WINE & DINE WITH ANGELA LANSBURY

What's this? That's what we wondered when we saw it arrive at the next table. Read on and you'll find out more.  Veera Restaurant Angela Lansbury in Indian outfit outside newly opened Veera by Sarasas Indian restaurant. Photo by Trevor Sharot. In July 2024 We went to try out the new South Indian restaurant in Hatch End, near picturesque Pinner and historic Harrow on the Hill. Hatch End has so many restaurants that a local newspaper called Hatch End the restaurant capital of north west London. The name Veera means older brother in two Indian languages as well as being from the Sanskrit for brave. The owners have two other successful restaurants in Hayes and Ruislip. The new restaurant in Hatch End was designed by the family. While it's new, they will be overseeing the Hatch End branch. But they keep an eye on the quality of service with video so they can spot if customers are looking for attention. I think this is wonderful.  The family were busy checking up looking afte...

  The flag of Italy, the tricolor, or three colours, is often featured in food such as the starter made of green avocado, white feta cheese and red tomatoes.  All over Northern Spain and Portugal I enjoyed almond tart for breakfast and dinner. Italy has something similar. An almond crumb cake comes from Mantua, also called Mantova, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It is featured in a food festival.  Sbrisolona. Photo from Wikipedia. The city of Mantua has had a Sbrisolona festival. The second one was Oct 13-15 in 2023. The next one is 18-20 Oct 2024. Any month is a good time to visit Italy, but October is the month of the Sweet and Sbrisolona Fair.  Festival of Sbrisolona, Mantua, Italy. Photo by Franzk in Wikipedia. The distinctive features of this almond cake are that it is crumbly and it is made with orange instead of lemon zest. Some recipes add white wine and hazelnuts. It is also made from corn meal. (Not finer cornflour.)   Cornmeal comes in...

  At the Restaurant Show in London I had the chance to drink and try (taste) lots of new wines and spirits. I tried the sparkling sake and the plum sake. I like any sake. But these were great. The sparkling is an aperitif. Sparkling, like Champagne and prosecco, so it can be drunk on its own, without being overwhelmed by strong foods, and Japanese food is often bland, or to put it more delicately, delicately flavoured. The plum sake is from the UK which saves on import duty. Sake comes in small bottles, but you don't drink much. (In Singapore my Japanese friends at the Japanese club insisted on my trying plum wine and the dearer plum wines there were the strongest flavours. Most non-Japanese people would not know the difference and would be equally happy with the milder flavour and very pleased with the better price. In the UK the really strong flavoured plum sake imported from Japan costs more. If you go to a Japanese club or restaurant, look for the plum wine. Be careful, if you ...

 Spanish Almond Tart  In Spain we had almond cake for evening dinner dessert, at the Parador de Fuent De in the Picos de Europa (European Peaks) in the north of Spain.  I loved the almond filling.  The same item appeared again at breakfast. When you are hiking, up in the cold, you need the extra calories to kickstart your day. Fuente De Parador, Picos de Europa, Spain. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. French Almond Tart Just across the border is France. The French call their marzipan tart frangipane. Another Spanish Almond Tart We travelled west through northern Spain to Santiago de Compostelo, the city whose cathedral is the end of a hiking pilgrimage. The city's classic dish is the Tarta De Santiago. We crossed the border from Spain, into Portugal, off to the seaside city of Oporto and the port wine region of the Douro on the river. Portuguese Almond Tart (Tarte de amendoa) As we travelled onwards, west into Portugal I had a pleasant surprise. My favourite almo...

 Brittany Ferries has three areas open to all. Basic Bar food and breakfast on Brittany Ferries, But Brilliant Romantic Dinner in the Blue Azul Restaurant. A private premium lounge locks away the frequent travellers in a lounge which requires an annual subscription. The drivers of the Porches and Ferraris disappeared in there. The truck drivers and motorbikers with tattoos of skulls were happily waiting for the bar to open. Later they were cheering the football goals on TV. I was taking the art tour, and taking photos of the art work, food and drink. Bar You can buy bar food including sandwiches, snacks and drinks. This is in the main area around the staircase, where the quizzes and evening singing entertainment take place. With TV screens showing the news and football finals. Cafeteria The cafeteiria has artwork on the walls. If you get there early in the morning you can secure a window seat at breakfast tie and keep that for much of the morning. I found the sausage very rubbery. ...

 Tapas  If you don't have the time, money and appetite for a three course, leisurely dinner, Spain has tapas bars. Two pieces of tapas per person is probably enough. You can finish with another, third sweet one. But if you go late, they might run out of desserts!  In Spain, just ask your hotel concierge for the nearest tapas bar. Valladoid We had wonderful tapas in Valladolid on our last stop on the way back to Bilbao to catch our ferry. Imperial Hotel We were only there one night, so we stayed at a central and therefore expensive hotel, the Imperial. It was old-fashioned. Muted colours. Tapas bar was within walking distance of our Hotel Imperial which was by the large central square in, Valladoid. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. The Imperial Hotel restaurant was closed for Sunday evening. So we had to eat out, which proved to be a blessing. Map & Walking Tour The hotel had a nine plus rating from Booking.com  The chatty man on reception gives you a map and ...

 B  K has a branch in central London and the two original restaurants which have been in Edgware and Hatch End for many years. I think their salt beef is the best in the world, though not as good as it used to be, before health and safety insisted they don't leave it maturing as long.  The strudel is moreish. The apple and sultana filling is divine. Fresh yet tasty with additional flavours. The pastry was a bit dry and cardboardy, but still the filling oozes happiness. Finally, another best in the world. Cheesecake. Divine. Scrumptious. Perfect in every way. As good as my old favourite, the baked cheesecake from the coffee house, American style. This one is more creamy. I usually prefer baked to creamy, but this one is not a mousse but a solid, yummy. I could eat another. Another three.  A wonderful take away.  Apple strudel from B & K, salt beef bar, Hatch End, Pinner, Middx NW London, England, UK. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. B & K has another ...

 The colours and shapes of the cakes and desserts look enticing in the window of Caffe Concerto in London, near Trafalgar Square. Macaroons. Slides of cake.  My husband and I have been there several times after wine tastings at the nearby Civil Service Club. On our way back to the underground railway station under Trafalgar Square. Caffe Concerto Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. The branch we visited was near Trafalgar Square in London, England, UK. We had a good coffee, brown sugar in sachets already on the table. When we asked for cold milk it came up fast. The fact that the tables are numbered suggests thought and system in their service. We shared a cherry tart, which seemed one of the healthiest of all their tempting sugary pastries. Caffe Concerto has branches all over the world including the Middle East. Useful Websites Caffeconcerto.co.uk Please share links to your favourite posts.