Doughnut the Correct Way to Spell Donut

No, I'm sorry, if Joe DiMaggio wants a donut, he goes to a fancy restaurant or a hotel. He's not sitting in Dinky Donuts

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episodes “The Note”)

The first week of June is the National Doughnut Day to celebrate the men and women who served doughnuts to World War I soldiers. Thanks to this a couple Bloggers and now even Zagat did their list of top fried dough delights, so we took the chance to try some of them.

Glazed & Confused

G&C sources several cafés and places around London, they even have a map on their website so you can know when and where are their doughnuts. We got a double chocolate one during our visit to Timberyard. Chocolate dough filled with chocolate ganache, really nice filling, and lovely twist.

G&C one

Damage: £2.20 each

Location: Several Locations

Score: 3/5

Twitter: GlazedLondon

St. John

The classic ones, created by Justin Gellatly now founder of Bread Ahead. They source to different locations but nothing like going on Saturday morning to Druid St to get a couple of them directly in their bakery, make sure to buy at least 2 as 1 won't be enough. I lost count on how many I have had so far, the latest one I got a rhubarb one, nice filling, and keeping the original recipe.

SJ one

Damage: £2.00 each

Location: Any of their St John restaurants/bakeries, Druid St (Saturday only), Selfridges, Fortum & Mason, and Melrose & Morgan

Score: 5/5

Twitter: StJohnBakery

1235 donuts

If you don't want the hassle of going to the flower market on a Sunday and to buy their doughnuts on the front door of the MacDonald's residence, then you can head instead to The Lockhart from Friday to Sunday and get your stash there. We tried salted caramel and lemon fillings, both were brilliant, lovely filling, a perfect treat.

1235 one

Damage: £2.50 each

Location: Columbia Rd (Sunday), The Lockhart (Friday to Sunday)

Score: 4/5

Twitter: 1235donuts

Bread Ahead

Justin left St. John to join forces with Matt Jones and opened his bakery and baking school to bring us artisan breads, brownies, and the delicious doughnuts. Their stall operates in borough market, the options available when we visited on Saturday were Vanilla and Salt Caramel. Great flavours, spotless, a must sweet treat in the market.

BA one

Damage: £2.50 each

Location: Borough Market

Score: 5/5

Twitter: breadahead

Dum Dum Donutterie

If you dare to incursion into Harrods and hassle with all the tourist there, you will find the counter selling Dum Dum in one corner of the food court. These are the light option of the bunch as they are baked instead of fried. Plenty of options available, including a traditional take. We got the Zebra cronut, the Almond Creme and Pistachio, and finally their Harrods exclusive Berry Meringue. They were ok, some good ones others not as good.

DDD one

Damage: £3.95 each

Location: Harrods, Shoreditch Boxpark

Score: 3/5

Twitter: dumdumdoughnuts

Crosstown Doughnuts

A fairly new concept that launched in May this year. Trading in Leather Lane Market and a store and delivery option in the horizon. Handmade daily, clever creations, gourmet style with fresh ingredients. We got the Sea Salt Caramel and Banana and it was superb, this is brilliance on a plate.

CT one

Damage: £3.00 each

Location: Leather Lane Market, The Providores, Kopapa

Score: 5/5

Twitter: CrosstownDough

Bea's of Bloomsbury

Nice tea and coffee place with two locations in London, Farringdon and St Paul. The doughnut there is actually a duffin, a mix between a doughnut and a muffin. They only have them from Monday to Friday and they sold out quickly. Really nice, not overpowering, quite subtle. Be sure of going early as they will sold out.

BoB one

Damage: £2.70 each

Location: St Paul, Bloomsbury, and Farringdon

Score: 4/5

Twitter: beas_bloomsbury

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St John of Spitalfield

Somebody double parked, we couldn't help it. It might have been Saddam Hussein,

we're not really sure. He had a British accent though. 

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Dinner Party”) 

Recently I completed the trilogy of Trevor & Fergus visiting St John Bread & Wine. I had been before in the iconic Smithfield restaurant, the only saturday's bakery in Druid St, and also in the now closed Hotel in Chinatown. The placed is in front of the old market, operating since 2003 seven days a week from breakfast to supper. The original intention was to open just a bakery but soon the project became a full restaurant. Same formula as the other places, great British cuisine, offal dishes, same atmosphere, and same great British cuisine. 

The place

Welcome

Inside

We got a couple starters to share, first a blood cake with duck egg. Brilliant, simple but just perfect. The blood cake was rich, and the perfectly cooked egg with the running yolk a marriage from heaven. 

Blood cake

Then we got Foie Gras and duck liver toast, again out of this world, great flavours, beautiful. 

Foie & liver toast

Finally we took advantage of the bakery and ended buying brownies and madeleines to takeaway, but ate half of the madeleines over a lovely coffee. 

Coffe & Madeleine

Great flavours, amazing restaurant, sadly no bone marrow in the menu, but the beautiful baked treats make for it. STJBW is my kind of place.

St John Bread & Wine

T: 020 7251 0848

British Cuisine

Approx Damage: £25pp

Area: Spitalfield

Borough: Tower Hamlets

Twitter: STJBW

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A Bakery in Druid St

Mmmm, I love the smell of bakeries

Elaine Benes (Seinfeld episode “The Dinner Party”) 

St John Bakery opened in November 2010 in order to supply their three locations. Justin Gellatly was the original head baker master of his domain. These days Yohan is running the show and keeping the tradition based on working with hands, focus on sourcing quality, and give the bread all the time it needs to ensure St John’s quality. Good news for all of us is that the place opens for public only on Saturdays as the producers “open door” market in Maltby and Druid streets. 

