On the prettiest day of the year in London I had a special guest join me for Foodie Fieldtrip Friday!  My Hubby and I met for an early dinner at Spring.  This stunningly beautiful restaurant from chef Skye Gyngell on the Somerset House Museum property is a designer’s dream. It is light, bright, airy, and every aspect of the experience appears effortless, though surely must be thought out to a tee.  You just feel transported to inner calmness the minute you walk through the doors and allow the draping of pastel colors onto your soul.

It actually took my breath away when I walked into the lobby as the reception area is so large and the restaurant has such high ceilings.  However, we came for a “Foodie Fieldtrip” not an architectural one.  Because we arrived so early, Spring wasn’t that crowded, but by the time we left there wasn’t an empty seat.  And since we were there before 6:30 we were able to avail of the pre-theater set menu, even though we weren’t going to the theater. Not only price wise, but portion size, this worked better for us.

The pre-theater menu is broken down into a two course or a three course choice, with two options in each category of starter, main and dessert.  While we perused the regular food menu (just in case we changed our minds and went a la carte), we had a lovely refreshing Nespole and Mint Bellini (nespole is like a kumquat).  As well we thoroughly enjoyed the basket of breads.  My  Hubby is of Swedish ancestry so he really enjoyed the brown bread made with added rye flour and a generous sprinkling of seeds.  Of course being the butter fan in the family, I loved the beautiful hand churned butter.

For the first course Hubby got the Nettle Risotto which was the most vibrant color I have ever seen.  I had a taste and it was perfectly cooked and the taste was bursting with flavor!  I loved my Goat’s Cheese Curd as well, it was very mild and the olive and fresh salad were the perfect accompaniment. The starters weren’t too heavy, but of course we kept at the bread so we didn’t do ourselves any favors by filling up! Carb lovers confessional!

Since I am not the biggest game meat fan (unlike Hubby) I chose the Lamb Meatballs as the second course. When our main meals were brought to the table, I must admit the quail looked very appetizing.  They even served a bowl of warm lemon water on the side in case Hubby chose to eat the bird with his fingers.  Very elegant.  There was just one little problem.  When I cut into my meatballs they were nearly raw they were so undercooked.  I have had a bad experience with undercooked meat before and didn’t want to risk it.  So I politely asked the waiter if he could have the chefs just cook them a bit more.  When he saw the meat I think he was a bit shocked too.  He said he would sort it out with the kitchen straight away.

The only thing is, the waiter wanted to take away Hubby’s dinner too as this is the restaurant’s policy.  I didn’t want them to make two new plates of food but that is what was about to happen.  I tried insisting as I didn’t mind waiting while Hubby ate his meal.  But alas the food was gone before I could blink.  Oh well, we ordered some nice red wine and continued to admire the decor and the staff uniforms. After a long wait the dinners were served again and they were perfect. I really enjoyed my dinner, the lamb was perfectly cooked and the sauce quite fragrant and delicious.  Loads of different herbs and spices to make your mouth jump with delight.  And the quail was equally tasty and quite moist as well.

We were so full after eating the main we almost passed on dessert.  But I am such a fan of sweets, I decided to order the rhubarb tart made with rye flour in the crust.  It was served with candied rose petals and rose ice cream.  This is from the main menu’s dessert options so we paid a bit more.  But the waiter also brought a trio of ice cream on the house.  He said they felt badly about what happened with the meatballs.  It was a lovely gesture on their part.  Hubby loved the mint ice cream, the strawberry was also delicious, but of course the chocolate one was my fav.

And just when we thought we were in full blown food coma mode, they brought us two delectable handmade chocolate truffles with a dusting of cocoa powder on top.  What a way to end the meal!

I really hope to go back to Spring again some day.  Not only because we had such a great experience, but because their menu changes all the time.  They are known for using seasonal ingredients with an emphasis on produce.  And our menu was a perfect example of that, using what is available right now in the markets.  Their unforced elegance and their attention to detail is impeccable.  And though nothing is perfect, if there is a glitch (like what happened with my lamb meatballs) they rectify the situation and move on from that.

Skye Gyngell the acclaimed executive chef has outdone herself with this venture.  In a couple of weeks she will be a guest chef at the Ballymaloe Lit Fest in County Cork, Ireland.  Though I am going to the event, tickets for her session have been sold out for ages.  I hope I do get to meet her down there though and let her know first hand how much we enjoyed our dinner at her wonderful creation, Spring.

Blossoming Love,

YDP

P.S. Unbeknownst to either of us at the time, Hubby and I took quirky photos of one another while at Spring. He took one of a mirror which shows my reflection, and I took one of a flower arrangement.  Only it looks like its coming out of his head!  Inspiration and creativity was clearly flowing, lol!

