Issue 2 of the CODE Quarterly

Distributed to the best restaurants, hotels, bars and private members’ clubs in London
Quarterly
Editor
Adam Hyman
Design
Formandcue
Contributors
Anna Sulan Masing
Patricia Michelson
Dominic Rowntree
Zeren Wilson
THE EYES & EARS
OF THE INDUSTRY
A quarterly newspaper for the hospitality industry
THE CODE BULLETIN
P
P
3 CODE in conversation with… Bill Granger
5 Technology in restaurants
THE CODE APP
CODE ONLINE
app.code-london.co.uk
P
P
Issue 2 | March 2015
code-london.co.uk
7 Why the cheese board isn’t dead
8 Are you being served?
P
P
@CODELondon
10 The Quaffing Cabinet
11 Destination CODE: San Francisco
To serve. To fly.
Restaurant brands
go global.
W
elcome to the second issue
of the CODE Quarterly.
Somebody asked me the other
day why we decided to start a print
newspaper, when the majority of the media
world is doing the opposite and going digital.
Print media still has a future, and if done well,
a bright one. No matter how integral
technology is - and continues to become – in
our everyday lives, I believe there’ll always be
an appetite for newspapers, magazines and
the like.
Picking up a favourite magazine at the airport
or settling down to the weekend papers is a
chance to turn off from the outside world, put
down your mobile phone, close the lid of your
MacBook Air and remove yourself from
everyday life for a few scarce moments.
I don’t enjoy reading a lot online, which is
one of the reasons why I wanted to publish
something for the industry in print, that was
different to the Bulletin, but still reaches
people in the kitchen and front of house
at restaurants around London.
The growth in the industry is the reason for
the airport destination board illustration at
the top of this page. More and more now,
restaurants and chefs are seen as brands –
global brands. Many well-known restaurants
from abroad have arrived in London in recent
years, including Shake Shack and Salt &
Partners from Japan, to name just a few.
We’ve seen the likes of Noma take their
offering to Tokyo and Heston Blumenthal
do the same in Melbourne. And more of our
homegrown talent is also venturing abroad
with the likes of Burger & Lobster opening in
Manhattan, MEATliquor going to Singapore
and Jason Atherton and his growing empire
now in Hong Kong, Singapore and New York.
“More and more now,
restaurants and chefs are
seen as brands – global
brands.”
One person who has managed to become
a successful global restaurateur is Bill
Granger. I went to interview him at his Notting
Hill restaurant to find out how a humble chef
from Australia is now a global brand (p.3).
Technology is playing an ever increasingly
more important role in our everyday lives,
yet the restaurant industry still seems to be
playing catch up. Anna Sulan Masing looks at
the impact of iPads replacing waiting staff and
the rise of ticketing systems in restaurants
(p.5). Like my attitude to media, I have a
certain – some may say old-fashioned view
– on technology in restaurants and I don’t
think humans should ever be replaced with
technology. You’ll see in this issue that we’ve
launched a new feature, focusing on servers
in London restaurants (p.8) and why they
deserve recognition.
they offer (p.7). Patricia’s article also focuses
on the importance of matching wine with
cheese, which is a good opportunity to
mention Zeren Wilson’s piece on the London
wine scene (p.10)
Three months into 2015 and there seems to
be no sign of the London hospitality industry
slowing down. A recent article in the Evening
Standard on the London hotel industry says
that occupancy rates in the capital will hit
a 20-year high of 84 per cent this year, with
there being close to 140,000 hotel rooms now
in London. The pace of restaurant openings is
still going strong but every now and then we
get reminded that restaurants are not immune
and certain pockets of London are changing,
be it for the better or worse, and this can
impact trade and operational costs, and sadly
places do close.
Finally, an update from CODE HQ. We have
our eyes and ears firmly set on Manchester,
Liverpool and Leeds, as we get set to launch
the CODE app in that region imminently. And
our first CODE Hospitality Industry drinks
night was well received. We’ll be in touch
with information about the next few. I hope to
see you at one of them across town over the
coming months.
The Guardian critic, Marina O’Loughlin has
coined the term “use ‘em or lose ‘em”
referring to certain old school gems that we all
must support and eat at regularly, ones which
so easily get forgotten amongst the hype of
new restaurant openings. A person who has
seen the industry change drastically since
first opening in London over 20 years ago is
Patricia Michelson of La Fromagerie. Patricia’s
article looks at the cheese board and its place
on the menu in restaurants, as well as
encouraging restaurateurs and chefs to think
a little outside the box when it comes to what
As ever, questions and comments can be sent
to me at adam@code-london.co.uk
Adam Hyman
Founder
CODE
—
@AdamMHyman
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Signe d’exception
Issue 2 | March 2015
THE CODE BULLETIN
THE CODE APP
app.code-london.co.uk
03
CODE ONLINE
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CODE in
conversation with…
Bill Granger
Our editor, Adam Hyman, meets up with Bill Granger
at his Notting Hill restaurant to discuss what it takes
to be a global restaurateur.
