People of London, Part II

Did you miss Part I ?  Here it is:  https://stroudallover.blogspot.de/2017/12/people-of-london.html

I know both my faithful readers have been up all night, drinking heavily, their

hearts aglow, waiting for the next installment of People of London.  Always 

daring to please even your darkest desires, I raced back to London to chat with

 more Londoners and down a few very bright and stirring beverages.

Now let’s begin our journey back into the hearts and souls of those who call this 

fabulous city their home.

Lorenzo to the left, Mustafa to the right

There’s the barmen at 45 Jermyn St, pronounced German.  #45 is a part of the very

famous grocers, Fortnum & Mason, but a floor down, with a separate entry on

 Jermyn Street, while F & M’s entry is around the corner on Piccadilly.  Wonderful

 place to stop in for an afternoon pick-me-up.  Make sure to sit at the bar.  The

 barkeeps listen intently as you describe your taste preference and cater to you

 personally. Lorenzo and Mustafa know their stuff.  Lorenzo is from Italy and

 Mustafa is British.

Three of us order a gin and tonic, but add, “Make this a special one.” A discussion

follows of tastes and preferences.  With these barmen, hearing about a customer’s 

tastes is not just idle chatter. They offer what has become the rarest of services, 

they listen.

Mustafa brings over a bottle of Sipsmith, a gin made in London.  “This is my

favorite,” he says and begins a litany of all the aromas and flavors, with hints of

this and that.  His extensive knowledge not only informs, but exudes charm and 

trust. Good reason.  I feel sure he could tell you every ingredient in every bottle on 

the bar.

“And the tonic?” I ask.  Mustafa grabs a bottle of Double Dutch India tonic from

the frig, a brand recently created by twins from the Netherlands, Joyce and Raissa.

You know, of course, that gin originally came from the Netherlands.

“You’ll find this is not too sweet, but pairs well with the Sipsmith,” He says. I found 

this to be exactly true, with just a bare squeeze of lemon to brighten it up.  The man

 certainly knows how to listen and faultlessly match flavors to my taste buds.

No artificial ingredients, colorings, or additives in this tonic and paired with Sipsmith, 

it’s the best gin and tonic ever to tickle my tongue and slide down my thirsty throat. 

High praise from a very experienced throat.

We’d ordered salads, so as not to appear mere drinkers with a rabid thirst.  Lorenzo 

explained buratta to us.  “It’s the creamy inside of fresh mozzarella, and so delicious.

You’ll love this salad.”  And so we did!

But, just in case you're having breakfast and not at present into gin and tonic I've 

included a recipe (from Genius Kitchen web site) for a Bloody Mary, that very roughly

approximates the fab Bloody Mary served at 45 Jermyn.

Having slaked our thirst and hunger, we wandered just down the street in search of 

more conversations.

Berry Brothers & Rudd are the oldest purveyors of wine and spirits in London and

although the main shop is still in the same place it has been for centuries, around the corner

they have just opened a more expansive retail wine and spirit shop. Quinton, 

a young Frenchman works there and so do Englishmen, George and Rob.

Quinton is spelled the same way in French, but pronounced something like Coun-tan.  

You know those French, love ‘em or hate’em, you have to love ‘em.

Quinton was quick to answer questions about wine and spirits, but he is also a

home-taught chef who was exuberant about cooking.  A very saucy man.  Yes, 

dear ones, that is called a pun.

But, as a man with an interest in languages, I had to ask how Quinton became so

proficient in English. “At first I had only English from school, which everyone knows

is only good for learning words and phrases you will never use. (laughing)  

‘My grandmother’s pen rests on the table.’  Which has never come up in conversation.

 So, I kept practicing with friends and when I got a job here, English came very fast.”

Both George and Quinton told us about a liquor concocted by Berry Bro & Rudd in

1903 for the King Edward VII of England.  George’s version was:  “The King’s

Ginger was commissioned by Royal Physicians to keep the King warm and revived

during his morning drives in his Daimler auto, the first ‘horseless carriage’ to be

owned by the Royal Family.”  George poured us a taste.  We bought a couple of bottles. 

Want to know more? http://thekingsginger.com/ 

The King’s Ginger does indeed have a gingery flavor, but it’s more complex than that.  

Try to imagine the aromas of Christmas, with cinnamon and ginger and pine and the

heat from a roaring fire.  I’ve no doubt it pleased the king as he braved the crisp 

morning air and put pedal to the metal.

By the way, King Edward, who only reined 1901-1910, was the eldest of Queen

Victoria’s children. Just to whet your appetite to know more, let’s say Edward lived

LARGE.

In the afternoon, it was off to Duke’s Bar at Dukes Hotel. 

Sitting and waiting for a table and a Vespa Martini at the world famous Duke’s Bar

in the Duke’s Hotel, we met a young Brit couple who live just outside the city and

came in for a night. A delightful pair!  Do they come into the city often?

“No, not really.”  Have they been to Duke’s before?  “No, never.”  And then we chat

 lightly about living in America and England.

Not sure what a Vespa Martini is or curious about the Duke’s Bar experience? 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.de/2015/04/a-martini-worthy-of-james-bond-dukes.html

Also waiting was an actor, That’s the PC, generic term for male and females with

beautiful faces who are paid exorbitant amounts to pretend to be someone else. 

But in the non-PC world, she is an actress.  So much more polite to say actress than

 to speak of genitalia. . 

