Coffee Enquiry XXVI: Colbert French Coffee & Brunch

Elaine, I once told a woman that I coined the phrase, "Pardon my French"

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Soul Mate”)

Nice Paris bistro open seven days a week from breakfast until late. Colbert is a busy restaurant, with a marble bar, classic stools, decor full of old pictures and memorabilia, with a traditional Parisian all day café menu. 

The place

The place was completely packed on a Sunday noon, we got the all day breakfast, including Royale and Benedict eggs, and ham and gruyere croissant.

Breakfast time

Eggs and Croissant

The eggs were superb, perfect execution, runny yolks, and nice flavours. Croissant was nice and simple. Melted Gruyere was lovely.

Royale no cheese!

Ham & Cheese croissant

Benny and the eggs

I got a Cappuccino, really nice coffee, a bit mild, but the cream was excellent, top marks for the latte art. 

Cappuccino

Espresso machine: Gaggia

Beans: Musetti

Score: 4/5

Nice coffee, good food, lovely location, and excellent service. Just remember to be careful with the intrusive photography.

I love intrusive photography!

Colbert

T: 020 7730 2804

French Bistro

Approx Damage: £21pp

Area: Sloane Square

Borough: Kensington & Chelsea

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A Burger in the Countryside [On The Road: Tunbridge Wells]

What could possess anyone to throw a party? I mean,

to have a bunch of strangers treat your house like a hotel room 

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Stranded”) 

I went to Tunbridge Wells for a couple business meetings and stayed at the Hotel du Vin. A lovely grade II listing mansion built in 1762. I quickly remembered the great BdV burger I had in their now closed bistro in London. 

The Bistro

Lunch time

The BdB Burger quite similar to the London one, bacon, Gruyere, sauce as a side, and frittes. 

Burger time

The burger was a bit too high, the tomatoes created a sliding effect and didn't quite help the task to keep it in control. Cooked medium, great flavours but missing a bit the juices. fries were amazing, crispy and soft. 

BdV

Quite nice burger if you’re in Tunbridge Wells.

Bistro du Vin

T: 084 4748 9266

Bistro

Approx Damage: £25pp

Area: Tunbridge Wells

Kent

Twitter: HotelduVinBrand

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Burger Wars Episode LXXI: The Social Burger [BurgeReview]

Kramer, listen to me. I'm never gonna have a child. If I lose this Frogger high score, that's it for me 

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Frogger”) 

My new visit searching for a burger was to Little Social. Jason Atherton’s place, the same Jason of Pollen Street Social. Head chef Cary Docherty runs a Parisian little bistro, hide in the small Pollen street in London. Refined, cozy and peaceful, oak and red velvet boots, a decent size bar where you can eat, Michelin maps, and some old pictures complete the atmosphere. 

The place

Inside

We started with Raw Orkney scallops, delicate flavour, the avocado purée was beautiful, a great start with nice flavour profile. 

Scallops

The burger in question is an aged Scottish beef, bacon, cheese, and caramelised onions. You can add pan-fried foie gras, and as I’m greedy I couldn’t resist. 

Here comes the burger

Not so little

The verdict, amazing, perfect execution, the melted cheese, the fattiness of the foie and the crispy bacon, a great combination

The damage, 25 quid for the burger with the additional foie gras and fries 

The conclusion, the burger is worth every quid. Amazing flavour, the place is a gem, and the food is exquisite. Fries were perfect as well, crispy out and soft in. I have to say perfect score for Jason & Cary’s burger 10 over 10

Burger time

Little Social

T: 020 7870 3730

French Bistro

Approx Damage: £55pp

Area: Mayfair

Borough: City of Westminster

Twitter: carydocherty

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Burger Wars Episode LXIII: Duck Gasconwalker

These days my burger list is not as big as in the old days. However, there are still some options to try around and also new comers in the next months opening in London. This time I decided to visit Comptoir Gascon. A nice French bistro and delicatessen in Farringdon, with food and wine sourced from Southwest France, and a Bib Gourmand award from Michelin since 2006. 

Comptoir Gascon

The view

Delicatessen

The burger I went for was a duck burger deluxe, but couple things caught my attention including the signature foie gras and truffle burger, and the scallops, artichoke, and oyster tartare. 

Scallops

Slider

The scallop was fresh and nice, great balance with the oyster tartare. The foie gras and truffle is a slider but it was magnificent it was rich, nice, full of flavour, outstanding, the mayo work perfectly with the fresh and puffy bun, great execution. 

Slider time

Cross section

Finally the deluxe burger, Duck patty, foie gras, and caramelised onions in wine and vinegar reduction. 

Duck burger

The verdict, it was great, as good as the slider. The duck flavour is excellent, the combination with the foie gras and the caramelised onions was spot on. 

The damage, 14.75 quid for the deluxe burger and chips. 