O
ne of the first things that Bill Granger says to me is that he’s a “well meaning amateur.”
It’s 10.45am on a Monday morning in early March and we’re sitting in his Notting Hill
restaurant. The streets of W11 are quiet, yet it’s anything but in Granger & Co. I’m
here to meet the man himself. The man who has built a business on creamy scrambled eggs
and sweet corn fritters. We’re seated at a table for four at the front of his restaurant. It’s the only
table in the airy dining room that isn’t fully occupied. He’s wearing a lightweight, two-tone cotton
sweatshirt and a pair of designer grey slacks. I didn’t ask but they could well be from a funky
men’s shop in Seoul or Tokyo, where Granger also has restaurants. Despite it still being winter in
London, he’s looking tanned and his blond hair and Hollywood smile accentuate the Granger &
Co. brand. As our flat whites arrive at the table, he removes his specs – a chunky ash grey pair
from Oliver Goldsmith on the All Saints Road – and gently rolls his sleeves up to reveal a vintage
Rolex on his left hand and a friendship bracelet on the other.
But who is Bill Granger? And how has he managed to create a restaurant, in a notoriously
difficult area, that is full at the beginning of the week with people who clearly don’t need to
be in the office at 9am.
Before I set out to interview Granger, I ask a few people who don’t work in hospitality if they know
who Bill Granger is. They do but mainly for his TV appearances and numerous cookbooks. Yet,
Granger has eleven restaurants scattered around the world, with a handful more in the pipeline.
Last year, he opened four restaurants in four continents. Granger has done something that so
many have failed to do. He’s become a global restaurateur. It was working in a restaurant back
in Australia, where Granger first caught the restaurant bug. He was working part time while at art
school, where he was studying design.
He didn’t like it though. “I found it too
structured. I fell in love with the energy of
restaurants and it was my short attention span
that drew me to the structure of kitchen life. I
love the beginning, middle and end of service
– my favourite part of a shift is still cleaning
down the kitchen at the end of service”. It
was a loan of $20,000 Australian dollars from
his grandfather – Granger points out that it was
most definitely a loan that was paid back – and an unfortunate incident for a couple that split up,
which saw him open his first restaurant, bills, in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst. “I managed to
acquire the site from a guy who had to sell it as he had just split up from his girlfriend. They were
meant to be opening the restaurant together and he had run out of money.”
“My favourite part of
a shift is still cleaning
down the kitchen at the
end of service.”
Today, Granger doesn’t need to rely on a
couple parting ways and a loan from a family
member to open a new restaurant. In February,
he announced that he will open his third
London restaurant in King’s Cross and is
launching two new bills in Tokyo, including
a flagship in the swanky district of Ginza.
“I love what they’re doing with King’s Cross.
Argent (the developers) have thought about
the area as a whole. I also like it because it’s
on the same tube line as where I live, so
practically it makes sense. It may sound like a
small thing but operationally it’s vital. It’s why
I’d never do anything south of the river.”
Image credit: Anson Smart
Our interview is momentarily paused while a lady sits down at the next door table – a regular it
seems – and Granger briefly turns his attention to say hello and to welcome our new neighbour.
“I also enjoy taking the tube – you can really get a feel of what an area is like by seeing the sort
of people that get on and off the tube and what they wear. I also really like the fact it’s a
transport hub. We can play a little more with our offering. One of my favourite places is Florence
train station and I’ve always dreamt of doing something by a train station.” I ask about Japan.
A notoriously difficult market to break for a foreign business. Granger now visits the Japanese
capital at least three times a year. It turns out it was a mutual friend of ours, Tyler Brûlé, founder
of Monocle, who introduced him to his now business partners in Japan. “Ty put me in touch with
some people he was working with at the time in Japan. It’s worked really well and they’re also our
partners in Honolulu.” It strikes me that Granger and Brûlé evoke the same when it comes to their
businesses; they are their business. Like Monocle, Granger represents an aspirational lifestyle.
Image credit: Mikkel Vang
It’s something you buy into. Later on in the interview, he goes on to say that he doesn’t really
see his business as a restaurant group but rather a fashion brand.
“There are an incredible
amount of skilled people
in the hospitality
industry over here who
have been well trained
from places like The
River Café and Momo.”
“I’ve come to learn that you can never please
everyone. Now I only do things that I want to
do. Any creative expression must have
integrity. It’s not for me to try and guess what
other people want. You see it in what Ty’s
(Brûlé) done. I was in his café and shop in
Tokyo the other week and it’s his vision. You
walk in, look around and it’s Tyler. Everything
in there is what he likes.” Japan is an
important part of Granger’s fledgling business.