Each Friday I take my Snapchat friends (my username is blissbakery) on an adventure in search of new foodie destinations.  Last Friday I was able to go to a place I’ve been dreaming about for ages!  It is owned and operated by a fellow “Snap Sista” (as I call the Snapchat family) and is located in my soul home! Yipee that meant a trip to the Emerald Isle was in order! It was actually a perfect scenario because I was going anyway to attend the IBA Bloggers Conference and Awards. I’ll write more about that in another post, because I have so much to share about this specific and oh so scrumptious sojourn!

The Foodie Cafe, located on Major Square at the IFSC in Dublin 1, was started by the amazing Chloe Harris. While I didn’t get to meet her because she had another commitment that day, I did get to meet another Snap Sista (@jenser01) who is also a massive lover of food. While food experiences can be personal, it is also fun to share with a like minded person. Jennifer Byrne is a health and fitness nut living in Ireland.  Her blog Jen’s Gym Life is a great inspiration!  It was she who actually turned me on to Foodie Cafe several months ago.  I have really enjoyed watching Chloe’s food snaps so it was very exciting to be going there and tasting it in person! And sharing it with the lovely Jen.

We met up at lunchtime and no joke the place was teeming with people.  It is situated right between the Luas and the River Liffey in a very convenient and open spot with outdoor tables and chairs. As well there is a long bar with stools by the big window which is where we sat.  There was so much to take in what with meeting Jennifer and perusing all the eye catching foodie pics on the walls.  And of course the incredible display of food.  Wow!  The colors and variety of the salads, desserts and breads looked amazing.  And the extensive menu ticked all the right boxes without being overwhelming.

Chloe had given me the heads up that the Hipster Veggie Burger was super popular, so I opted for that even though I don’t usually get veggie burgers.  I love all things vegetables, but I find them to be quite dry and also I am left feeling hungry like I need some actual protein. Well, I took her suggestion and no joke, I have been craving it ever since.  It was the best veggie burger I have ever tasted.  And I ate every single bit down to the last crumb!  It was moist and flavorful with a beautiful piece of grilled pineapple and avocado on top as garnish.  It was served on this incredibly soft and slightly sweet brioche bun.  As I write this, I am having a Pavlovian response, my mouth is watering!  YUM!

Jennifer ordered the Sunshine Superfood Salad with cous cous and chicken.  I had a little taste and it was also very delish!  We are both sweets eaters and Chloe’s Chocolate Tart was literally to die for, oh my goodness.  Especially for a chocoholic like me.  I also bought a healthy “Bounty Bar” which is a chocolate/coconut slice of heaven.  Jen had a coffee (with her famous protein powder mixed in as she is in body building training) and I tried a Matcha Green Tea Latte for the first time, made with almond milk.   Foodie Cafe definitely knows how to make a proper barista coffee with perfectly foamed milk, the secret to success!

I just loved everything about my visit to the Foodie Cafe.  They just recently celebrated their first birthday, and from my experience it’s just the first of many.  The cafe was packed when I arrived and for good reason, it is delicious, healthy, conveniently located and the staff were exceptionally lovely!  Even with a line out the door, they stayed calm, friendly and professional.  There was Bossa Nova music playing and the customers were chilled out. Some busy lunch cafes have stress levels high on both sides of the counter and patrons could be having their “hangry” moments.  But not here!  I sense that many were returning customers as they were showing their loyalty cards.  Always a good sign.  However, even for newbies like me, I felt the love permeating the whole situation.  I am literally beyond eager to return!

Well done Chloe on such a smashing success, I am absolutely thrilled for you!  I’m also delighted Dublin has such a quality food establishment in its midst.  I hope to see more Foodie Cafes cropping up so when I move back home I’ll have them at my hungry finger tips!

Feeling the Foodie Love,

YDP

P.S. I just have to say it was such a joy to meet Jennifer in person and it meant the world that she went out of her way to join me on my Foodie Fieldtrip Friday adventure.  She is such a wonderful person and beautiful inside and out.  What a journey she is on herself and I wish her all the best!  LOVE!  Here she is with #snappy who was loving the attention so he was!

This week’s Foodie Fieldtrip Friday became a tea for two when the lovely Leah (from New York) joined me since she was in London for work. While we had intended to extend the trip to another location after our visit to Bea’s of Bloomsbury , we ended up staying there for four hours!  But the good news is that we got in some great “chats, bants and LOLz” and finished our entire tea stand of delectable hand made treats!