Bakery

Apart from the bread there are three treats you shouldn’t miss, the doughnuts, the brownies, and of course the madeleines. I have written before about the brownies but they are so good I need to talk about that again. If you love chocolate you must try one. 70% dark Valrhona chocolate, hazelnuts and unbaked almonds, a treat for gods. Madeleines are baked on the hour so you can enjoy them hot. 

Brownies & Madeleines

And finally the doughnut, they are Justin creation, you can choose between custard or jam. As everything they offer it is a real treat. 

Pig & Doughnuts

Doughnuts time

Now you know St John Bakery is open between 9.00 am and 2.00pm every Saturday morning, don’t waste another week without trying their amazing baked treats.

Doughnugram

St John Bakery

T: 020 7553 9842

Bakery

Approx Damage: £6pp

Area: Bermondsey

Borough: Southwark

Twitter: StJohnBakery

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The Best Madeleines in London

I’m obsessed with St John. I love their simple approach, and nose to tail concept of British cuisine. But these days I have been more interested in their bakery. So my latest stop in Farringdon I couldn’t resist to pass by the former smokehouse nowadays St John Bar & Restaurant in order to get some baked treats. 

The place

The madeleines are a must in the place, they are baked to order so it will take more or less 15 min to get them fresh and still hot. I’ve always bought them to take away but they have never made it home as I finish eating all of them on the way back. 

The bakery

Madelines

While we were waiting Marisol ordered a chocolate brownie. It was superb, one of the best brownies I have had, an amazing soft Valrhora chocolate with hazelnuts and unbaked almonds worthy of naughty dreams. 

Brownie

Highly recommended place, the restaurant is great, and the bakery is awesome. I even had the chance this time to see Fergus Henderson having a drink while I was waiting for my madeleine order. Fergus let’s toast for a great place, cheers! 

More Madeleines

B&W

Bakery reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Dinner Party” 

George: So all right, what are we getting? It's so hot in here!

Kramer: What do you say we get a Mouton Cadet?

George: What's that?

Kramer: It's robust, bold, very dry. As opposed to a Beaujolais which is richer and fruitier. Here's one. Twelve dollars

George: Twelve dollars? I knew we should have gone to the bakery. I guarantee you they aren't getting no twelve dollar cake

St John Bar & Restaurant

T: 020 7251 0848

British Cuisine / Bakery

Approx Damage: £10pp

Area: Farringdon

Borough: Islington

Twitter: SJRestaurant

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They Feast London

It might be really late when you read this review as Feast London Festival it’s only for 3 days but it’s superb and I felt obligated to write the review, hopefully someone will read these lines and decide to give it a go. 

The Place

Food markets and festivals are increasing in London, the success of The Long Table last year, and other approaches as Eat St have been really well received by Londoners. This year for only for 3 days from Friday 3 August to Sunday 5, Feast reunited the best London restaurants in one open yard, and make them go street food style. Names such as Anchor & Hope, Bahmi11, Barbecoa, Bread Street Kitchen, Hawksmoor, Jose Pizarro, Moro, St John Bread and Wine, Pizza Pilgrims, Yum Bun, Patty and Bun, and many others. 

Seating arrangements

The place St Thomas St in The Quad, Guy’s Hospital, 6 quid if you buy the ticket online, 8 on the door, they have tickets on the door so if it’s sold out online I will recommend to go early and you will be able to buy and enjoy the Feast. 

The Quad

I try to eat as much as I can, started with St John’s pig head’s stew, it was great, the meat, the combination of peas and radish, and to end the touch of the walnut paste was perfect. 

St John's menu

Stew time

Then I had smoked salmon from Hansen & Lydersen, they explain how they started in 1923, and took his old family recipe, bringing to London smoke salmon. What I tasted was a top quality delicate salmon. 

Hansen & Lydersen

Smoked Salmon

Then moved to a quick chat and a nice Napoli Salami pizza with my Pizza Pilgrims friends, James in charge of the house, delivering consistent great rustic pizza as usual. 

Pizza Time

Pilgrims in action

Also fresh half dozen of Oysters, delicious brought to you buy Borough Market residents Wright Brothers. 

Oyster time

Oysters

I couldn't leave without trying Jose Pizarro gazpacho, fresh, nicely balance, it was great, definitely one of the best options in the yard, also had the chance to chat with Jose for a while about Iberico ham and the top quality products he’s using in his two restaurants Jose and Pizarro. 

Jose in action

Gazpacho

End the day with Anchor & Hope chopped mustard rabbit and romesco, it was superb, great flavour, top quality, also in the podium for best food of the day. 

Rabbit time

Anchor & Hope menu

A friend of mine got Patty and Bun’s Ari Gold burger after I recommended, and he was amazed, top quality as usual, the juices, the sauce. Also ceviche is becoming more popular in London, and their representation was The Last Days of Pisco, apparently quite good as well. 

Patty & Bun

Ceviche time

Not everything is food, so you can enjoy some gin, beer, and other spirits, I got a couple of Meantime lager thanks to Background Bars. 

Drink time

A must if you’re in town, don’t miss it, hopefully it’s not too late when you read this.

Festivals remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Strike” 

Kruger: How about George? 

Frank: Good thinking, Kruger. Until you pin me, George, Festivus is not over! 

George: Oh, please, somebody, stop this! 

Frank: Let's rumble! 

Estelle: I think you can take him, Georgie! 

George: Oh, come on! Be sensible 

Frank: Stop crying, and fight your father! 

George: Ow! Ow! I give, I give! Uncle! 

Frank: This is the best Festivus ever!

Feast

Food Festival

Area: London Bridge

Borough: Southwark

Twitter: wefeastlondon

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