With Blue Bottle Coffee and Tartine bakery
from San Francisco opening in Tokyo, he
knows that the Japanese capital is having a
third wave of food openings and it’s good to
be part of that. I ask Granger, 24 years after opening his first restaurant, whether he ever thought
he would have this global empire. “It was never my intention. This is all a fluke. I opened a few
restaurants in Australia and to be honest with you, we got a little bored.” Granger and his wife,
Natalie, as well as his three daughters all uprooted and moved to London. They’ve now been
living in the capital for six years. “Creative people have to keep themselves inspired. I like being
challenged and being a bit uncomfortable. Moving to London provided this.”
“There are an incredible amount of skilled people in the hospitality industry over here who
have been well trained from places like The River Café and Momo, for example. These great
restaurants have given London great people, who have gone on to open their own great
places. I was talking to a cab driver the other day and we were discussing how London
restaurants used to be so formal and made the average Londoner feel uncomfortable. It’s
become far more egalitarian now, like in Australia and Asia. I want people to come to my
restaurants and be able to have a coffee and some toast as well as come and spend three
figures on a meal.”
I’m conscious that I’ve been talking to Granger for nearly an hour. It strikes me he’s not a man
to just sit around in his restaurants all day and no doubt has a busy day planned. I start drawing
things to a close and we touch upon where he likes to eat out when in London, which is always a
sign of how well attuned someone is to the industry. He discusses his favourite local restaurants
including Hereford Road, Royal China and the recently opened John Doe on the Golborne Road.
“However, the older I get the more I find restaurants too noisy. Chris Martin was in here the other
day and he commented on how good the sound level was in here. Sound is so important, as
is lighting and air conditioning. It’s all about making customers comfortable. I now spend more
money on the stuff that customers cannot see but make a real difference to their overall
experience. He doesn’t hesitate when he announces The River Café as the best restaurant in
London. “I know where the spend goes. It has the best staff and they use the best ingredients.
It’s actually quite cheap for the quality.” He talks about his love for older restaurants. “Restaurants get better when they settle down and
bed in – this takes years. But, once they’re established and you have a good team, restaurants
are quite stable things. I believe having a successful restaurant is about knowing your first one
hundred customers. If you know your first one hundred people who come to your restaurant
– like I did with Granger & Co. – you’ll be able to make a business as they will then go and tell
their friends.” I conclude by asking for his opinion on how we can get younger people to pursue
careers the industry. “I think it’s good that we’ve got some glamour in the industry now but I’d
always advise starting out small. I’m self-taught and I always think it’s one thing to have
experience but having your own voice is so important.”
We finish and I leave Bill to wander over to say hello to one of his regulars before he heads off to
his next meeting with Avron Alhadeff, operations director of Granger & Co. The next day he was
off to Australia for a week before returning to open Granger & Co. King’s Cross.
I left Granger & Co. to head back into the West End feeling that Bill Granger may be well
meaning, but he’s definitely not an amateur.
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25/02/2015 16:32
Issue 2 | March 2015
THE CODE BULLETIN
THE CODE APP
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CODE ONLINE
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Technology in
restaurants: where
is it taking us?
Restaurants are slowly catching up with the rest of the
world when it comes to technology. Anna Sulan Masing
takes a look at what this means for the industry.
A
new industrial revolution is happening and it is not represented by an iron structure built in the middle of Paris. This revolution is supported by dark rooms in distant lands –
servers processing your apps, your social media timelines, your daily steps through
the city.
In the world of service and hospitality we have online booking apps, with OpenTable being the
main player; and iPads are now appearing on tables instead of waiters. Therefore, business
sense means we need to investigate ways to get connected and tapped into the app-savvy
foodie. So technology is booming, but where is it taking us? And how does it affect the
hospitality industry, from the inside and as a guest?
Thomas Keller stole headlines last year by signing up with Tock, a ‘comprehensive toolbox’ that
includes a system allowing guests to pay up front. Tipping is eliminated, no shows are financially
covered, and staff management is streamlined. With no show rates even at popular restaurants in
the West End, on a Saturday night, reaching 20%, this is a big deal. And planning, after all, is the
key to a good business model.
As someone permanently connected to my smart phone, I confess, I love it all. I love the lurking
on Twitter, I love the constant emailing, WhatsApp-ing and Instagram-ing. And the idea of
pressing a button and paying for my meal, as I book the time and date that suits me, appeals.
The ease, the instant gratification of a job done - that’s dinner sorted until my iPhone diary
reminds me. But, there is this nagging feeling that all this efficiency is missing something. As a
tiny violin plays ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ in the back of my head, I am aware that this sounds
like a well-worn topic that happens in every generation.
