Weekend in London

Hopefully I will be able to get through this post without the electricity going out! It's just been one of those days....
Anyway, had a great weekend in London. On Saturday David, our friend Rosie and myself walked to Portobello Road. It was just great having a chance to walk around and have a look at the antiques. Unfortunately, most of them are exorbitantly priced but it's a chance to get a vague idea of how much certain items may cost if you have the right audience who are willing to pay high prices. We had a few run ins with cars purposely driving too fast down streets full of people. Some drivers just don't seem to understand that there are probably alternative routes to take so they don't need to terrorise innocent people! I think there is a lot of anger in the Notting Hill area simply because Saturdays and Sundays are packed with people visiting Portobello road and the driver is too impatient. I guess that if the neighbourhood is that much of a problem then they probably shouldn't be living there. I think Hampstead is much quieter and one won't have the opportunity of getting a police record for running down several pedestrians at once! So that is my ranting about the weekend...
We ate lunch at Sausages and Mash on the bottom of Portobello Road. I ate there with my Mom about two years ago and I remember the food being quite nice, unfortunately it wasn't quite the same this time. My order was anything but what I ordered but I guess that because it was so busy I shouldn't be surprised by the mistakes. I was supposed to have the Somerset sausages(apple and cider) and rosemary and cheddar potatoes. I think I had traditional Cumberland sausages and a rather sad excuse for rosemary and cheddar mash. I saw a few bits of rosemary but certainly couldn't taste it and also couldn't sense a lick of cheddar. Rosie felt the same about her mash. Up to Saturday I would have recommended this restaurant but no I feel it has just taken a turn for the worse. It is definitely good value for money but the food needs a bit more gusto. Calling the equivalent of Bisto as your house gravy is hardly creative! After lunch we made our way up the road to Blenheim Crescent where Books for Cooks and the Spice Shop can be found. I picked up a vegetarian and a thai cookbook at Books for Cooks and David bought a book about the best Fish and Chip shops in the country. David is from the Northeast of England so he is a bit of a fish and chip conoisseur. We then stopped off at the Windsor Castle Pub which Dave thought was the Devonshire Arms. Clearly it wasn't as we showed him the menu but he still disbelieved it! David and I each had three pints of the Timothy Taylor Ale that was being offered that day. It was a nice change from the Carlsberg I am so used to drinking. The food looked really good at the Windsor Castle but we were determined to feed at Geales on Farmer St. in the Notting Hill Gate area. When we arrived at the restaurant we were asked if we had reservations. Unfortunately, we didn't so the hostess showed us upstairs to a dining area clearly for those who were stupid enough not to call ahead. We were eventually forgotton on several occassions and Rosie took the initiative to make loud noises with menus, dropping cutlery and the like to get the attention of any waitress or hostess who may be close enough to be reminded of our existence! The upstairs room had no atmosphere and certainly no other customers while we were there. The service was appalling but I suppose this is because everyone forgot about us non posh folk upstairs. We dined for nearly two hours mainly because of the slow service. The tartar sauce that was served with the battered fish was mild. I actually preferred it mild over the usual tart, but that's my taste. The fish was very light and tasty and the batter wasn't sickly or greasy as some chippys turn out. The chips were a bit bland and boring. They didn't possess the good hearty homemade thickness and texture I expected. Oh well, overall it was a pleasant meal, however next time I will be sure to make reservations!
Today is Valentine's Day and I plan to make rump steaks with peppercorn crust from Marks and Spencer. Also, I will be stuffing some mushrooms with sauteed cerely, onion, garlic, and spices topped with gruyere cheese and breadcrumbs. There will be two grilled plum tomatoes, and baby carrots with tops. For dessert is a chocolate chip pudding with chocolate sauce and served with clotted cream. I will also be serving Ernest and Julio California Red. David and I had this a few weeks ago when we went to see a concert at the Barbican Centre celebrating Mozart's 250th birthday. I think we paid more for one glass of the red than what I would pay for a bottle of it at Morrisons. Oh well, what do you expect when you go out. It was a great evening listening to the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Mass in C minor was definitely the high point. The choir was brilliant and really shone throughout the mass. I am really looking forward to seeing them in the summer when they perform Mozart's Requiem Mass. I suppose I should start looking at getting tickets to that soon! There was also only one good soloist out of four which I found a bit disappointing, but that is the chance you take. Jupiter was a boring performance and I was looking forward to it ending to be quite honest. I think we found a real gem at the Barbican. You can pay £8.00 for a ticket in the balcony and see some of the best performances of classical music in the world. What a find! Well, that is all for now, I must get cooking!! Have a great day!