Bea Vo started Bea’s of Bloomsbury back in 2008 and it has grown to include cafes near St. Paul’s Cathedral and Farringdon as well. Though she isn’t involved day to day anymore as she has gone on to other foodie projects, this brand has remained strong. It continues to top various lists (like this one) of best bakeries in London. And while the bespoke wedding cakes along with the famous Duffin and Townie are worthy draws, it is the tea time treats that bring in the crowds. In fact, we were lucky to have gotten a table without a reservation. And the line was out the door.

There are three options for tea, the standard, gold and champagne. We ordered the gold which included two glasses of Proseco and a macaroon each .  We started with our savory bites of three types of sandwiches all served on lovely soft sweet brioche buns:  Ham and Cheese, Philly Cheese with walnuts and rosemary, and caramelized onions with mozzarella and lettuce. My fav was the later. The onions were so delish and moreish!

Then we slowly worked our way through the handmade raspberry marshmallows, three types of brownies (one of which was made with white chocolate and Leah especially loved it), coconut meringue kisses, two kinds of cupcakes which were quite fresh and sponge-y. One was a chocolate sponge with a raspberry buttercream and the other was a vanilla sponge with a passionfruit buttercream. I liked that they weren’t overly sweet as some American cupcakes can often be.

There was also a traditional scone for each of us (served with clotted cream and raspberry jam) and the ultimate highlight, two kinds of macaroons. One was red velvet and the other was peanut butter and jelly. By far the height of my happiness out of everything I tasted! I want to go back just for that! Our choice of tea was a Vanilla Bourbon, which wasn’t boozy but had a mellow aged taste to it. When we asked for milk to go with it our server seemed perplexed. Strange since we both thought milk was standard when having tea over in the U.K. (unless you are drinking mint tea). We both thought it tasted better with a spot of milk in it!

The cafe itself is smallish and cozy.  It isn’t a fussy decor, and it’s the baked goods that lend the color and flavor to the vibe of the room.  I loved some of the signage and quotes too, very cute!  I happened to read a review online this morning that wasn’t very nice.  I don’t know why people have to be so mean.  But I did agree with one comment that mentioned certain things looked in disrepair.  Maybe because it is the oldest of all the cafes in the group.  Since I used to manage a gourmet food store in Dublin, I know how important it is to maintain the physical aspects of a food establishment.  It is little things like chipped paint that consciously or even subconsciously catch the eye of the patrons.  But I realize how much work goes into running a business and perfection is impossible to maintain at all times.

While we consumed a lot of carbs and sugar in those four hours, not a crumb was wasted and not a calorie counted.  It was so worth it as it was tasty and also so enjoyable to spend it with Leah.  I have been wanting to visit here ever since we moved to London and so glad it finally came to fruition!  I love the line under Bea’s logo which says, “Life is short, eat more cake” and it reminds me of this Erma Bombeck quote:  Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart?  Hence, why I thoroughly enjoy these foodie adventures.  And why I like to take along my snapchat friends (my username is: blissbakery).  Many who watch my snap stories aren’t able to travel for health, financial or family reasons.  So they feel a part of what I am doing by my sharing through the videos I post.  So here’s to many more!

Love and Cheers!

YDP

April 8^th marks the 32^nd anniversary of my dad’s passing. Since it falls just 4 days after his birthday (which I wrote about on here) I decided to make this Foodie Fieldtrip Friday a Fire themed one!

The first stop was to Brigade Bar and Bistro. This former firehouse (the oldest one in London) has been converted into a restaurant and cookery school.  The décor itself isn’t firehouse themed as such.  But they have kept the gorgeous doors and moldings and created an incredible dining space.  The open kitchen is the centerpiece of the restaurant and nearby the bar is stocked to the brim with drinks of all sorts.  I love the two downstairs nooks that can be utilized for more private dinners, the chef’s library room and another slightly larger room just opposite.

To eat I was treated to the best scrambled eggs and salmon I had ever eaten. Along with nice crusty sourdough toast and a pot of mint tea I was good to go.  But the best treat was the tour of the upstairs area, which is used for their cookery school and corporate and private events. I will go into more detail about Brigade in another post, as it is a social enterprise with loads of info to share with you.  But in a nutshell Brigade and it’s partners work at providing retraining for individuals that want to better their current circumstances through the food and service sector.

The next stop on the tour was to The Monument, which is a 311 step structure designed by Christopher Wren to commemorate those who lost their lives in The Great Fire of London of 1666.  The fire began in a bakery on Pudding Lane, just a few yards away and it raged or 4 days because of the high winds.  I climbed to the top to get a better view of London.  But just as I reached the top my phone battery died.  I decided I had to have photos and do some “snappage”  as my hubby calls it. Though the story has since expired, if you’d like to come watch future Foodie Fieldtrip Fridays my user name is: blissbakery.  And I have written blog posts on previous outings, which you can find by clicking here.

