The Earl of St Paul's

Is exciting to find new places to have a quick lunch in the city. As Genesis says “it’s one o’clock and time for lunch, when the sun beats down and I lie on the bench, I can always hear them talk”. One of the new faces in Blackfriars is Earl of Sandwich. Their specialties hot sandwiches, but also salads complement the offer. 13 different sandwiches freshly made to order on an artisan loaf, and on the blue corner, representing the salads, 7 different options to help you ease your appetite.

Earl of Sandwich

Decor

The place

I got greedy and went for the Italian, a hot combination of salami, capicola, roasted ham, mortadella, mozzarella, and Roma tomatoes served with Zesty Italian dressing. My second choice was a Chicken Caesar Salad.

Hot to go

A beautiful Italian snack

Caesar Salad

The sandwich was quite good, good combinations, tasty dressing, and the fact that it was hot elevated it to a different level. The Caesar excellent, clean traditional flavours as you will expect. As lord Vader would say "The force is strong in this one".

An excellent option for a quick bite if you’re around the Cathedral.

Salad always remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Big Salad”.

George: You know, I think I could have played with dolls if there were dolls in the house. It seems like fun to me. It doesn't seem like a gender thing. I think I would like to play with dolls. What's so terrible?

Julie: Ha. So, George, I was talking to Elaine before.

George: A ha! We're just friends.

Julie: Yes, well anyway, she said something that was kind of intriguing.

George: Oh, share.

Julie: Well, when I came over to the table she mentioned something about how she better hurry up and leave or you'd make her buy lunch to make up for the one you bought yesterday.

George: Ha, ha ha! uh, I'm not following that.

Julie: Well, my question is, How could Elaine be under the impression that you bought the big salad, when I was the one who handed it to her?

George: Well, she probably just assumed.

Julie: Um, did she?

George: uh, wait a second. Are you suggesting that I went out of my way to tell Elaine that even though you handed her the big salad, that it came from me?

Julie: That's what I'm suggesting.

George: Well it was a big salad, and what I would like to know is, How does a person who has nothing to do with the big salad claim responsibility for that salad, and accept the thank you under false pretences, ah, ah?

Julie: George, all I did was hand someone a bag.

In search of the best burger

I have decided to solve the mystery. Find the mythological place, probably it doesn’t exist but I will try it even if it cost me my life. No I’m not hunting the remaining Jedi that are in the galaxy, I will leave that to Lord Vader. I’m in search for the best burger place in London. I have been reading reviews on blogs, time out, and hearing my friends making recommendation on what they think is the best burger in London. So far in two years, I don’t have a clear winner, so after a disappointing experience last week in a burger place that a friend recommended. I researched, created, checked, and double checked a list of places to go and try their burgers. I plan to visit them all and write about it.

So I’m ready to the challenge, and open to anything, can be a foie gras burger, ostrich burger, or a plain cheeseburger, it doesn’t matter, the only thing I’m expecting is that it delivers and fulfills my expectation. Talking about ostrich burger I had one in Cambridge a few years back but the best memory I have for that is the Seinfeld episode “The Maid”.

George: You're sleeping with the maid?

Jerry: Yes.

George: I've done that. Did you ever eat an ostrich burger?

The places to hunt down:


Hache, Ground, Byron, Le Pont de la Tour, The Diner, Dollar Drills & Martinis, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Hamburger Union, Maze Grill, Ultimate Burger, Cross Keys Gastropub, Automat, The Bountiful Cow, Big Easy, and Albannach. So let the hunt begin…

First encounter of the third type:

The first victim was Byron (Proper Hamburgers), my friend Carla and I get together every Thursday, or at least we try, sometimes we go for a drink, other opportunities we eat something, just chat and complain about our life, and from time to time she shares with me the latest adventures of Lesley Maria (who in my opinion is definitely taken from a sitcom comedy). Carla heard about this place, apparently there is a huge hype in the blogging/tweeter community, the best burger in London, we must go and check it out. First thing I did was checked their website, first strike: it was a chain, I don’t have anything against that but in my mind I still believe that the best burger place probably is a small little hidden place. We reached the place, good decoration, the service was good, we saw the menu and STRIKE TWO poor variety, they only have bacon, 4 different types of cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Blue Cheese, Gruyere), a chicken burger, and a vegetarian option, you can add ingredients but that’s going to cost you more so if you want avocado, portbello mushrooms, or jalapenos you have to pay extra. I went for the blue cheese and add an extra of dry cure bacon, I order some French fries, yes French fries, slim fries not the huge fat chips we are used to here in the kingdom, and Carla ordered the cheddar cheese with onion rings.

Carla disappointed with the oily/saggy onion rings 

The verdict: size was decent, the meat was served medium rare, actually it was almost alive (I like raw meat so for me was ok but otherwise be aware), a good taste but I was definitely expecting more, the fries were just fine and the onion rings were oily and saggy, STRIKE THREE YOU’RE OUT!

Byron's Blue Cheese and Bacon Burger

The damage: 18 pounds for a burger, beer, and fries.

Conclusion, not even close to become or hold the best burger of London in my humble opinion. In an scale to 10 I'm giving them a 6,5 too much hype and no delivery of results.


If you have any place do you think it should be worthy to go and try their burger please let me know, to end this post I will leave you with a video (copyright Michael Nesmith in Television Parts) that an Irish friend sent me, It’s quite funny. I had a flash back when I went to Dublin and this Irish lad started to talk to me, I actually didn’t get any of the things he was saying, he was completely drunk and with a really strong accent. So enjoy and remember “Tap of the marning to yah! My what fine looking potatoeeeee! beeeeeeeeeeep.

Irish Language Lab (copyright Michael Nesmith in Television Parts)