The Prince of Wales, Putney

This week's stop on the quest was what is probably the pub I visit the most out in my neck of the woods, The Prince of Wales.

I went into today's lunch well aware that the food is exellent. I like the atmosphere, and it is among my favorites. Yet, I've somehow managed to not have Sunday roast there in the last 18 months.

As pubs go, the Prince of Wales has a lot going for it.

• It's cute!
• It has a huge collection of beer mugs
  
• It has a big rotisserie machine
• It has a real Christmas tree at Christmastime
  
• It has nice picnic tables that are shaded in the summer and warmed in the winter
• It serves triple cooked chips
  

When I think about it, my only complaints to date have been:

• No Soda water on tap. There are cute, little bottles, but they just seem wasteful to me.
  
• Board games are all missing too many pieces. This makes the Guess Who board unable to realize its potential.
  
• It lacks a Dyson Airblade. I love those!

Regardless, the time had come to put the Prince of Wales to the test.

Joining is on the quest today was our friend from the neighborhood, Dom, and as usual, my husband Darren and I. We arrived early-ish to ensure a spot at one of the picnic tables so we could enjoy the sunshine.

You can check out their old Sunday menu here. I like that they've snuck in a picture of the rotisserie machine with it. The Sunday menu for today differed a bit, and I didn't bother to snap a picture of it. My descriptions aren't as snazzy as the menu's but they're enough.

Dishes Ordered (left to right):

• The Roast: Roast beef, roast potatoes, parsnips, yorkshire pudding, gravy (Dom, Franc)
  
• Pork Shoulder: Roast saddleback pork shoulder with poached applies, sea kale, and roast poaties (Darren)
• Dark Chocolate Mousse with Rasberry mousse, Rasberries, and Chambord (Franc)
  

Observations: (collective and individual)

• Small portions (Darren)
• Picnic tables were bordering on unaceptably wobbly, and we tested out two tables. We saw one guest's drinks meet their end as a result.
• The outside umbrella wasn't opened up. Perhaps we should have asked, but it would have been nice had it been opened.
• The roast was great. One of my favorites to date. The dessert was a light, chocolate dessert, ideal for a hot day. (Franc)
• Bathrooms are fine, but really, they should be a little nicer at this price point.
  

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)







Our Updated Map of Eats:
*note: Pubs are noted with their scores in parentheses

View The Quest for the Best Sunday Roast in a larger map

Wimbledon: Tennis on the Tube

Just in case someone forgot that it's Wimbledon time here in Southwest London, HSBC has kindly jazzed up a local tube stop in honor of the occasion.

I could get used to the astroturf, umbrellas, and flowers.

The Duke's Head, Putney

This week, we had a Saturday lunch, but I'm writing about it anyway...

This week, we went to The Duke's Head in Putney. Joinnig us were Carole & Jeremy, sister in law and brother to Darren, who were visiting from Kent.

The pub has a really nice interior with Thames views. Outside, there are picnic tables, also facing the water.


As it was a Saturday, we made our choices from the regular menu and later, from the dessert menu.



Dishes Ordered: (clockwise from top right)

• Duke’s Beef Burger, Denhay Cheddar Cheese, Smoked Bacon, Tomato and Herb Chutney, Fries (Darren, Franc)
  
• Cornfed Organic Chicken Breast, Sauté Potatoes, Savoy Cabbage and Smoked Bacon,Sherry Sauce (Carole, Jeremy)
  
• Treacle Tart with Vanilla Ice‐ Cream (Franc)
  
• Baked Blueberry Cheesecake with Butterscotch Sauce (Jeremy)
  
• Set Vanilla Cream with Rhubarb Compote (Darren)

We thoroughly enjoyed our food. Carole and Jeremy even said that was worth the trip from Kent.

I only had two complaints:
1. The fries: Fries are an *easy* thing to get right, and these fries were completely unremarkable. They were a disappointment, especially given that the burger was truly excellent.
2. The staff just wasn't particularly helpful. We had a 1:30 reservation, but were delayed in sitting for lunch because Carole and Jeremy ran a little late. When I went to advise the dining room staff, I literally stood near the host's area for several minutes while members of the staff passed by me and at no point did a single one acknowledge that I was clearly standing there for good reason. The pub wasn't busy, either. I eventually gave up and returned to the bar. No one ever came by to see what I wanted.

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)








Our Updated Map of Eats:

View The Quest for the Best Sunday Roast in a larger map

*note: Pubs are noted with their scores in parentheses

For Rent: NE Corner of 2nd Ave. & 3rd St., NYC

You could set up shop here, but only if you're willing to call.

Things I love in NYC, part I

Thirteen years of living in Manhattan left me with many things that I really do miss, regardless of how much I may love living in London.

During my most recent trip back to New York, I thought it appropriate to start documenting some of these places and things, most of which are NYC-specific.

Some things are obvious (bagels). Some are less so (Times Square). Years in Hell's Kitchen meant trekking through Times Square more often that I liked; however, where else can you go for seven or more stories of glowing consumer influence? It also appears that one can also go for Yoga on 21st June, in the newly pedestrianized sections, which just seems odd.

Unfortunately, my ambition and my ability to actually go do stuff during this latest trip to my old home was signficantly compromised by a case of bronchitis that I picked up en route, but consider this a start to a series of posts to come.