Another facet of this topic is tipping. Tipping is a huge subject, and it is hard to delve into without
references to Reaganomics or to how to organise a Tronc system. The tipping culture in Europe is
different to the US and it is worth noting that a lot of these technology ideas are coming from the
States. But, having worked in many pop-ups I know that within a ticketing system guests don’t
tip for what they have already paid for. With this in mind, I wonder about the app Zapper. This
sounds brilliant, a work lunch, a busy restaurant and you’re stuck waiting for your server to be
free to take your money – being able to scan a code into your phone and walk away at your own
convenience? Yes please. But it does distance guests from the waiter, and without having
the moment of a real person in front of them, would guests forget to tip?
“And so, a tip is like the
hand written thank you
note.”
This instant-ness that apps offer is bringing the business and guests together, at a risk of
forgetting the people in between from KP to
GM. There is a chance that staff will feel like
just a cog in the wheel, and a sense of career
and pride in being part of the industry, could get lost. And, it is that in-between-ness that
creates the convivial environment. And so, a tip is like the hand written thank you note –
a personal gesture that says ‘thank you for making this experience, this moment of sharing
time with friends, so great’. And just like thank you notes, sometimes we need our mothers (“a
discretionary service charge has been added to your bill”) to remind us to write them. Seafood
restaurant Rex & Mariano in Soho allows customers to order from iPads and therefor only
charges 5% service on top of the meal. It makes perfect sense, but are the staff missing out?
In October last year the New York Times Magazine ran an article ‘Can you Uber a burger?’ which
likened the idea of dining out to events – “inspired by the way we pay for concerts, airline tickets
and […] Uber”. The excitement people spoke about the possibilities with hospitality and
technology in this article was catching – are we entering a brand new world?
I spoke to a number of people in the industry based in London (GMs, op managers, chefs,
waiters) about this topic of technology. Most wanted to be off the record, understandably as
everyone is still thinking about these concepts and no one has a firm opinion yet. I did manage
to corner Dan Doherty, Executive Chef at Duck & Waffle, with the question – “do you think
ticketing systems will become status quo?” His answer was “hell no!” Pause. Then tempered
with “I hope not”. This led us into a somewhat existential conversation about what is the
industry?
Pop-up restaurants are an eating experience more akin to concerts and theatre, therefore it is
not surprising that the successful pop-up venture ‘Art of Dining’ is a collaboration between a
set designer and a chef. Ticketing is an essential part of the pop-up business model, and who
doesn’t like going to a special event? But, how about the average restaurant? The permanent
spaces that need staff continuously, and places that want to train, support and develop their
staff. How does technology feed into those dynamics?
“Food and the service
are part of that sense of
sharing and togetherness.”
And so it is about asking the question ‘what
is this industry?’ For another project, I
interviewed a chef about what cooking meant
to him – he said he doesn’t cook for himself
because food is for sharing. This resonated
with me about what the food and service
industry is. We go out to share a bottle of wine
with friends, to share stories with family, to share space with other people, in a beautiful
environment – to be part of something. Food and the service are part of that sense of sharing
and togetherness. So how will technology interact with that aspect of this industry?
iPads at Rex & Mariano, Soho
Therefore, the answers to how technology can work in this industry, can be found in what we
want food and hospitality to mean; what is our service culture? And how do we want staff to feel
about the work they do? Good staff will always be needed, and that comes from valuing their
input in the business. We know technology can’t solve all our problems, but I think now is the
right time to think about what road technology will lead us down? Will this new industrial
revolution build another Eiffel tower, and is that what we actually want?
Anna Sulan Masing
—
@AnnaSulan
Image credit:
Katherine Leedale
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Issue 2 | March 2015
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07
Why the cheese
board isn’t dead
La Fromagerie’s Patricia Michelson encourages
restaurants to think outside the box when it
comes to the cheese course.
A
recent report from the Michelin HQ implied that fine dining was dead. If that is true
then the clunking cheese trolley is dead too. However, the gospel according to
La Fromagerie, says it is alive and well and just a little bit different.
This is not an article telling you how to put together a cheese board, nor a huge amount of
rambling inconsequential so-called bon mots about cheese. I am putting the ball firmly into your
court, so that by the end of this article you will be fired up and I will present a copy of my book
CHEESE as a prize to whoever sends me the most exciting cheeseboard list they would ideally
like to serve in their restaurant, club, pub, wine bar or corporate dining room. I want to know the
reasons why you put this together and how it works with the wine or drinks list, as well as any
involvement from the kitchen with the accompaniments. It can contain three, five, 10, 15 or 20
cheeses. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with.
Over the 25 years I have been in the cheese business, I have encouraged customers, engaged
with producers and cheese makers and honed my craft in the retail and restaurant sector to give
La Fromagerie its identity and style. My motto has been to never waiver from the origins of the
business, which was to highlight the small production of true artisan cheeses.
