MIGRAINE!

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Michelin Star Count: Today 0; Trip 8



So after last nights post I headed back up to the room and could feel a headache coming on so I popped a couple Tylenol with he hopes of heading it off. Unfortunately this was not your everyday headache so around 4:00 I would up with a battle going on about where the boundaries of my skull was to be and the insides were not giving up. Now I get about 2 migraines a year. Usually one I can clearly chalk up to being horribly dehydrated. The other, no clue. This was one of those. Couple more Tylenol and try to get some sleep. That worked for an hour. Double dip for an Advil. By 7 the war had climaxed but there were still some fires to put out.



When I get a migraine, I can’t eat. Horribly disappointing because I was looking forward to breakfast for weeks. Duck and Waffle. A waffle joint on the 40th floor of one of the office buildings here in London. I was so looking forward to the Duck and waffles but alas...not such luck today. The yoghurt was awesome though! The rest of the crew dove into the waffles though and they were by all accounts as good as expected - a Spring Fever Elvis with rhubarb, blood orange and lemon jam, a Caramelised banana and A Toffee Apple were all had. If you come...don’t miss it. Just skip the migraine!



After breakfast we went to the Royal Mews, the stables in London. This is where they keep all of the London based horses and cars for the royal family and the various carriages we have all seen on TV. It was quite interesting to see the history and all of the different cars and carriages they family has and the significance. The golden carriage, the last one on the walking tour, we won’t see in public until Charles takers over the throne. This thing is so big, they actually have to dismantle part of the building to get it out!



By the end of the Mews tour, Mr. Migraine has taken a back seat and I am getting a little peckish! We head to our lunch spot. Honey & Co. Mediterranean food. AWESOME. if you come, EAT HERE! Just make a reservation well in advance. The whole resto sits about 30 people and 10 of those are first come first serve and usually are full long before lunch begins so without a reservation - you are out of luck. Meatballs with fennel and beans, to die for shawarma and a baked eggplant I would actually eat (as many of you know, there is little on my won’t eat list - mussels (tried 5 in my life *mussels...not bowls of mussels*, food poisoning 3 times), split pea soup (had a really bad one once and just can’t bring myself to try it again...and eggplant! Can’t get over the texture). And have the cold cheesecake and the coffee and cardamom.



After lunch we were off on a few landmark runs. 221B. Platform 9 3/4. London eye. Thanks god the London Underground is awesome or we could never have done this. But you can pretty much get from A to B making no more than 1 line switch. And we spend 20 years debating under vs. over ground!



After the eye (great views of the city - worth the price of admission - but buy your tickets in advance!), a quick stop back at the hotel for a hour of chill and then back out to a resto I have been wanting to go to as long as I can remember. FIFTEEN. A little background. A certain chef we will call Jamie Oliver started Fifteen in 2002 as a training ground for troubled kids. He takes in troubled kids and puts them to work in the kitchen, training them to be chefs. These kids are not doing the cleaning and dishwashing - this is a full on apprentice to be chef program. I don’t know how many kids he has graduated but just an awesome story. Enough about the feel good part, was the food worth all the anticipation? Yep! I think this was my top meal of the trip to date. But wait a minute, he didn’t update the Michelen star count? Did he forget? Nope! This one doesn’t have a star. Don’t know why but there are various criteria they use to adding stars an I suspect the fact that the menu varies frequently penalises Fifteen. But I don’t know for sure. So the food...5 course tasting menu. Burrata, fresh peas, pickled mint started the meal. A super fresh and light way to start. Next up was the Dorset crab and celeriac remoulade with rhubarb. Really nice “crab cake”. These first two course really highlight Jamie’s style: Super fresh, super simple, super tasty. He is still my go to chef when I need a recipe. N.B. The big guy doe not like crab so he subbed in the pork cheek...OMG...as awesome as the crab was, this was 10X better! Veggie course. New potatoes, cauliflower, chestnut mushrooms. Again, super simple, super tasty. Short rib, wild fennel and oat risotto rounded out the main. That in and of itself would make it an awesome dish. but wait, what are these little white chunks? OH! That would be the SMOKED BONE MARROW! Nuff said? Dessert was a poached peach, peach sorbet and lemon thyme. Just an awesome end. Now that I have reached the end of this paragraph, I can say for certain, best meal of the trip so far.



But as I said during our S.A. trip, sometimes number one is short lived. Gordon does lunch tomorrow! 3 more stars!

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