A Caravan in King’s Cross

© Caravan King's Cross

Armando took us for diner and drinks on a Saturday. The place Caravan King’s Cross, located in an amazing old grain store warehouse building. Opened 7 days a week, for breakfast, and lunch, dinner only Monday to Saturday. Their menu based on small plates to share, pizzas, and some large plates. 

The place

Loud music, noisy environment yet relax atmosphere, probably the high ceiling of the warehouse giving space sensation. Industrial décor, young and friendly staff, and wine served in lab flasks to keep the we’re cool London trend. 

Erlenmeyer Wine Flask

The well-travelled food started with ox tongue, mustard, honey, and beetroot. Great flavour, nice balance. We moved to chorizo and butternut squash croquettes with saffron aioli. Amazing, nice and crispy, the aioli was great and compliment the chorizo flavour, the soft centre a subtle contrast for the crispy croquette cover. Finally the scallops ceviche, green tomato, lime, chilli, and olive oil. Nice flavour, subtle scallops with the punch of the chilli. 

Ox time

Croquettes

Ceviche

Desert time came and we got the gingerbread treacle tart with clotted cream, extremely sweet and nice, great ending.

Gingerbread

Nice food, excellent for sharing, so if you’re planning to go be sure not to go alone. 

Ox reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The English Patient” 

Morty: Here he is. This is the man I wanted you to see. Izzy Mandelbaum. He's eighty years old, but strong as an ox. Watch this. See that? You couldn't do that.

Jerry: I could, but I choose not to

Caravan King's Cross
T: 020 7101 7661
International / Coffee
Approx Damage: £18pp
Area: King's Cross
Borough: Camden
Twitter: CaravanKingsX

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La Creperie in Fake Paris [On The Road: Las Vegas]

During the last trip to Vegas we stayed at the Paris hotel, it’s amazing to see the American take on amusement theme park based in the city of light. So surrounded by slot machines there was a small food vendor with the traditional French crepes, no other than La Creperie. 

The place

The place is open from 7am to 11pm, selling savory and sweet crepes, we got there did the queue and ordered a Forestiere sautéed spinach, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, basil topped with béchamel sauce, and a Toulouse, ground sausage, pepperoni, sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, basil, topped with marinara. 

Our crepes

They were bah! even though they are made from scratch, they were just ok, the forestiere béchamel was a bit odd, and the Toulouse was like a pizza, the mushrooms weren’t fresh, we were pretty sure they were can mushrooms, I guess is a quite bite, but if you have tried crepes in Paris don’t go for this as it’s nothing close to that experience. 

The chefs

Close up

Crepes remind me the Seinfeld episode “The English Patient” 

Jerry: This is quite a condo 

Morty: The Mandelbaums own the Magic Pan restaurants 

Jerry: The crepe place? 

Morty: Yeah. This is all big crepe money 

Jerry: There's crepe money?

La Creperie

T: +1 702 946 7000

French Cuisine

Approx Damage: $5pp

Area: The Strip
Las Vegas

Nevada

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A Visit to my Sydneysider Friends [On The Road]

No I'm not misspelling apparently that’s how you formally call Sydney inhabitants, the most populous city in Australia, established in 1788 as a penal colony. A place with mild winters and warm summers, with amazing beaches, and a cosmopolitan vibe. 

Sydney Opera House

Things not to miss are, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, have a stroll at the great coastal walk, enjoying sunbathing in any of the amazing beaches or take a surf lesson in the iconic Bondi Beach, have breakfast in any of the cafes around town, go for drinks in Surry Hills, go take a panoramic picture at the AMP tower also known as Sydney Tower, spend a lazy day walking around Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Garden, eating and drinking in The Rocks to enjoy 19th century warehouse converted into posh restaurants. 

Skyline

A local playing Didgeridoo

The Rocks

Bondi Beach

I had a great time there, and my friend Gian was a superb host and tour guide. 

Yesterday was Father's day I couldn't but remember the Seinfeld episode “The English Patient” 

Izzy: What are you doing here? 

Jerry: Mr Mandelbaum, I just wanted to come by and tell you how sorry I was that you hurt yourself 

Izzy: What the hell is that? 

Jerry: What? 

Izzy: That shirt. You think that you are the number one dad? 

Morty: This was a gift from my son 

Izzy: Oh, I see how it works now. He knocks me out to commission, so you can strut around in your fancy number one shirt. Well, I'll show you who's number one 

Jerry: Mr Mandelbaum, please 

Izzy: It's go time... Ahh, My back. I can't move 

Morty: Call an ambulance 

Jerry: I think I saw one a couple doors down

Sydney

Australia

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The Capital Grille

I was looking for a good steakhouse in Houston and my friend recommended going to The Capital Grille. You enter the place and is like a private cigar club, art deco, chandeliers, mahogany, and dim lighting. Prime dry aged steaks all over the menu, thanks god I already knew which one to order, Chef Jim Nuetzi classic cuisine creations, and more than 5000 bottles of wine in their list, is that enough? 

