 job I still have is just to pay the rent. Most of my reviews are on Battle Royale With Cheese but I’m going to start putting some on here. The ones I really like, without censor and also things to watch out for. If you’ve ever wondered what I sound like then click here as I was featured on Radio 4’s film programme discussing womens role in the western genre from its inception to present day.

What you can look forward to!

So all the above to say I’m back writing and eating. I have found some sort of balance so I’ll be posting recommendations and reviews of films, dvds, interviews and festivals to check out. This year I’m off to Venice last year it was Edinburgh it’s a wonder I have any time to write! The one thing you won’t find on here are reviews of horrors – I’m a proper self confessed scaredy cat nor any fawning. If I dislike a film I say so plus I’m not a lover of blockbusters although Midnight Special is the exception of 2016 – incredible Sci-fi film that you simply must see.

A friend, Monsieur B, asked me for monthly recommendations about a year ago so the film bites section is dedicated to him bien sur!

 

/

It’s always Gin o’clock! Solo cocktail @ Scarfes Bar, London

Hello my name is Liquid Marmalade and for the past 9 months I’ve been cheating on myself with films.

Yes, that’s right I moved back from Paris to pursue writing and all that jazz and just couldn’t find any balance. Film reviewing is hard work. Gone are the days where; I would sit back, gleefully eat the food I hid in my bag rather than spend £5 on popcorn and watch the film with my only utterance after the credits had ended would be: rubbish or not bad actually. No, now you can find me hunched over with pen and notebook precariously balanced on the armrest furiously taking notes, observing everything. That left little time for me to write up blog posts for Liquid Marmalade although I haven’t stopped eating or drinking solo. View Post

/

It’s always cocktail hour somewhere! Solo cocktail @ The BFI, London

The thing I miss most about Paris are bridges. Oh I knew I was a Parisian in the city whizzing over bridges on the back of a motorbike (clichéd but true). Now I am back in London and rediscovering my brilliant, busy and anonymous hometown. The Southbank is glorious in the early Spring sunshine. Walking along it seeing the people performing shows. I still don’t understand people standing watching someone pretending to be an immobile statue that only moves for money although I will admit floating Yoda is cool. Anyway the BFI home of the British Film Institute and showing incredible films and it has a bar – a proper bar.  Film and cocktails  are some of my favourite things.

View Post