A Tale of Two Feasts - Hawksmoor Air Street and Mildreds

Last week was a very naughty food-wise. I reached the pinnacle on Wednesday with a double feast, Hawksmoor for lunch and Mildreds for dinner. Now, strictly speaking it isn't really my fault. The Hawksmoor lunch was work related (lucky me - if only every week was such a treat) and dinner was for my best friend's birthday. When she first suggested Mildreds, a vegetarian restaurant in Soho, the carnivore in me immediately though, well it should be ok, I am having steak for lunch after all. However, a quick glance at the menu and after trying it I think I definitely will be dining at Mildreds more often, despite the lack of meat on the menu. The food was fresh, tasty and dessert was TO-DIE-FOR. You must try the salted hazelnut caramel cheesecake. I think that was the best thing I ate all day (hmm maybe a toss up with the scallops and ribs), then again I do have a sweet tooth.

Going back to Hawksmoor, I had wanted to try it for a long time and although the sides, and starters were amazing (the ribs and scallops are a must!) I found my sirloin a tad on the dry side despite it being medium. It was huge though and I'm sure it would have satisfied most carnivores but I only ate half, choosing to devour my triple cook chips instead. My favourite steak place in UK is still Mirage in Newbury Park. It's bit of a trek so I haven't been in a long while but in my eyes it beats all the Gauchos, Maze, Hawksmoor etc put together. Do try if you're in the area.

Feast your eyes...

Hawksmoor:

Clockwise from top left: Scallops, Onion Roasted Bone Marrow, Scallop close up and ribs.

Clockwise from top left: Sirloin steak, mushrooms, Chateaubriand, Macaroni cheese. We also had spinach, triple cooked chips and beef dripping fries but I was too busy eating to take a picture!

Sweet Potato

Mildreds:

Specials of the day

Small and very packed but worth the wait, even if they don't even serve fish.

Top: Asparagus and Pea Fritter with blue cheese sauce. Bottom: Pumpkin and Ricotta Ravioli with chesnut mushroom, cream and white wine sauce.

Clockwise from top left: Burger of the Day with the best chips ever and basil infused mayo, Risotto cake with beans and grape mustard.

Top: Peanut butter brownie and ice cream, bottom: salted hazelnut and caramel cheesecake.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick - sheer genius!

With it getting bitterly cold again I found myself craving a proper hot chocolate so I finally caved and tried the Gnaw Hot Chocolate Shot I got in a goody bag. I almost wish I didn't because Cadbury's Highlights will never taste the same again now. All you do is simply warm up a mug of milk, dip the chocolate in, stir and add the marshmallows. Delicious. You can buy this winter warming treat here or any of these places.

My Little Speedy is off to Louis Vuitton Hospital

I blame my mum for my obsession with Louis Vuitton. Ever since I can remember that familiar monogram canvas has been part of my life. From my mum toting my kiddy bits in the medium sized speedy to me buying them for her birthday present (ok and treating myself occasionally) when funds allow I have seen the collection grow and prices rise over the years! Despite the astronomical price tags attached I still think they are worth every penny. If you have a broken zip or loose button you can just take it back to the LV store and they will send it back to France to be repaired (at a cost - £60 for a new zip on my Trocadero). That is where my mums ancient Speedy (well now mine!) has gone to thanks to a broken zip. The nice lady did explain that since the bag was purchased in 1985 (amazing that she could tell just by looking inside) that the canvas might be too weak for it to be repaired but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I hope my bag can be fixed and has a 'Speedy' recovery. Sorry I couldn't resist the pun!

Beautiful Blooms

If you're after some beautiful flowers for a special occasion make sure you check out Harpers Bloom. Gorgeously elegant flowers that reflect my equally elegant friend Leoma Harper, you can be sure her creativity and passion will not disappoint. Don't believe me? See for yourself...