Below is maybe one of the most beautiful cocktails I had whilst in London! I can't remember what it was - but it had gin, which is usually all I need to know.
Since I spent most of my vacation indoors (read pubs) I needed some hearty, artery-clogging goodness to get me out and about in the rain all day. This is probably the most interesting thing I ate in London: Salt Beef Beigel (and yes - it is the best hangover cure known to man).
The Salt Beef Beigel was purchased at Beigel Bake, Brick Lane Bakery - it basically consists of a slab of salt beef (imagine corned beef, that's been brined), hot mustard, dill pickles, all on a plain (and I mean plain) beigel. It is not to be missed if you are ever in London!
What's the difference between a beigel and a bagel - It's actually got a pretty interesting history! Turns out East London has long since been an immigrant community. Jewish immigrants brought these beauties - more or less the original bagel - made from simple ingredient, boiled and baked. The bagel is a descendant of these beigels - bigger (like most american-ized foods) and softer. I found the thin, plain beigel to be the perfect vessel for the pound or so of tender salt beef!
Dylan (my boyfriend) and I have a love of cocktails and mixology (okay, to keep it a hundred, he enjoys mixology, I enjoy drinking, whatever, it makes a great team!) Our local friend took us to the Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town speakeasy in Shoreditch for some lovely cocktails and charcuterie. I didn't get any good pictures because of the ambiance - but also it's a speakeasy - so the more secretive, the better, right? Below, was the only picture that came out:
But we also went to the Sky Garden (http://skygarden.london) and had one of the most AMAZING 360 degree views of the city but also fantastic foods/drinks! If you are considering going to the London Eye (do it if you can - not to harp on the theme of the trip, but I recommend a night-time champagne rotation on the eye) an alternative is to go the sky garden (free so long as you order a drink and make reservations) and possibly an even better view!
London was amazing, mostly because of the good company, the beautiful sights, and amazing history were fantastic, but what I really enjoyed about the trip was enjoying all those things, and experiencing them through the food!
I have traveled pretty extensively throughout the world - and the one universal truth to traveling that I can attest to is to let the food guide you! And don't be afraid to over-indulge... you can diet when you get back! (More on that coming soon... :-P)
Credit to Dylan for taking such amazing pictures!
