Back to Pizza Express . . .

 . . . but this time, I resisted the Pizza.  My best lunch chum had recovered from his man flu and so we headed to the Pizza Express branch on Dean Street East.  This is much bigger than the one on Greek Street (and has the jazz element), but the service was just as good.  I went for a new pasta dish 'Piccante' which being a lover of spicy food, caught my eye with the description: Not for the faint hearted - Cavatappi pasta with pepperoni, hot spiced beef with green peppers, mozzarella, mushrooms and onions in a creamy tomato and béchamel sauce finished with parsley, oregano, grana padano and rocket.  It was absolutely delicous but I've now had enough of Pizza Express for a while!

Italian and Spanish at the end of the week

As my best lunch chum let me down at short notice, 'The Pensioner (TP)' stood in as a late replacement.  As it was pouring down we headed for the nearest place, Pizza Express on Greek Street East.  It's quite a small restaurant but the service was friendly and excellent (I was mystery dining the night before, and still in critique mode).  In view of TP's reduced income we shared my favourite pizza (American Hot) but managed to find enough pennies to pay for a bottle of wine.

That evening saw me with TP and A. Guest in El Cantara a Spanish and Moroccan tapas place on Frith Street West http://www.elcantara.co.uk/.  TP treated us to champagne which we sipped with hoummus and bread.  We then opted for the 4 tapas for £18.95 and chose harissa bread, pollo al ajillo, merguez briwat and zaalouk.  We opted for the cheapest wine, Moroccan Guerrouane Blanc, reasonably priced at £15.50.  To sum it up: it improved as the evening progressed.  The night was long, leisurely and jolly with A. Guest regaling us with her views on Strictly Come Dancing which I have refused to watch after Arlene was sacked.  She did a mean impression of Bruno talking to Scott but horrified us with how many times she votes each week! We also reminisced about when we met the gorgeous Brendan and she not only asked him a question but also got his autograph because I wasn't brave enough. An excellent finish to the week and much better than getting wet at a bonfire.

Normal service is resumed!

Yes, I know it's been a long time since my last post (as many of you have pointed out, well one person in particular!).  However, when I started this blog who would have thought that RM would become a pensioner and that we'd celebrate by spending a wonderfully, luxurious fortnight in Egypt. 

Although I've failed my original aim of completing my challenge before the end of October, I'm still going to be in Soho until the end of the year, so my revised aim is to finish by Christmas. 

On the first day back from our holiday, the 'house husband' refused to cook and so we started off with drinks in The Montagu Pyke  
http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-montagu-pyke.  I'd seen the very uninspiring entrance on Greek Street East and thought it looked a bit dodgy.  But on walking through the narrow bar, it opened up into a huge bar with its main entrance on Charing Cross Road.   Although I've never been a fan of Wetherspoons (mainly because it always brings to mind old men drinking 99p pints of bitter all afternoon), it really changed my mind.  Because of their no music policy, cheap drinks and reasonable sharing platters it makes an ideal place for after work get togethers.  Our bottle of Villa Maria New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was just over £13 and it was absolutely delicious (probably more so after two weeks of drinking Egyptian wine appropriately named: Pharaoh, Obelisk and Omar Khayyam).

We then went more up market to Marco Pierre White's L'Escargot just across the road:  http://www.lescargotrestaurant.co.uk/.  We chose the pre-theatre two course meal for £15 and had a glass of champagne to celebrate the publication of the Christmas edition of the Boots Health and Beauty Magazine (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, buy a copy for £1 and check out page 42).  I then had mushroom veloute served in a rather large portion.  I was interested that even Marco uses a doily on the plate (I remember painting them as a child).  RM chose a more appropriately sized starter of chicken terrine.  We shared main courses of pork with red cabbage, potato and a port jus and gnocchi with a tomato sauce, Parmesan and rocket. Both were well presented and delicious, but after two weeks of simple Egyptian meals, they seemed very heavy and rich and I wouldn't have wanted to sit through a two hour play after it.

To complete a hat trick we nipped back across Greek Street, to a very lively Zebrano http://www.zebrano.uk.com/greekSt/index.asp.  We hit happy hour (before 8pm) where a very helpful Matt told us that we could have two drinks for the price of one.  Therefore our double gin and tonics were only £6.75. Although it wasn't my sort of place (too much loud music and people far too young), it finished our evening off very well.

An absolute bargain!

Friday lunch was at the recently opened Soho Joe on Dean Street East http://www.sohojoe.net/.  It advertises 12" pizzas for £6 but I decided to be good (not forgetting that this challenge is about not putting weight on as well as about eating). I settled for a hummus and red pepper baguette which at £2.50 was a bargain.  As well as pizza and baguette there was a range of wonderful looking salads.  The baguette was well filled and fresh, but the bread was the sort where you need to have all your own teeth to eat it!  The place is quite large with lots of high tables and metal stools that you can casually perch on whilst eating, as well as more traditional furniture.  I've slowly come to the conclusion that whatever your lunch is, it tastes far better when you're not eating it at your desk.  It's one that I'll definitely be returning to and recommending.

After a weekend of caviar, champagne and vodka . . . .

 . . . . in St Petersburg, it was back to earth with a bump and a burger in gbk or Gourmet Burger Kitchen to the uninitiated http://www.gbk.co.uk/ on Frith Street East.  I chose a small (or junior as it was described on the bill) chicken burger.  Unfortunately I accepted the fries which at £3 were huge and far too many for one (unless it's Monday, you're hungry and it's miserable outside).  Along with a glass of house, my bill was £10.70.  What I cannot understand is that you walk in, you sit, they give you a menu and cutlery and then tell you you have to order at the counter.  Your drink and food are served to you and your table cleared.  So why can't they go the extra mile and take your order at the table?  Would I go again?  The burger was actually delicious, the chips large (in volume and size) and the wine reasonable.  So I guess my answer is yes!

An award winning restaurant last week

but unfortunately not a Michellin star.  Koya on Frith Street East http://www.koya.co.uk/ has just been named in the Time Out Eating and Drinking Awards 2010 as runner up in the best new cheap eats section.  For lunch last Thursday I chose Atsu Atsu which translates as hot noodles in hot broth, unlike Hiya Atsu which is cold noodles in hot broth. Lots of varieties to chose from but I went for pork miso.  The large bowl of juicy fat worms, sorry noodles, was served instantly and swam in a delicious broth with the minced pork on top.  At £8.50, it's not the cheapest lunch (despite the award) but it came with a complementary bottle of still water (take note Zilli Bar).

PS: for those of you who don't speak fluent Italian, Ugo's review of Zilli Green was 'In my opinion the food was good, in fact very good.  Not very spicy but with a special taste.  It seemed to be the food of the gods'.  I recommend that you eat here'.  Whilst Annie said 'Had a fantastic flavour.  Very light and tasted good. The bread from Sardinia was crisp, the food seemed like a tower with the vegetables underneath.  In short, excellent.' 

After the success of Zilli Green . . .

 . . . . the following day, I popped next door for lunch at Zilli Bar http://www.zillirestaurants.co.uk/bar (Dean Street West in case you haven't been keeping up!).  The greeting and service was exceptionally friendly and as it was Friday, I thought I deserved a treat and so ordered the spicy salami pizza for £7.50. (I could have ordered the dish I'd had the night before but thought better of it!). I asked for sparkling water and was presented with a huge bottle (£3.50).  I was looking in my bag at the time, otherwise I'd have asked for something smaller.  The pizza was excellent and it was a great way to kick off the weekend.