But, yes, she is both very beautiful and very charming, with dark hair and hypnotic 

eyes. As I fell under her spell, I just had to ask a delicate question that didn’t involve 

Harvey Weinstein. “So are actors able to compartmentalize and go full steam ahead

at auditions?  Do you worry about anything or anybody?”

“I don’t do a good job of compartmentalizing. I keep thinking, ‘Oh! the woman

before me did such a good job!’ and the air is filled with insecurities.”

She’s not an American native, but from Victoria, British Columbia and I kept 

thinking, she’s a Canadian, living in L.A., visiting London and chatting with a

 couple of Americans who live in Germany.

But, then, that’s the essence of London, people from all over, coming to populate

a city, some staying forever and some for only a short time.  But short stay or long, 

people are the city.

Try not to forget this valuable lesson, children, when you visit this wonderful city,

shopping, drinking everywhere from the neighborhood pub to the some of the finest

and most elegant watering holes in the world.  And never again just walk past the

shopkeepers and policemen.  Want to get to know London? Get to know the people!

 So endeth the daily lesson.

from Genius Kitchen

·       3cups tomato juice

·       3tablespoons lemon juice

·       3tablespoons lime juice

·       1tablespoon prepared horseradish

·       1 ¹⁄₂tablespoonsWorcestershire sauce

·       ¹⁄₄teaspoon garlic powder

·       ³⁄₄teaspoon Tabasco sauce

·       ³⁄₄teaspoon celery salt

·       ¹⁄₂teaspoon coarse black pepper

·       ¹⁄₃cup pickle juice

·       1ounce vodka, per drink

DIRECTIONS

1.   In a blender combine the tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pickle juice, and hot sauce and process until smooth. Transfer to a nonreactive container and add celery salt and black pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2.   When ready to serve, fill each glass with ice.

3.   Add 1 ounce of vodka to each glass, then fill the glass with the bloody Mary mix. Stir well, and garnish each glass with your favorite veggie, pickle, celery, pickled green bean, or a pickled okra.

There’s Something About London

I’ve been going to London for decades, and yet I’m always thrilled at the prospect and thrilled when I get there.  How can that be?  Once you’ve seen it, you’re seen it, right?  Not quite.  Once you’ve seen it, you’ve fallen in love with the architecture, the history, nights at the theater, days and nights at the pubs, the outrageously priced cocktails at the Savoy’s American Bar, martinis made at the table in Duke’s Bar at the Duke Hotel.  

Indian food.  China town. 

Perhaps it’s Fortnum and Mason, the most elegant grocery store in the world, or next door at Hatchards, London’s oldest bookstore.  Maybe it was standing in front of Buckingham Palace and viewing the most famous military parade in the world, the every popular Changing of the Guard.

It may be walking into Floris perfumery and being overwhelmed by scents of every variety, including the famous #89, the mythical James Bond’s favorite, or, stepping into the incomparable Food Court at Harrod’s.

So many more astonishing things I’ve done. A visit to Fuller’s Brewery and its thirst quenching tasting room.  A Scotland versus England World Cup preliminary match at Wembley Stadium.  

Getting a tour of the Victoria and Albert Museum.  Seeing the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles at the British Museum.  Going to an open night of The Producers and having Mel Brooks take the stage for a hilarious, impromptu chat.

Before you start your day, pick out a spot for a full English breakfast.  Ever had a full English breakfast?  What’s that?  Oh, how I’d like to see the child-like wonder in your eyes.

Without a doubt, London is a never-ending string of pleasures and surprises.

Samuel Johnson was spot on when he wrote, “A man who is tired of London is tired of life.”

And when you walk the streets of London, it’s a tour through English and European history.  View the Magna Carta in the British Library and learn what it really says, or look at handwritten Beatles’ lyrics.  https://www.bl.uk/#

A Beatles’ fan?  When you walk down Seville Row, that famous street of ‘bespoke’ tailoring, check out the rooftop (from ground level) where the Beatles played their last concert. Listen for the echoes of 1969.

It just may be you’re a literature lover.  Charles Dickens. George Orwell. Will Shakespeare.  All lived or worked here and you can follow in their tracks.  More modern?  J.K. Rowling. Julian Barnes. Ian McEwan. Jeffery Archer. Ian Fleming.

Do your own research. Find out where they lived and worked before you go. Or sign up for a fabulous walking tour that matches your fancy. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186338-Activities-c42-t183-London_England.html

Don’t forget the unforgetable London markets. Boroughs Market, to mention just one of many. I ate the best oysters of my life there.  It’s a place where the fish mongers have done their own fishing and the ice cream shops make their own ice cream.  Meats roast over open fire pits and savory crepes come fresh off the hot plate.  Cheeses come direct from the farms. Come hungry and don’t miss the nearby pubs.  Huge hint:  NEVER pass up a pub.

Dozens of historic pubs.  The Mayflower, where the famous ship of that name first sailed. The Grenadier.  The Lamb and Flag, also known as the Bucket of Blood.  Wonderful pubs go on and on, and so will you! Another hint:  Always go for the hand pulled ‘real’ ale.

And after you’ve been to London a few dozen times, don’t even begin to say you know London. How about shops that have been there since the 17^th Century? Greenwich, the home of time and distance?

My advice:  Plan on going to London for a week a year, for the rest of your life.  Still, that will not be enough time.  But, I keep trying… By the way, did you know that Karl Marx is buried at the Highgate Cemetery in London?  https://highgatecemetery.org/       Just asking….