So, what does a girl do when she has no battery on her phone? Go find a place to charge it!  So down I went and checked with the admissions personnel to find out if I could come back and walk the stairs again without having to pay a second time.  The said no problem, but were perplexed why I’d want to climb it more than once anyway!  While I waited for charging to complete, I tucked in to the closest restaurant, which happened to be Hydrant. This local watering hole was buzzing with business and financial district folks getting an early start on the festivities of the weekend. I was hungry and thirsty, but only had water.  But a good look at the menu and the décor got my curiosity peaked. Though I had intended to dine at another firehouse themed restaurant a bit more posh. But I was getting pressed for time.  So I dashed back up the stairs (totally worth it for the experience, the pictures, and only 4.50) and down again.

I then took a walk to St. Paul’s Cathedral (also designed by Christopher Wren) and while I didn’t go inside (I’ve been before and it is stunning) I always love seeing it. It is so majestic and the cherry trees are in blossom right now so it is like a painting.

But I wanted to go to the National Firefighters Memorial Statue. It is just opposite St. Paul’s and is a large 3 D bronze of three firemen in action. There are names inscribed all the way around of those who have lost their lives over the years battling blazes to save the lives of others. It is sobering and chilling and I started to feel quite emotional. I took out my dad’s photo that I proudly carry with me and it struck me that he has no memorial or monument erected in his honor. But I suppose there is one in my heart always and forever.  A lovely woman saw me crying and came up to me and asked if I wanted a photo in front of the statue.  I wouldn’t have thought of it myself,  but now I am so grateful she did that. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me!

At this stage because I was delayed with the phone battery debacle and the second climb to the top of The Monument I had run out of time. The Chiltern Firehouse was only serving lunch until 3 and I wouldn’t have made it in time with the commute. So I decided to eat at the Hydrant and thoroughly enjoyed my salmon with the side of rocket salad, aubergines (eggplant for my American friends) and some roasted carrots and parsnips. I was feeling very healthy indeed, and after climbing 622 steps at this point, I was feeling fit too!

I also decided that on Monday I would go to lunch at the Chiltern to make up for it, which I did.  And that too was worth every penny.  It is in a converted firehouse in the posh area of London called Marylebone.  It is part of a hotel as well, and while I didn’t look around the cool boutique vibe, I did sit front and center at the chef’s bar. It overlooks the kitchen and I got a birds eye view of the salad prep right in front of me!  So of course I ordered a blood orange and beet salad.  Amazing!  It had candied pecans and radicchio as well.  I also ordered crab donuts.  Three little savory donut holes with a crab salad inside that were to die for, literally.  My liquid refreshment was in the form of an elderflower and berries spritzer, quite divine actually.

I really wanted to order a dessert, but felt I should taste a warm savory dish and went with the shrimp and grits from the starters menu.  It wasn’t the prettiest but was very tasty. But it was much larger than I anticipated.  So I asked for a take away container (a nicer way to say doggie bag) so I didn’t waste it.  And so I wouldn’t feel guilty ordering a dessert.  But the waitress returned with my plate to tell me they ran out of doggie bags and that if I didn’t want it they would throw away.  Guess what?  I ate it.  And didn’t get dessert.  Not a happy camper!  I love dessert and the key lime pie sounded amazing. Oh well another time.

Speaking of time, I saw I had enough time to make it to the Museum of London to get a peak at the 1666 Great Fire of London exhibit as it is near the anniversary. They have loads of interactive displays, a running documentary film with reenactments and readings from diaries of people of the day, and actual recovered artifacts. They even had bits of pottery from the bakery where the fire started!  The museum itself is choc o block with many cool installments and I’d love to go spend even more time perusing the history of London through the precious art, artifacts, fashion and even pop culture items.  And I want to go back to see the Lord Mayor’s carriage again too, it is so ornate and blinged out! I had a look, but honestly could have spent hours enjoying all the details of it!

All in all it was a lovely way to honor my father.  In America we don’t focus as much attention of the anniversary of a person’s death.  Whereas in Ireland people have anniversary masses said, lunches or dinners after and even a visit to the graveside.  While I always remember the day I usually mark it in a private way like going to mass on my own. This was the first time I was so focused on it and certainly in a public way being on Snapchat.  I apologized for crying when I had the water works at the Firefighter Memorial, but so many people sent me messages of encouragement. I guess my tears were apropos for the loss of not only my dear dad but also all the firefighters who have served so proudly.  And that is why I love that these restaurants and monuments and memorials exist.  To remind us to pay respect for a vocation that is so integral in our societies.  A most worthy theme for a Foodie Fieldtrip!

Burning Love,

YDP