LONDON calling: The Pantechnicon Rooms

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This is just a wee bit more than your typical pub. So we had a wee bit more than your typical lunch at Pantechnicon. With a pitcher of summery Pimms on deck, it was a veritable feast in celebration of our arrival in London after many years away and old friends.

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The starters were mixed: some stronger than others, some memorable and some lost. Four miniscule Scottish scallops were surrounded by wisps of fennel and peas and dribbles of chorizo dressing. It had a little bit of everything from spicy fatty chorizo to sweet earthy peas and tender scallops, just not enough. Fried calamari came in a basket, crisp, hot and fresh with just enough cooling lime dressing and spicy chilli sauce. It was typical, familiar and tasty. The sharing plate trio was much less appealing— the short rib pastrami was dry and burnt, the pulled pork croquette was flavorless, and the pork ribs were dull.

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What possessed me to get a salad is beyond me. Maybe it was that crispy duck egg that hypnotized me. Sometimes salads are your favorite, but this “salad” was missing what makes a salad. The base of the “salad” was a thick bed of chewy, stiff, dark wild rice, which was mostly inedible in my book. The crispy duck egg, figs, zucchini and almonds, however, were tasty on their own. There was so much crunch from the egg and a creaminess from its soft yolky center that added richness to the merlot dressing and summery ingredients. Good thing my friend and sister are much lighter eaters than I am.

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Both mains were hearty, not extremely creative nor memorable, but solid and satiating. The flanks of pork rib eye were tender and juicy, topped with a chunky apple chutney to complete the classic pair. The sweetness of the round sweet potato contrasted the earthy mushy peas, highlighting the salt of the meat and long crunchy chicarron. Even the spicy baby chicken was well executed but just chicken with a fat scoop of mashed potatoes. The bone marrow and Madeira jus and mushroom sauces added oomph but were unnecessary in the end.

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Yes, lunch was necessary and nourishing, but it was just a backdrop for memories, laughter, catching up and the essential Pimms. It was more than just a meal; it was the start of a great trip with great friends.

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starring SALAD: Park & Sixth Restaurant and Drinkery

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It’s funny when a salad is your favorite dish of the meal, especially when you’re gorging on gastropub fare. It happens, and it happened at Park& Sixth Restaurant and Drinkery. You never would’ve guessed that a beet salad would be the star of your show when cheesy pulled pork mac and cheese, succulent scallops with dense risotto, and garlicky oil-drenched chorizo and scrimp sidled up to your table.

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But it was. It was fresh and it was last. And it was beautiful. Sweet ruby beets, velvety in texture and in color, resting on emerald mesculin lettuce, provided a cool kind of warmth with a royal delicacy. Pale pink rings of pickled onion and herbed goat cheese shone like diamonds against the darker richer hues, while the salad glimmered, sparkling with cayenne candied almonds. This was just a salad, but the combination of the flavors from the sweet beets, the spicy nuts and aromatic cheese was magic, only rivaled by the raucous textures and crunch.

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Everything looked just as scrumptious as that broach of a salad, but flavors fell flat, textures were off, and execution was a shadow. The pulled pork mac and cheese, a special for the evening, was hot and melty, just like you like it, but the meat was so sparse in the sea of fluctuating cheese.

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But the two scallops had promise, the sweetness of the sea and salt with a healthy dose of pepper. It was the truffled risotto dotted with wild mushrooms that held back the small starter. The rice was not cooked enough, with dry chewy centers, and the risotto was lacking the creaminess you were expecting.

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Shrimp and chorizo go together, forever, but the oil became spicy almost until you could not bare it. The crunchy bread dulled the heat and softened with the oil, enabling the shrimp and fatty chorizo.

Park & Sixth’s (gastropub) refined renegade menu offers classics with a twist to amp up “dive bar bites,” but the lovely beet salad wove into your memory as those gem tones emanated in the night.

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LITERARY devices: The Shakespeare

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Sometimes a catch-up session with one of your favorite gals can cure all, but a fat burger and thick fries and a yummy Pimm’s beverage most definitely can help. After a tasty drink and a not so tasty snack at The Archive, the gal pal and I headed to The Shakespeare for something a little more substantial (and delicious).

