The Riverfront at the BFI

Trying to find somewhere to eat dinner on the Southbank a few days before Christmas is a nightmare, especially when short of time. The whole area bursts with families rewarding themselves for a successful day's shopping or about to see a show at any one of the venues nearby.
My T was taking me on mystery date a few nights before Christmas and we met up near Waterloo at about 6pm. Eventually after a futile attempt to queue at old faithful Giraffe, we gave up and ended up a few doors down at the Riverfront at the BFI. Behold! There was no queue (well, two people waiting in front of us equates to no queue when compared to the hordes at Giraffe). The difference was also in the welcome we received, we were unequivocally dimissed from Giraffe, even when asking if it was possible to eat at the bar, where we could clearly see seats were available. At the Riverfront on the other hand, we had a big smile from the chap on the door (concierge?) and were reassured that we would be seated within five minutes or so as some people were finishing up. True to his word, we were seated and able to order immediately having perused the menu while we waited.

I'm ashamed to say that I've never been to a movie at the BFI which is certainly something I plan to correct in 2012 but I've come one step closer now I know how good the catering is there. We had a wonderful meal that was reasonably priced and delivered with the friendliest and most efficient service I've come across for a long time. My main, slow cooked leg of Duck with Butternut Squash and plum chutney was delicious, though could have done with more chutney. Priced at £10 it was very good value and for an extra £3 I added a glass of house red. T opted for a veggie burger which I'm reliably told was very good and I can faithfully tell that the chips were excellent. For dessert we shared an absolutely fantastic sticky toffee pudding that came with cream. It was epic.
The atmosphere is great as well, the place is buzzing which is helped by the open plan kitchen and the busy bar adjacent to the restaurant. There are also nice nods to the cinematic venue which I liked, such as pictures of classic movie stars on the menus which double as your place mats and the restaurant name that looks like an old cinema sign.

The fact that we were in a hurry wasn't an issue here as the service was excellent and above all it was friendly, they must be accustomed to serving people scoffing down  a quick bite before scuttling to cinema, theatre or concert hall for a 7.30 start. Although service charge is added to every bill, there were no qualms about it as we were so chuffed to have had a two course meal in the space of an hour with such top service.
The catering is run by Benugo and the quality the company is known for is evident here. I will be going back, for a movie and to check out the other restaurant of the bfi also run by Benugo. I'm also just hoping that this wasn't a fluke visit of awesome but here's hoping they maintain this level of awesome. Watch this space.

An Evening of Cheese

This post is rather overdue but a combination of two of my favourite things in the world, cheese and markets, has to be written about. Every year Borough Market plays host to an Evening of Cheese about two weeks before Christmas and it is the perfect combination of two of my favourite things.
Organised by the team at KaseSwiss, the event brings together all the cheese-sellers from Borough Market for one night only. A cheese extravaganza! A couple of weeks ago, lovely Ginger came down from Oxford for a whirlwind trip to stock up on some cheesey goodies, as well as a chance to catch up of course.
Not only is there plenty of cheese available, you can also get your crackers, quince paste (dahling). This year, there was also a selection of craft beer available and some nice Borough Market branded aprons and the like. It's a festive evening that's well worth keeping in mind to get all your Christmas cheeses.
I bought:

• Tomme Fleurette from KaseSwiss - one of my all time fave soft cheeses. Very young, unpasteurised and runny with a beautifully soft and thin rind. Also a great candidate to fry in breadcrumbs but this can only be done when it's really fresh. T and I tried it once when it was a bit too far gone and we ended up with a pan of hot cheesey oil that stank to high heaven. It was not good!
• Jura from KaseSwiss - a beautiful mountain cheese that's made really high up and has a great fruity and smokey character and a nice smoothness to it. It's great perhaps if you're a fan of Gruyere but want to try out something new. This article has a great description of it.
• Beaufort from Mons Cheesemongers. A lovely strong hard cheese that has a fabulous texture and a really long flavour.

A pretty good haul I feel. Of course you can visit both of these cheesemongers and many more at Borough Market and Maltby Street Market.

Beautiful cheeses as KaseSwiss

MEATLiqour

Last week, it got cold and it rained. So what better way to console ourselves over the deepening of Winter than to chow down on some good old fashioned burgers. Burgers, it seems, are getting better and better and yet the quest for perfection is never at an end.
I'm quite happy to munch through the burgers on offer in most places but the problem is, once you've had a really amazing burger, no other burger can compete and to even contemplate a McDonald's is bordering on criminal.
Last Thursday, three friends and I ventured to the hottest burger joint in town, MEATliquor. The trendsters out there will know that this is the new home of the Meatwagon, a burger van that travels around London, unveiling its location on twitter with #meateasy. I'd heard about the meatwagon, the way you do these things but it wasn't until my friend @PollyButton invited me to join her and two friends for a visit to MEATliquor.
When I checked it out online, I realised that this was indeed the mystical place I'd spotted through the bus window but a week earlier so couldn't wait to see what was on offer. Tucked away next to a multi-storey car park, inhabiting what once was an Italian restaurant, I'm told. It doesn't give much away from the outside with the queue being the only real give away of its location. MEATliquor has a strict queuing policy, as detailing on its website (as well as the front door!) and it is enforced so if you join a lengthy queue, fear not for there are no shove-ins allowed and you're not even allowed to head straight inside if you're friends are already there. So that's just how it is and if you're willing to wait up to two hours for a burger then...there's no choice but to join the queue!
Once inside the door, two of us were able to head to the bar to get hold of some much needed lager to see us through the last bit of queuing and gawping at the decor, other diners and of course the trays of burgers flying past. With American rock and roll music blaring and 'burgerettes' strutting, there's a lot to take in until you get your seat.
Once sat down, you'll probably have decided what you're eating, and it won't stop at burgers! The sides, starters and more are hard to choose between and we ordered a bunch. The burgers may look small compared to some, more commercial ventures, but commercial this ain't.
Our order arrived, sides and all on one massive steel tray, covered in striped paper. No plates for your burger, wings, onion rings or pickles, the messier sides like slaw and macaroni cheese came in a bowl, as did the fries but I liked how some of the food was just piled on so you can dig in. My choice was a chilli cheeseburger, and it was beautiful. Juicy, succulent beef with a crisp pickle and american cheese and best of all, the lip-stinging chilli. All of this tucked up in the softest bun ever. The juice gets everywhere so be thankful for the rolls of kitchen roll that grace every table.
For me, the Buffalo wings were as authentic as I've ever tasted outside of buffalo and the blue cheese dip, even better! The mac and cheese had a crunchy topping and was creamy and spiced with nutmeg, the slaw was probably about the only thing to cut through the carb load.. unless deep fried pickles count? They were sensational, moreso for me as I've only eaten pickles at all for about two years!
I sincerely hope the MEATliquor is here to stay, I'm thinking on any opportunity to squeeze in another visit.
Honourable mention must go to the Q-man! How on earth he manages to maintain his sanity with hundreds of burger fiends in his face all night, God only knows but the man has my respect.

Highlights:

• The lagers on offer are great.
• They serve cocktails in jam jars - what's not to like?
• Burgers
• Wings
• Deep. Fried. Pickles. + Blue. Cheese. Dip.

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