The Place

Dinner

For starter I got the classic Caesar Salad, hearts of Romaine lettuce, croutons, anchovy fillets, Reggiano parmesan, and their version of the Caesar dressing. Excellent, top notch, what you would expect to get from a steakhouse. As a main no questions, the Delmonico steak, bone in ribeye, 22 ounces, medium rare, just exquisite, juicy and cooked to perfection, the moist from the ribeye marbling just excellent. Apparently the Delmonico style was made popular by a restaurant in New York in mid-19th century, you won’t guess the name… Delmonico’s Restaurant. As a side got parmesan truffle fries, amazing fries tossed in shredded Gran Padano, kosher salt, and white truffle oil.

Caesar Salad 

Delmonico 

Fries

I’m pretty sure there are plenty of excellent steakhouses in Houston but The Capital is probably one of the top ones I’ve been. 

Not sure why, but Delmonico remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Shower Head” 

George: Hey, hey, how was Florida? 

Morty: Well, we just bought a new place down there. 

Estelle: I know, we were looking at the brochure. 

Morty: What? 

Helen: Why, you thinking of moving? 

Frank: Not really. 

Morty: Because if you are, you shouldn't. There's nothing available in that development. 

Frank: Are you telling me there's not one condo available in all of Del Boca Vista? 

Morty: That's right. They went like hotcakes. 

Frank: How'd you get yours? 

Morty: Got lucky. 

Frank: Are you trying to keep us out of Del Boca Vista?

Jerry: I know this doesn't seem like work to any of you, if you could perhaps conduct your psychopath convention down the hall, I could just get a little personal space.

The Capital Grille

T: +1 713 623 4600

Steakhouse

Area: Galleria

Neighbourhood: Uptown

Houston

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Steakhouse Adventures: The Monster of Lake Erie

Back in Toledo again, and I decided to go for a steak. So one of the best steakhouses here is Mancy’s Steakhouse. The group has 3 succesful restaurants, their stakehouse has been operating since 1921, and considered one of the top 40 in the US. Their promise is simple, family tradition, best quality meats, and cook to perfection.

Mancy's 

I looked the menu and inmediately I knew what to ask, the big ribeye on the bone, or as I prefer to call it “the monster of lake Erie”, 30oz thick handcut ribeye, aged for 28 days and leave the bone for more flavour and terdeness.

Satellite view of "The Monster"

I guess I don’t need to tell you how big is the ribeye, but is as good as big, the steak was cooked to perfection, juicy, smokey, and with an amazing flavour. Highly recommended.

30oz full of flavour

Steaks remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Cadillac part 2” where Jerry’s parents wants to go have dinner early to get a discount.

Morty: Alright, are you ready to eat?

Helen: Oh, right, let's go. Jerry, let's go, it's time to eat. We're going to dinner.

Jerry: Dinner? What time is it?

Helen: It's four-thirty.

Jerry: Four-thirty? Who eats dinner at four-thirty?

Morty: By the time we sit down, it'll be quarter to five.

Jerry: I don't understand why we have to eat now.

Helen: We gotta catch the early-bird. It's only between four-thirty and six.

Morty: Yeah. They give you a tenderloin, a salad and a baked potato, for four-ninety-five. You know what that cost you after six?

Jerry: Can't we eat at a decent hour? I'll treat, okay?

Helen: You're not buying us dinner.

Jerry: I'm not force-feeding myself a steak at four-thirty to save a couple bucks, I'll tell you that!

Let me get you down, ‘cause I’m going to London Fields

Last weekend I had the chance to pass by London Fields for the independent free festival “Little London Fields”, the place had the typical entertainment, two stages with live music, food, dance den, and even a celebrity graveyard karaoke.

Little London Fields Festival

And if that wasn't enough just south of the park you can access Broadway Market. As usual I wandered around the market to see the different vendors and stalls. Since the first time I visited the market I’ve been curious to try the crepe stall, usually they have the longest queue in the market, so it was time to see and judge their food. They serve crepes and galette, I went for the second one, a classic galette with has ham, cheese, and mushrooms. You can also have different combinations with these ingredients plus spinach, and eggs. Moreover, If you want something sweet you can try the classic crepes.  

Crepes & Galette Stall

The food was amazing, that’s the reason why the huge popularity of the stall, also the staff is really friendly and chatty. So if you’re around Cambridge Heat area, take your time and pass by the market to try these amazing crepes and have a laugh with the small talk of the French staff.

Classic Galette

Ready to enjoy

This entire crepe incident reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The English Patient” when Jerry is visiting his parents in Florida.

Jerry: This is quite a condo.

Morty: The Mandelbaums own the Magic Pan restaurants.

Jerry: The crepe place?

Morty: Yeah. This is all big crepe money.

Jerry: There's crepe money?