The humble simplicity of it all right now is that it is the time for the cheese board or course to
show how well it can be integrated into a menu in its own right; supported by the chef and
the sommelier and most of all by the front of house who want to be inspired and showcase
the cheese.
I’ve lost count how many times I’ve heard
restaurants say that the cheese course is a
loss making part of the menu. That there is
more waste than sales; and restaurant reviews
scarcely give a column millimetre to the
cheese offer – more often than not referring
to the five or six ‘smears on a plate’ looking
unappetising and also so expensive for what
is offered. But the cheeseboard is easy when
you understand how it works and why it can
be a lynchpin to the rest of the menu,
especially the wine list.
“The cheeseboard is easy
when you understand
how it works and it can
be a lynchpin to the rest
of the menu.”
I love what is happening with dining at the moment – the great buzz with bars showcasing wine
by the glass and utilizing Coravin equipment – and alongside this serious approach to wine are
small tasting plates including cheese and other easy to prepare foods. I love this idea but I also
sometimes despair – because the wine is obviously the star – but the other products, especially
the cheese, are a sort of afterthought. Although there are places showing a real sense of
occasion with the cheese offer and who I am sure get their figures right.
I thought I could do something with this and started a Friday ‘bar and cheese evening’ at our
No.6 part of the shop in Moxon Street. Would customers be interested in the cheese as much
as the wine? Would I know how to marry the two effectively and make it work on all fronts –
both bottom line and on the table? We already have a café area in the shop serving cheese plates
all through the day until we close and for the past 13 years we have grown in confidence in the
way we put our selections together; and also through the special events in the evening centred
on taste and pairings. In the 12 months that No.6 Friday nights have been operating, we can see
it is successful and something to push forward and explore as a stand-alone business. I know
that we are lucky with the diverse selection of cheese, but I am also an avid wine enthusiast and
our list is geared to how it works with cheese too. The tasting notes for the wines are just as well
informed as those for the cheese.
I have worked with restaurants showing how a cheese board can look exciting and interactive,
but now I have to show how fewer cheeses can also be able to sit alongside several different
styles of wine and even chosen one at time rather than a selection of several on the plate. The
juiciness of Epoisses can be great with a Burgundy, Bordeaux or Languedoc Roussillon (yes it
can and does work even with a white wine!). I’ve always been of the opinion that to get to grips
with cheese and wine, it is easy to match by region, but once you have the taste in your mind you
can dance around the wine list from white to red to rosé. However, you do need to have time with
a colleague who will be willing to explore the idea of exciting, if not unorthodox, tastes placed
on the cheese part of the menu. Think about writing a short list in a box on the menu with four
or five cheeses chosen for their taste and style with a selected few wines. A customer can then
choose one or more with a specific glass of wine. You can then update this list regularly to keep
the momentum going.
Right now we are getting new season produce, so don’t leave chef out of the equation either.
Take asparagus for instance. A raw salad of asparagus with shavings of Ticklemore goat cheese,
a dressing of fruity olive oil and a squeeze of lemon would be a lovely little course to serve on the
cheese menu with a glass of Verdicchio or Sancerre. Or a homemade chilli jam with Gorgonzola
Naturale and a glass of Chianti. This sort of detail is a delight for a customer who would probably
have skipped the cheese.
So, I am suggesting the following; have a word
with your cheese supplier and ask for several
cheeses to taste with various styles of wines,
beers and even spirits or cider of your choice.
It is a great opportunity to meet your supplier
and look at the possibilities together. Look at
your drink list and highlight the wines that you
know your customers like and which you are
willing to serve by the glass with the cheese
course. Then start tasting and matching.
You may find that as you taste the cheese and
the wine, other options come to mind, which
could be relevant to your style of business and
menu. Don’t just think of goat cheese with a
Sancerre – why not look at a Southern Rhone
red or a cocktail with a fancy gin?
“Exciting wine and
cheese pairings would
benefit from just a few
well-chosen words on a
menu to emphasise their
taste and style.”
At the moment, although I have an extensive cheese selection from all over Europe, I am also
bringing in American artisan farmhouse cheeses, as I want to highlight them with great US wines.
I am more than happy to enjoy a fine Stilton with a glass of Champagne or a chewy Livarot with
whisky, or a perfect slice of Montgomery Cheddar aged 14-18 months with a glass of Pomerol.
And my new addiction is the classy Pessac-Leognan white Graves with Ossau Pyrenees ewe’s
milk and St Nectaire.
Exciting wine and cheese pairings would benefit from just a few well-chosen words on a menu
to emphasise their taste and style. It’s also far more engaging and rewarding than just putting,
‘cheese £9 or supplement.’
The cheese board is now a voyage of discovery to be dipped into and explored. The input of the
front of house and sommelier – along with the kitchen creating interesting seasonal and regional
accompaniments – can give the customers a delightful experience of their expertise and, most
importantly, their suppliers’ knowledge.
