OK, globetrotting VIKINGS fans…
This fall, our Minnesota Vikings play two games back-to-back across the pond. The first is in Dublin on September 28. Kickoff in London is at half two on October 5th. (That’s Brit-speak for 2:30)
Demand for the London game has been so high – 250,000 people are in the queue for Tottingham Stadium’s 63,000 seats – that Ticketmaster has paused sales.
I’ve recently talked to more than several Minnesotans who are planning on attending the games. If you’re among them, this is for you.
Knowing the London dining scene, I’d wager that the city’s highest-profile restaurants – J. SHEEKEY…SCOTT’S…THE RIVER CAFÉ, etc. – are already sold out.
But do not fret. I’m here to tell you about three sorta-secret UNDER THE RADAR neighborhood spots that Joanne and I have enjoyed immensely. You will, too, because in all likelihood, you still have time to snag a dinner reservation.
BTW, all three have proudly earned a coveted MICHELIN STAR – without going the “tweezer food” route. A PROPER FEED (with booze!) will run about $130 to $170 (or 100-120 pounds) per person. That ain’t cheap, but for food of this caliber, and a delightful evening out, it’s a bargain compared to many London hotspots.
Option 1 is 64 GOODGE STREET. The name is unlovely, but the location, in Fitzrovia, right next to Marylebone, couldn’t be more central.
Chef Stuart Andrew’s French-inflected menu features bold flavor combinations, as gutsy as they are refined. The dining room is handsome and cozy. Service is attentive and friendly without being overbearing.
You’ll be off to a good start with a couple snail, bacon, and black garlic bonbons (croquettes), along with a pair of crispy frog leg lollipops. Aw, c’mon Minnesota – STRAP IT ON!
Menu highlights include a saddle of rabbit with “Sauce Moutard” (mustard)…simply grilled sliced tenderloin with Bernaise sauce…and Joanne’s pick, the star of the show: lobster vol au vent (in a pastry shell). I can still hear her muttering (with a smile), “There’s TOO MUCH LOBSTER in this thing.”
As I said: these places ain’t dainty.
Next is a small Basque restaurant called LURRA, nestled quietly on a side street behind Marble Arch at 9 Seymour Place in Marylebone.
Inspired by time spent in San Sebastian, the center of Basque country cuisine, the owners opened Lurra in September of 2015.
The room’s bright Scandia design contradicts the rustic-homespun nature of Basque Cuisine, which is NOT pretty food, but instead is simple, straightforward and plain spoken.
Joanne and I have spent time in Basque country. Lurra is exactly how we remember the food.
We began with two items steeped in Basque tradition: grilled, blistered and salted Padron peppers and a platter of “piggy treats” – nutty, melt-in-your-mouth Iberico Ham, sliced paper thin. Connoisseurs of this delicacy, produced by the region’s black-hoofed, acorn-eating pigs, say it’s better than prosciutto.
Next, we enjoyed a half-dozen grilled langoustines, fresh from the waters near Spain and Portugal, complemented by a bottle of Basque Toxacoli, a spritzy white wine that’s as affordable as it is refreshing.
On to the mains….
From the white-hot, wood-fired grill came a whopping 2 lb. grilled ribeye sliced steak from 14-year-old Rubia Gallega Cows…long, long retired, free-roaming ex-milkers.
Let’s pause for a moment to note that these are NOT beef cattle. There’s a trend where restaurants – likely trying to save a buck or two on food costs – are selling the meat of retired dairy cattle as though it has some kind of special attributes. Meat suppliers will even age the steaks to ramp up the flavor and texture. At best, the meat is…fine. Adequate. Worthy. Certainly it’s fatty enough to be flavorful, and if you grill it properly, season it sufficiently and give it the right sauce, you can have a good meal. Especially in a setting as lovely as Lurra’s.
But, make no mistake, it’s a horse and a mouse when compared to the flavor, texture and chew of midwestern, corn-fed, dry-aged Angus.
So yeah, we liked it well enough. However, the real showstopper at Lurra – an entrée that caused me to suddenly sit straight up in my seat – was the COLOSSAL WHOLE TURBOT. When our server brought the uncooked to the table for our consideration, Joanne and I were a bit taken aback. It is a hideous flat fish, with no scales, that all but dares you to eat it.
I accepted the challenge. In fact, we ordered a two-pounder.
After a spin on the Lurra’s blazing wood grill, the turbot is generously brushed with Taxoli sauce – wine, shallots and butter, butter, BUTTER – then de-boned tableside. My recollection is that it easily fed the two of us and cost roughly $70. Well, well worth it.
Oh, and if you go, no matter how stuffed, bloated and TURGID you are after finishing off your entrees, you MUST try the Basque burnt mascarpone cheesecake. ‘Nuff said.
One more thing: If it’s just the two of you, ask for Table #3 in the corner by the window.
Finally, we come to THE NINTH, located on 22 Charlotte Street, one of London’s buzziest culinary thoroughfares (not far from Goodge Street). At first glance, The Ninth appears to be a humble little neighborhood joint. But behind its modest façade is a Michelin-starred jewel that strikes a perfect balance between sophisticated and approachable. It’s run by chef/owner Jun Tanaka, who cut his teeth at the world-famous temple of gastronomy, LA GAVROCHE, in Mayfair.
Eschewing the world of white tablecloths and hushed reverence for a more relaxed approach to refined dining, The Ninth serves up sharing plates of classic French cuisine with a dose of Italian comfort food.
Take note: If there are two of you, request TABLE #9, right in the front window overlooking the action on Charlotte Street.
Joanne and I shared three appetizers: Razor Clams Ceviche, fresh from the waters off Cornwall; a chilled plate of Vitello Tonnato (perfect for late summer); and Oxtail Croquettes in their crunchy casing, filled with well-seasoned, moist and juicy oxtail meat. They come resting on a punchy pool of watercress mayo and will run you about $4 each. DO NOT PASS THEM BY.
After another round of drinks, we moved on to Langoustine Ravioli – plump with a mixture of slightly sweet, slightly salty and utterly buttery tail meat. The real splurge, though, was our companion pasta: an order of Orecchiette with butter and egg yolk, smothered with a fistful of black truffles. A justifiable indulgence.
If you have room, don’t overlook the Salted Beef Cheeks with Grilled Hispi Cabbage in Oxtail Consommé. Just be sure you’ve saved some bread for sopping up the oxtail broth. Yeah, it’s okay to SOP at The Ninth.
Finally, as if we hadn’t eaten enough, we couldn’t pass up the classic French creation – THE PARIS-BREST. It’s a showstopper of toasted almond-studded choux pastry filled with creamy praline mousseline, made daily in the Ninth’s kitchen.
So that’s it, international travelers, food lovers and football fans.
Book now. AND GO VIKINGS!
WTF,
Phil