1. The E Train:
Yes, I love the E train; so much that I am mentioning it first.

That shiny, climate controlled chariot brought me from Hell's Kitchen to the World Trade Center stop almost daily. I could have taken the A and gotten in faster, but the E meant a seat and reduced odds of running into anyone I knew. I'm a morning person, but I have limits.

Coming home, the E train was often already waiting at WTC, which meant no staring into a tunnel wondering when the train would show up.


2. The Breakfast Sandwich
England has breakfast sandwiches, but seemingly not in the spirit of this cardiac threat of eggs, sausage, cheese and buttered toast that I picked up in my office's cafeteria.

The English equivalent seems to cut to the chase by cutting out the egg and cheese, and while I can and do appreciate that, I just like it this way.


3. Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes:
"I love those cupcakes like McAdams loves Gosling."

Yes, they are that good, and I've accepted that until Magnolia can offer a fast track style service like the airport, I'm just going to have to wait my turn. My vote is always for the vanilla ones.

Fortunately, my time in London has raised my queuing XP to a record high, and I can wait for hours, passing the time by moaning about the line and the weather.
*(Thanks to Robin for this pic)



4. Lil' Frankie's Pizza
Lil' Frankie's is just that good. I even borrowed this picture from their site because I forgot to take one in all my sick glory, and I wanted to ensure that the pizza was well represented.
The Prosciutto & Arugula (not pictured) is my absolute favorite.


5. Century 21
I used to fear Century 21. Now I regard it as a bit of a sport. Either way, I'm sure National Geographic Channel's (NG's), I Was Buried Alive program will be filmed there sooner than later.
It's a good place to go for staples like gym clothes, socks, and towels. Sometimes, you even find an excellent deal.
My rules for coping are as follows:

1. Have no expectations.
2. Go early. The staff are helpful and sometimes even pleasant first thing. By noon, they're as fed up with the desperate fight for survival as one can be.
3. This bit is crucial: Bring a patient friend. One needs a patient friend in tow (mine is Robin).
   a. The patient friend has to be good at shopping, so that their patience inevitably wears off on you as you have to do something while they go mining for treasure.
   b. The patient friend will help you check your receipt to ensure you weren't overcharged, as I have been 2 of the last 3 times.
   c. The patient friend may also be the one who has the peace of mind to methodially dig you out when you find yourself in the inevitable NG channel- worthy situation.
   

6. Nail Salons
I can't do my own hair.
I can barely put makeup on, and that's only because a man with an extensive knowledge of theater at Saks' Nars counter showed me how.

Affordable manicures/ pedicures are a wonderful thing about New York. I'd recommend Jeniette. What I can get for $30 often without an appointment near Union Square would cost me at least £50 and require advance booking here in London.


7. NY1's Roger Clark
If there's an angry swarm of bees that needs to be collected on air, NY1'sRoger Clark is on the case. On screen, he's good natured, and he's willing to sing Rick Astley songs, have his swimsuit nearly stolen by riptide, and cover a multi-day blackout in Queens!

In the picture adjacent, he's preparing to show us how to make mochi for Japanese New Year, yum!(video here). My husband would often point out that the morning host, Pat, is always safely in the studio with his stack of papers while Roger is out there fighting the good fight that is local news.

I'm not his only fan. Someone else beat me to I heart Roger Clark.

The Courtauld Gallery, London

While visiting earlier this year, my friend, Robin, visited the Courtauld Institute and raved about it. A few weeks ago, I finally had a chance to pay a visit.

The museum houses a small but excellent collection of paintings and sculpture, which I did enjoy, but I think I found the must fun in its stairwell.

Typically, I tend to be very careful when taking photos off my camera, so much so, that I usually won't clear the data card until I've backed up the photos; just in case my computer meets unexpectedly meets its end.

Typically was not how I approached this task on that fine Sunday evening. I managed to delete half the day's photos before transferring them. (eek!) Thus, this isn't quite all of it.

For the record, I welcome Photoshop advice, but know that these shots aren't Photoshopped at all. I keep meaning to buy it, but given that I like taking pictures so much more than editing them, I've never bothered. I'm sure I'll cave in eventually, at which time, I'll use all that advice.

Anyway, here are some of my favorites from the day (in addition to the one at the top of the staircase's ceiling)...

Whisps of people on the gallery staircase:
















A bit of sculputure in the entryway (right) and in the top floor gallery:
























A bit of Seurat's pointilism:

















and a more precise shot of the staircase:

The Leather Bottle, Earlsfield

This weekend's stop on the quest brought us to The Leather Bottle in Earlsfield.


Joining us today were our friends, Ben & Sara, who live around the corner. They mentioned that the pub had been re-done earlier in the year. It has a barbeque area in the back which opens when the temperature is greater than 19C. Today was not a BBQ day at the pub, but we managed nonetheless. The menu is available here.


Dishes Ordered: (clockwise, starting from the top left)
Burger, Sea Bass, Beef Roast with Yorkshire Pudding, & Steak & Ale Pie





Among the things we liked about The Leather Bottle was its back garden full of picnic tables, complete with Petanque area. I'm not sure who won the contest, but it definitely wasn't me.









The Score: 3.375 yums
breakdown of individual scores:

*note: we have changed the scoring method a bit, allowing for two scores (food, environment) per person.


Our Updated Map of Eats:

View The Quest for the Best Sunday Roast in a larger map
*note: Pubs are noted with their scores in parentheses