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Stephanie

Food

Jackson + Rye

November 2, 2015

Jackson + Rye is great American style diner in the heart of Soho. Now, having been someone who actually lived in America, this is not what an American diner is like in any way shape or form. But I do appreciate their effort and to be honest, Jackson + Rye is nicer than most diners in America. I’ve been there a few times before for a weekday lunch (actually with Harry Style’s sister. She looks exactly like him… or really, he looks exactly like her.)

Anyway, this time I went for a Saturday brunch and was pleasantly surprised with how friendly and efficient the staff was. We had a film to be at and let them know at the beginning and they kept that in mind the entire time and the food came out promptly. Unfortunately, there was major construction going on next door, so it was almost impossible to hold a conversation, but that wasn’t the fault of Jackson + Rye.

I had the Avocados Eggs benedict and had no idea what to expect. What came was really good and perfect for anyone on a low carb, high fat diet. Poached eggs sat on top of the avocado along with (the requested) crispy bacon. It also came with potatoes and bread, but it was so filling I hardly touched them. Side note, the coffee was great as well.

They get fairly busy, so I recommend a reservation or try for one of the few walk-in seats available, which was what we did at around 10am.

56 Wardour Street, London W1

0207437 8338

Food

Goat

November 2, 2015

Stephanie

Goat has a special place in my heart because it’s where I met my husband. Back then, however it was a dive-y pub called The Goat and Boots. Goat, as it stands now was refurbished a few years ago and has become a neighborhood favorite.

It was a lazy Saturday when we went ad Chelsea was playing. Goat was one of the few places not full of rowdy blue jerseys so we went to have a bite. I’ve eaten there several times before and my favorite thing on the menu for a light bite is the black quinoa salad. The portion size is actually quite decent for the starter, which means I usually pair it with something less healthy, like the truffle mac and cheese.

The mac and cheese, however, is a fairly small portion. We were a fairly large group drinking and eating so we shared everything and this didn’t go very far. So we added the antipasti platter and calamari.

Antipasti was really good, particularly the fried artichokes. The calamari was very small and came with legs, which I hate, although the fried courgette was a nice touch.

One of the great things about Goat is the secret speakeasy. I’ve been there for drinks on several occasions and because the space is fairly small, it’s perfect for intimate private parties. However, ladies beware. They place candles in very dangerous places and my friend’s hair started on fire as she stood near a shelf that had a poorly placed candle at head height. When we spoke to the manager about it, he didn’t seem to think having a candle there was a big deal because it had only happened twice before. Listen, if a girl sets her hair on fire once because you have a candle burning in a bad spot, that’s one time too many. Sort it out.

Great for: quick bite and then head upstairs. It’s one of the only pubs in the area still open until 1.

Watch out for: Candles and drunk Chelsea supporters on the street.

Goat

333 Fulham Road, SW10 9QL

www.goatchelsea.com

020 7352 1384

Food

Lucio

October 27, 2015

Stephanie

Lucio is a Chelsea favourite among locals and celebrities. We’ve been there a few times, but this time I took pictures! The specials are always delicious and the staff extremely friendly.

One of the highlights for me are the photos that decorate the walls. Lucio is friends with Terry O’Neill and has his iconic photos all over the restaurant. Makes me feel glamorous and think of myself in that era, indulging on pasta in a bid to gain weight for bigger boobs. Ahh, those were the days.

This time around I had the pumpkin soup with ham. It was really delicious, with a hint of bacon flavor. Refreshingly for my waistline, it also didn’t have any cream.

For my main, I had the fillet steak, which was cooked to perfection. The red onions had some tang to them, which went great with the potatoes.

Now that we got the food bit over with, time to get to the real reason I wanted to go there and write a blog. They probably have the best chocolate fondant in London. I know that’s a huge statement to make, but I’ve had a lot. Like, if it’s on the menu at any restaurant, I’ll order it. And as a testament to how amazing it is at Lucio’s, my husband and I have gone here just for dessert. Like I mentioned before, the staff ate awesome. The owner and his son chat to us all the time and they made a special exception one night when I NEEDED to have some chocolate.

It’s not a cheap evening out though, so if you are looking for just straight up cheap and cheerful Italian, Riccardo’s is across the street and slightly less.

What to wear: The dress varies from cocktail to jeans. Lucio has an impressive collection of American rodeo belt buckles. Make sure you ask him about them!

Who you’ll see: Apparently celebrities frequent Lucios often. I’ve never seen one or didn’t recognize them. Fun fact: Lucio’s has a second exit, which has been used before when a man took his mistress there for dinner and his wife walked in.

Lucios

257-259 Fulham Road, London, SW7 6HY

0207 823 3007

www.luciorestaurant.com

Food

Dirty Bones

October 19, 2015

Stephanie

Dirty Bones is f&*king glorious. Let me add a small caveat to that statement: I was (conservative estimate) 8 drinks in by the time I got there.

I hope when I die my heaven is dirty bones except that I don’t get morbidly obese from eating it every day for every meal. But if I’m honest I hope heaven is also me giving like, -7 f&*ks about what I look like.