Patricia Michelson
Founder and director, La Fromagerie
—
@LaFromagerieUk
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Are you being served?
The Dumbwaiter thinks that the thousands of servers in London’s restaurants deserve
recognition for their outstanding drive and passion. In each issue of the Quarterly,
we will feature two people who have stood out over the past three months.
If you’d like to nominate someone for the next issue of the
CODE Quarterly, please email: contact@code-london.co.uk
Sam Inch
Waiter at Café Murano
Martina Franco Gota
Waitress at Bó Drake
Age : 26
Nationality : British
Age : 24
Nationality : Spanish
Who inspires you?
My Dad. He’s hard working and took jobs he
didn’t particularly enjoy to earn money, which
allowed me to do a job that I love.
Why did you go into hospitality?
I left college having studied media studies
and I was never really interested in it. I started
working with the breakfast team at Beefeater
to earn some money and I fell in love with
restaurants.
If you weren’t in the industry,
what would you be?
Ski instructor.
What makes a good waiter/waitress?
Being approachable, personable and friendly.
If you have the wrong attitude, then so will the
customer.
Café Murano
33 St James’s Street, SW1A 1HD
cafemurano.co.uk
Restaurant pet-hate?
Upselling. I hate it when you’re made to feel
awkward for not ordering the special of the
day or an extra cocktail that you didn’t want
in the first place.
Best place for a coffee during your break?
Monmouth. It’s the best coffee in London.
Best place for a post-service bite to eat?
Subway in Tottenham Court Road. It’s open
24-hours and fills you up after a long shift!
Who inspires you?
Charles Vexenat. He’s a French mixologist
with a big beard and he makes amazing
molecular cocktails. His energy and passion
is infectious and he made me fall in love with
cocktails.
Why did you go into hospitality?
My grandfather was running a restaurant at 60
years of age and I started helping when I was
12 by clearing the empty glasses and carrying
trays. I loved the atmosphere.
If you weren’t in the industry,
what would you be?
An actress.
What makes a good waiter/waitress?
The ability to make your customers laugh. I
love being able to make a miserable customer
Bó Drake
8 Greek Street, W1D 4DE
bodrake.co.uk
laugh and smile. You have to be the face of
the business. The most important thing is to
make people happy.
Restaurant pet-hate?
When people are constantly texting/tweeting/
talking on their phones. You’re out for dinner –
enjoy the moment!
Best place for a coffee during your break?
The ground-floor café at La Bodega Negra.
Maybe a shot of Tequila instead of a coffee
though!
Best place for a post-service bite to eat?
Chotto Matte. The food is really inventive
and very tasty. The service is also warm and
friendly which makes me want to go back.
Issue 2 | March 2015
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Guess the restaurant
In association with
The Dumbwaiter
Think you can spot your favourite restaurant at the blink of an eye?
The Dumbwaiter’s been out and about, snapping away in some of London’s
best restaurants – all you have to do is match the picture with the name.
Answers are at the bottom of the page.
Good luck!
Spring
Fera
LeCoq
3
Blacklock
1
Hutong
2
Beast
5
6
8
4
The Manor
7
Holborn
Dining
Room
Kitty Fisher’s
9
10
The
Drapers
Arms
Answers :
1 Spring | 2 Kitty Fisher’s | 3 Holborn Dining
Room | 4 Fera | 5 The Drapers Arms
6 The Manor | 7 Blacklock | 8 Hutong
9 LeCoq | 10 Beast
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The Quaffing
Cabinet
In association with
Our resident wine expert, Zeren Wilson,
discovers his glass is more than half full when
it comes to the state of wine in London’s restaurants.
‘B
lessed are the wine drinkers...’ – Is that how it goes? Something like that, anyway...
We’re a lucky lot here in London, that’s for sure. Have we ever had it so good?
There has been a palpable shift in the wine-drinking atmosphere over the last few
years amongst a whole clutch of restaurants and wine bars, a line that can be traced back to
the opening in 2005 of the groundbreaking first Vinoteca in Farringdon. From the joy and shock
at the eye widening value and quality of the list
at 10 Greek Street when they first opened,
through to the launch of the Coravin “wine by
the glass without pulling the cork” system last
year, there has been enough going on in
between to see it as some kind of ‘minirevolution’, an added impetus to a change
that began around ten years ago.
“The West End, centre
of town, and even the
City now bristles with
good options.”
The trailblazer for wine offering in the fine
dining restaurant world was indisputably Arbutus in Soho, opening in 2006, with more than sixty
wines offered by the 250ml carafe, and gaining a Michelin star just eight months later. At the time
this was way ahead of the number of options you’d find anywhere else.