The conclusion, amazing burger and the slider was even better. Fries were ok, home made style, they were voted as best chips by time out, well as usual I completely disagree with them, the fries were the weakest link. The duck burger had almost a perfect score 9 of 10 in my scale, sort out the chips and you should be in the top three. 

Duck time

Duck reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Label Maker” 

Newman: Are you sure you know where the impound yard is?

Kramer: Oh, stop stalling. Come on

Newman: I can't think, there's all this noise

Kramer: Or is it because I've built a stronghold around Greenland? I've driven
you out of Western Europe and I've left you teetering on the brink of complete
annihilation

Newman: I'm not beaten yet. I still have armies in the Ukraine

Kramer: Ha ha, the Ukraine. Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting
duck. A road apple, Newman. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's
time to put the hurt on the Ukraine

Ukrainian: I come from Ukraine. You not say Ukraine weak

Kramer: Yeah, well we're playing a game here, pal

Ukrainian: Ukraine is game to you?! How about I take your little board and smash
it!

Comptoir Gascon

T: 020 7608 0851

French Bistro

Approx Damage: £26pp

Area: Farringdon

Borough: City of London

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Burger Wars Episode LVIII: Back to Boulud [BurgeReview]

One of my top three burgers in London is Bar Boulud in Knightsbridge. French bistro style, sister of the New York place opened in 1998, relax venue, and the service is excellent. 

The place

Best view in the house

But the main reason to return to Boulud was the latest addition to their menu, the BB burger. Foie gras, red wine braised short ribs, truffle, frisee, horseradish mayo, confit tomato, in a black onion seed bun. 

BB Burger

I was able to convinced Marisol to get the Piggie burger, pulled pork, green chilli mayo, bib lettuce, red cabbage slaw, in a cheddar bun. An then for starter we shared a steak tartare, which was great, nice seasoning, strong flavours, great execution, really nice. 

Tartare

Piggie

The verdict, the BB burger is excellent, nice combination of flavours, the foie gras with the short ribs amazing, an explosion of flavours in your mouth. The piggie is also great, I took a couple bites and the flavours are all there. 

The damage, a bit expensive 19.75 quid for the BB burger, no fries, no beer, no coke 

The conclusion, nice addition to the Boulud Burger family, you have four strong options, some of you would like one more than the others, but at the end at least one of them will be at the top of your list for sure. Still a strong 9.5 in my scale. 

Pig reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Cartoon” 

Elaine: Well boys, I did it. I had to stay up all night but I finally came up with a great New Yorker cartoon

Jerry: I'd stayed up all night I'd fixed myself up a little before I'd go out

Elaine: That is not the point

Jerry: some mouthwash, a hat, something

Elaine: Just read it!

Jerry: Pretty good

Elaine: Pretty good? Well uh! This is a gem. Kramer look it… What? It's funny

Jerry: It's a pig at a complain department

Elaine: And he's saying I wish I was taller, ha ha! See? that's his complaint

Jerry: I get it

Elaine: Do you, because that's not a normal complaint

Jerry: How about if it was something like I can't find my receipt my place's stye

Elaine: Everything with you has to be so jokey

Jerry: I'm a comedian

Elaine: I wish I was taller, that's, that's, that's nice. that's real

Jerry: Well I got a complaint. This cartoon stinks

Bar Boulud

T: 020 7201 3899

French Bistro

Approx Damage: £40pp

Area: Knightsbridge

Borough: City of Westminster

Twitter: barbouludlondon

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A French but not the Laundry [On The Road: Napa Valley]

Always big groups making decisions and that everybody is on board with those it's a bit difficult, that was no different for us in Napa, our original plan included eating in Thomas Keller French Laundry and in Morimoto, at the end we compromised and decided not to eat at the Laundry and look for a less fancy place. We got into the city and most of the restaurants were packed, after wandering around for a while we got a table at Angele. French bistro at the heart of Napa, just by the riverfront, located at the Hatt Building, 1890’s ship chandlery, the kitchen under the command of chef Scott Ekstrom. 

Menu

As starter I decided to go for the ventreche du pork, glazed pork belly, black beluga lentils, frisee, apple, and mustard vinaigrette. The dish was spectacular, the belly perfectly cooker, the lentils were nice, right level of acidity, apple giving some sweet notes. 

Belly time

As a main, I got the boeuf bourgignon, braised short ribs, butternut squash barley risotto, roasted salsify, and brussels sprouts. Great flavour, the braised short rib was tender, the barley risotto played perfect. 

Short ribs

Not the laundry but nice diner. 

Laundry reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Seinfeld Chronicles” 

Jerry: Laundry day is the only exciting day in the live of clothes. It is! Think about it, the washing machine is the nightclub of clothes. You know, it's dark, there's bubbles happening, they're all kind a dancing around in there, shirt grabs the underwear come on babe, let's gather

Angele

T: +1 702 252 8115

French Cuisine

Approx Damage: $55pp

Area: Napa

Napa Valley

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