We were there for a private party in the back and my (genius) friend decided to have it 90s themed. My husband beat me to the ordering but started strong with chicken wings and the Dirty Dog. I don’t like to eat meat off bones because it makes me feel like a cave man, but considering how fast they went, I’m sure the wings were delicious. The hot dog… well, it’s going into my top 5. There were crispy shallots and two different kinds of pork. TWO. Crispy bacon, which is the only way to have it, and pulled pork.

We were still hungry so I went big and ordered the Yankee Dog, the Mac Daddy and the Dirty Fries, because you know what? I don’t go half way down a rabbit hole.

The Mac Daddy has mac and cheese on it (enough said) and I almost bit my husband’s finger off for the last bite of the Yankee Dog. Like I said before, this place is f&*king glorious. I gained at least 12 lbs eating here but cool with it because IT WAS DECLICIOUS.

I also had more drinks. This is an actual conversation with the bartender:

Me: 70% of me wants to order an interesting cocktail from you but the other 30% of me is a skinny bitch and wants a vodka soda.

Bartender: I like the 30% of you.

Bringing me food in the state I was in was like feeding a pack of hungry dogs. The staff were really nice and super accommodating. As soon as I lose the weight I put on, I’m going back to start this vicious cycle again.

Dirty Bones (Kensington)

20 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 4EP

www.dirty-bones.com

Food

The Orange

October 16, 2015

Stephanie

It was a Thursday night so my friend Michelle and I decided to go scuba diving in white wine. We started at The Orange, a gastro pub and hotel on Pimlico road. I’d been there before this summer but didn’t eat. I did, however, almost get my phone stolen by dodgy guys who came into the pub and tried to sell us birthday cards. After failing to blag our way into the dining room, we sat in the pub area at a small round table with great food lighting and ordered our dinner. Upon initial perusal of their new menu, my initial reaction was that this food was a bit stuffy for a pub. The special was a burger, which in my opinion should be a staple.

I ordered the calamari to start and was super relieved to see that it came with just the rings. I don’t like to associate calamari with what it actually is. To me, it’s essentially round French fries with protein. It was very very crispy, actually I’d say it was crunchy and the rings weren’t rubbery. Overall, pretty good.

My friend had the pumpkin soup, which she said was delicious and looked fantastic.

For our main, we moved to another table because we had some friends joining. By this time we were almost a bottle deep in the wine (which they didn’t open at the table… ew). I ordered the burger with sweet potato fries because they both had bacon on them. The burger was mediocre. It was cooked well, but a bit dry and the brioche bun fell apart easily. The bacon was just barely cooked and too chewy for my taste. On the upside, there was a nice spicy tomato relish on the burger.

The sweet potato fries were excellent, but it took the waiter a really long time to bring the bacon aioli they came with. Unfortunately, this meant the sweet potato fries started to get soggy by the time it arrived.

Our friends joined and ate most of my fries and wanted to order another. It was 9:59 and apparently one kitchen had closed. She could, however, get an entire pizza. That just didn’t make sense to me. She ordered the pizza anyway and they seemed to enjoy it.

Verdict: Overall the orange was a good way to begin our night but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat there again.

What to wear: I was dressed as a chic and expensive 1960s prostitute. Everyone else was in jeans.

What you’ll see: Good looking men with cute dogs who are ‘waiting for their girlfriends’.

The Orange

37-39 Pimlico Rd, London SW1W 8NE

www.theorange.co.uk

Food

The Palomar Restaurant

October 14, 2015

Stephanie

If I was facing the death penalty, I would choose the Challah bread at The Palomar for my last meal. Although, I’d probably be on death row for bludgeoning someone to death for jumping the queue at their Soho location.

The first time I went it was a random invite from a friend and her boyfriend. The clever bunny books restaurants several months in advance for 4 people and then the week of, finds another couple to go with and my fiancé and I won the lottery this time!

The four of us were squashed into a corner table normally reserved for two people and handed menus. I was super intimidated at first because I didn’t know most things on the menu. Thankfully our friends had been there before, and to other restaurants by the same chef group in Jerusalem and assured me the food was incredible. She wasn’t wrong.

My contribution for ordering for the table was the Chicken two ways because it was breaded and fried, and as I said before, that’s pretty much how I judge all food.

It was delicious! The Challah Bread is to literally die for. You can’t go wrong with just about anything you order and take a chance on the chef specials. We did and there were absolutely no regrets!

Reservations are understandably difficult. However, if you go very early, you stand a good chance of getting a seat at the bar. I did that with my vegetarian friend while she was pregnant and the seats were confortable enough for her and she loved the food. It’s also fun to watch the kitchen work in front of you. They have a pretty good sense of humor.

The Palomar

34 Rupert Street

London W1D 6DN

www.thepalomar.co.uk

Stephanie Wahlstrom

Hey! Cute top! Flattery gets you everywhere, right? Seriously, though, I like what you've got going on over there. Anyway, my name is Stephanie and I am a Canadian writer living in London. I like to eat, travel and make people laugh. The Accidental Socialite is the name of my debut novel and this blog where you'll find tales of my mishaps and far too many references to bacon. Enjoy!