When Sager + Wilde opened in 2013, it represented (in my mind anyway) a moment when the
landscape ‘shifted’ further, a spot that brought attitude, chutzpah, and a ferociously exciting
list that had a healthy bias to lesser seen fine Californian wines (this lover of Golden State wine
was chuffed) alongside some of the finest wines on the planet at margins that would make most
Michelin starred joints blush: on a hitherto dismal stretch of Hackney Road. Five years ago this
just wouldn’t have seemed feasible.
For many years, Andrew Edmunds in Soho (established in 1986) was one of the only places
offering serious wine in a restaurant environment at bloody reasonable prices, enough to dictate
the decision to eat there, based largely (though not solely) on the fact you could drink Pol Roger
by the glass and then pile into something else from the board, knowing that the value in drinking
here was incomparable in central London. Shampers is another stalwart that remains, doing its
thing on Kingly street with zero faff and bypassed by the scenesters, serving proper wines at
margins that make you smile, while serving up the marvellous squid with chilli and ginger.
Another marker for the renewed energy and vim in the on-trade wine scene has come from the
ongoing influence of the ‘natural’ wine movement, and the arrival of Terroirs near Trafalgar Square
in 2008 seemed to add a new dimension to the discussion of wine, one that is still being explored
and debated with gusto across the industry, and now filtering into the mainstream. ‘Orange’ wine
and whites with grippy tannins from extended skin maceration, are no longer the preserve of chin
scratching wine nerds: these are wines being increasingly written about, tasted, and poured in
restaurants and wine bars across town.
It’s encouraging that the wine scene finally seems to be keeping pace with the giddying pace
of London restaurant openings, and I’m selfishly pleased that some of this has even pushed
out closer to where I live: the dazzling list at Verden in Clapton (five years ago, in Clapton? No
chance); the daily changing and intriguing list at Primeur on the Canonbury/Stoke Newington
borders; new arrival Vinarius on Roman Road; quirky and ‘natural’ heavy P. Franco, also in
Clapton – no longer the need to trek into town every time. Hoorah.
The West End, centre of town, and even the City now bristles with good options, many which
lend themselves to casual drop-ins. Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels is a very welcome addition
to Covent Garden; The 10 Cases Bistrot à Vin beside the restaurant is another gem; Newman
Street Tavern; The Remedy in Fitzrovia; the excellent value Champagne at Bubbledogs; the 28:50
sites; new opening Portland are already listing some belters; a well chosen, thoughtful list at
Spring; the sharp list at Lyle’s...and it goes on...
Coravin have made quite a noise, and are increasingly being used all over the shop. Walk into
Goodman steak restaurant and the Coravin options present themselves on the first page.
8 Hoxton Square (sister restaurant to 10 Greek Street) have been pouring from magnum using
the system, and 28:50 have poured legendary Burgundy producer Domaine de la RomanéeConti. Both Sager and Wilde and Mission E2 are having fun with it. Other early adopters include
Hawksmoor, The Ledbury and Fera at Claridge’s. It has twisted a few people’s melons, man.
This year shows no sign of slowing up. As well as having the best name of any wine merchant,
Planet of the Grapes have been plying their trade quietly for years at their Leadenhall Market and
Bow Lane sites, and have just signed the lease for a new bar near Moorgate, with another in the
pipeline, and I’m already hearing news of interesting new wine led ventures planned in the coming
months.
A final indicator of this Brave New World of wine drinking may be the convergence of good wine
with the street food phenomenon, with Ruth Spivey’s Street Vin appearing at Hawker House on
Kingsland Road: when you’re necking Château Figeac 1994 alongside short-rib tacos and pork
belly stuffed bao buns opposite ‘Whisky Roulette’ in a former 19th century hardware store, you
know that something’s changed.
We may not be about to inherit the earth, but London appears to be pretty blessed right now with
a different kind of Sacrament. More wine, vicar?
Zeren Wilson
Food writer, wine consultant and founder of bittenandwritten.com
—
@bittenwritten
Issue 2 | March 2015
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Destination CODE:
San Francisco
In association with
CODE Travel Guides
Move over New York – San Francisco is where it’s at.
CODE’s Adam Hyman visited the city by the bay and
fell in love with its vibrant, independent dining scene.
I
t started with a phone call to Ken Friedman in New York – co-founder of The Spotted
Pig – who had recently opened a restaurant in San Francisco. “Come to Tosca,
pre-order the roast chicken, and then go to Chez Panisse. It’s the most influential
restaurant in North America.” So, we did just that. As well as lots more.
San Francisco not only boasts the weather
we long for in the UK, as well as the lifestyle,
but it currently has one of the most exciting
restaurant scenes in the States.
“...go to Chez Panisse.
It’s the most influential
restaurant in North
America.”
Ask someone to name an American city that
they’d recommend visiting for restaurants and
no doubt most would say New York. But an 11
hour flight from London gets you to, what
many call, America’s best food city. San Francisco has long been a food destination in its
own right, with the likes of Alice Waters and the late Judy Rodgers, to name but a few.