Walking down the stairs to the lower-level entryway felt like we were breaking the rules and crashing a secret clubhouse. Dim lights and hot hostesses greeted us, along with dark walls and a kind of inexplicable British warmth.  Tables crowded in close, creating an intimate space and communal conversation and spirit in the dining area. Pictures and paraphernalia took over the deep read walls, fighting for attention in harmonious contention. Candles dripping hot wax lined a congested mantle piece warming the room and emanating the feeling that it was dark and late outside.

Pretty punch hypnotized with Bourbon, mint iced tea and floral cucumber and sweet Pimm’s and Chambord with tangy sweet lemonade quenched thirst and amplified smiles.

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But the creamy rosemary and herb-laced pot of homemade ricotta swimming with olive oil and aged balsamic, soothed raucous feelings. The smooth cheese spread across the warm bread with sensual ease and filled the proximity with delectable aromas, pleasant and revealing.

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And then there was the burger—fat and stacked high on a little wooden board, accompanied by tall wide “chips.” Its toppings were dreams, mingling to create refined pub fare and complex bites, memorable and comforting. Thick rashers of super smoky bacon straddled white melted cheddar crowning a perfect house blend patty. Salty tart thin sliced pickles, pungent spicy rings of red onion and dark green strands of lettuce added brightness to the fatty meat and buttery sesame seed bun. It was more than a burger; it was catharsis and a feeling.

The Shakespeare offered ambiance and attentive service. It dished up lovely refreshing drinks and flavorful food evoking pub moments. It was perfect for gossip and support and hearty laughs.

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come

-William Shakespeare 

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the TAIL END of brunch : Park & Sixth Gastropub

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After being put on the list for a table at another place, and driving in circles looking for something enticing enough for the sunny day, we stumbled on Park & Sixth Gastropub just in time for brunch. Relieved, we ordered the discounted brunch drinks— a sweet and strong bellini for me, and a sharp and generic mimosa for him, each $4.

The brief brunch menu had just enough, but the mix of the sophisticated and the comfortable struck me. The menu played to both tastes, creating an interesting aesthetic, almost as eclectic and precise as the décor.

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The brisket and fresh mozzarella sandwich came with a sweet little basket of fries. Its meat was tender and its mozzarella was stretchy on the toasty bread. The two elements melded, fused by cheese and grease.  However, the meaty au jus overwhelmed the sandwich, taking away from the classic execution of the slow cooked meat and the texture of the cheese. The fries, however, were absolutely delicious; crispy, soft in the middle, well seasoned and hot.

The duck confit hash dish was beautiful— a formed round mound of chunky hash, two white poached eggs, crowned with some delicate micro greens and a weeping dollop of chipotle hollandaise. When I went to puncture the poached eggs to let the rich yolk ooze over the duck and potato hash, there was no runny yolk just solid over cooked middle. Yes, I was disappointed, but I was ready to eat it without complaint. An off duty server noticed my discontent and mentioned something to the manager who came directly over to talk to me. She was extremely nice, and offered me a new plate, which I accepted.

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And I was so glad I did. These second poached eggs were runny and mixed with the large cut potatoes and stringy duck perfectly. It was rich and filling with a lovely flavor profile, ranging from the salty and fatty duck, to the creamy starchy potatoes, tangy slivers of cooked red peppers, and the smooth and spicy chipotle hollandaise. So rich and so luxurious, I could not finish it (please note: it was finished).

After a while and different servers checked in on us, we decided to get dessert, landing on the “chipwich” which included some chocolate chip cookies and salted caramel gelato. Our taste buds were ready for something ridiculously sweet after the intensely savory brunch we just had. We received tiny dessertspoons, only for our server to tell us that they had run out of the requested dessert. Great.

We left with a bad taste in our mouths, feeling like the service was lacking and the staff unsteady. Despite manager’s professionalism, the staff was super casual, chatting amongst themselves, and not so attentive. Maybe it was a shift change or we arrived at the tail end of brunch, but we were kind of forgotten. Unfortunately, that was the resounding memory we were left with, not the details of delicious food.

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