Landing at San Francisco International on a balmy Friday evening in October, we Uber’d to our
hotel. The Kensington Park hotel (Doubles from £170; kensingtonparkhotel.com) is perfectly
located on Post Street, just off Union Square, for a long weekend in the city. Rooms in the 1925
Gothic style building have views across the topographically challenged city.
“Getting a reservation
here makes booking
a table at Chiltern
Firehouse look like
a piece of cake.”
Dinner that night – jet lagged to the max – was at Tosca (toscacafesf.com). April Bloomfield and
Ken Friedman have revamped the iconic bar. Although the jukebox, piano and murals on the
wall remain in place, Tosca is now a restaurant too. Yet, it’s distinctly different to their New York
establishments. An open-kitchen looks out onto a dining room with dark wood and red
leather banquettes. A meal of roasted treviso, crispy pig tails, gemelli pasta with black pepper
and pecorino Toscana and that roasted chicken with ricotta, pine nuts and marsala shows off
Bloomfield’s skill in the kitchen. You can see why it made Bon Appétit’s 10 best new restaurants
of 2014.
An early morning run before the city awoke on Saturday morning, took us past Zuni Café, which
resulted in us booking a table for brunch the next day. A flat white from Blue Bottle Coffee
(bluebottlecoffe.com) – they have now expanded into Japan – kept us going in the 90-minute
queue at Plow in Potrero Hill (eatatplow.com). The rest of the locals came prepared with Thermos
flasks of Mimosas; the American’s have such commitment and dedication to brunch.
Lemon and ricotta pancakes, apple sausages and the best crispy fried potatoes in the city, were
worth the wait and fuelled us for the short train ride on the BART to lunch at Chez Panisse in
Berkeley (chezpanisse.com). Alice Water’s Shattuck Avenue restaurant has been so influential in
shaping modern day American restaurants and San Francisco is scattered with Chez Panisse
alumni who have gone on to open their own places. Our lunch in the upstairs café was grown-up
yet relaxed. The sort of experience you get at The River Café in London.
Although it was unnecessary after a full day of eating, we finished the day with a late dinner
of pork chops and burgers at Nopa (nopasf.com).
Far too many Manhattans at Nopa, meant the
third day in the city started with fuzzy heads.
The weather had been kind to us yet again
and it was off to brunch at Zuni Café
(zunicafe.com). We were first through the
doors to the famous restaurant in the
triangular building on Market Street at 11am.
Fifteen minutes later, every table was
occupied. Bloody Marys, oysters, Caesar
salad, scrambled eggs with summer truffles
and shoestring fries – this restaurant is still at
the top of its game 35 years after it opened.
Visits to Delfina Pizzeria (pizzeriadelfina.com)
and Bi-Rite Creamery (biritecreamery.com)
– their flavours include strawberry balsamic,
honey lavender and salted caramel –
reassured us just how diverse and individual
San Francisco’s food scene is. It’s not about
chasing trends in this city.
State Bird Provisions (statebirdsf.com) –
getting a reservation here makes booking a
table at Chiltern Firehouse look like a piece
of cake – had come highly recommended by
both Oliver Peyton and Marina O’Loughlin. We
decided to chance it and rocked up without
a reservation at 6pm on Sunday evening and,
by some twist of fate by the culinary Gods, we
managed to get a table thanks to a last minute
cancellation.
The décor is similar to that of Beard in Tokyo,
but it’s fair to say that this is some of the most
distinctive food I’ve eaten in a long while. It’s
difficult to try and compare it to anywhere else.
A kind of fusion menu that manages to remain
focused. There are only fifteen dishes on the
menu but they also bring out dishes on trolleys
and trays – a mashup of cichetti and dim sum
– for you to choose from during your meal.
A sexy meals on wheels, if you will.
Sweetcorn pancakes with local Mt. Tam
cheese, guinea fowl dumplings in a broth,
roasted bone marrow with mushrooms and
pink peppercorn and a small plate of duck
ham. Buttermilk fried state bird (quail is the
bird of California) and bacon-curry with crispy
beef sweetbreads and pickled squash. If
there’s one restaurant in San Francisco to visit,
this is it.
The next morning we had one more place to
visit that was on our hit list. Some may say
we’d left the best till last. With our Rimowas
in tow, we headed to Swan Oyster Depot
(sfswanoysterdepot.com) for cold beers and
fresh seafood. We headed off to San
Francisco airport, with Scott Mackenzie
playing, full of fresh crab, smoked salmon
and oysters.
I fell in love again with San Francisco eight
years after first visiting. Just be sure to wear
some flowers in your hair.
Adam Hyman
Founder, CODE
—
@AdamMHyman
Issue 2 | March 2015
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