Countdown to Beantown, Part 3: The Pre-Move Holiday
Avid readers of Jaffe will already have noticed the pictures from my trip to London in my flickr badge. This was the longest stretch I've had in London since the move to New York a little over 2 years ago. Managed to fit a lot of catching up into the 8-day trip, but unfortunately didn't have a chance to see everyone. As it turns out, just because I'm on vacation doesn't mean everyone else is!!!
In spite of everyone having to work, my time in London was basically an 8-day version of my 5 years of living there. Watched a football (soccer) match in a pub on Exmouth Market, where Serena and I ran into the manager of The Eagle Pub, one of my London favorites; had a picnic on Primrose Hill; lunch at Italia Uno (unfortunately they didn't have the Torta della Nonna); tea at the LMCB; went for a walk along the Thames; and of course, Wimbledon!
Also tried some new things - a walk in Holland Park, a beigel (they spell it differently in London, apparently) from Brick Lane Beigel Bakery, and some afternoons in Serena's Institute.
Definitely the nicest trip I've had to London since leaving a couple of years ago.
Those of you with a keen eye will have noticed that I posted the pictures from my last weekend in London. Just click on the badge or the date of the trip under My New York pics to the right.
Le Pain Quotidien - one year and half a world away...
A year after Serena and I took my parents to Le Pain Quotidien on the Upper East Side of New York (almost to the day), I found myself in another Le Pain Quotidien - this time in London. Sunday brunch with Julie, Ludo, Giovanna, Giulia, and Giovanni was exactly what Serena and I needed (that, and one of those little mixed berry tarts and a Belgian waffle).
This Sunday the Miami Dolphins will play the New York Giants at London's Wembley Stadium in the first regular season NFL (American football) game outside of North America. Although NFL players have no problem affording to vacation in Europe, it's possible that a lot of them are among the many Americans who don't even have a passport.
Certainly Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder's tongue-in-cheek comments published yesterday in this article in the Palm Beach Post sound like they come from a guy making his first trip across the pond:
I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries. I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I learned that. I know London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name.
Nice one, Channing. Why do you think you aren't able to locate London on a map? Anyway, I'm sure you could find the US on a world map, right?
It is absolutely pouring outside right now. The highways are flooding, and I can't see the Chrysler Building from lab. It definitely rained more often in London, but when it rains in New York, it feels like you'll see Noah and his Ark floating down 2nd Ave. any minute.
After living in London for over 5 years, I had established quite a list of 'go to' restaurants for friends and visitors. I would ask what they felt like eating - fish & chips, pub food, Italian food, etc., and we would go to one of the places on my list. My Italian pick was Oregano, a restaurant just off of Upper Street in Islington. I say that Oregano was my pick, because this past weekend Serena took me to a place that has forced me to relegate Oregano to Serie B.
Spacca Napoli 101 Dean Street London W1 +44 (0)207 437 9440
Spacca Napoli (named after the street in Naples that splits the city in two) is just off of Dean Street in Soho, an area known to be a bit touristy and overpriced, but when Serena told me the pizza was made like the real pizza from Naples (see one of my previous posts) I knew I was in for a treat. We started with a plate of 'involtini di melanzane', which is sliced eggplant (aubergine) wrapped around fresh buffalo mozzarella with a touch of sauce, similar to the sauce in eggplant parmesan. For the pizza course, we tried to order the 'pizza metro', which is a long, rectangular pizza that they top in sections, so that you end up with one pizza that is part margherita, part Napoletana, etc. We were too late for the pizza metro, so I had the margherita (which Serena recommended I have with buffalo mozzarella instead of the regular mozzarella), and Serena had pizza Siciliana. We finished the meal off with some limoncello. I'm not sure what the total bill was (thanks Sere!) but the prices were reasonable, especially for the area. Definitely worth a visit.
Thursday: Work at 8:30am. Catch the subway at 7pm to go to Heathrow. Catch 11:30pm flight. Asleep by 12:30am.
Friday: Wake up in London, catch tube to Kings Cross to meet Serena. Rewarded with an amazing dinner of spaghetti with clams and sea bass.
Saturday: Take tube to Borough Market for an abbreviated version of the 'Jaffe tour'. Finish walk with a little picnic/nap in Regent's Park. Dinner at an amazing pizza place in Soho (post to follow).
Sunday: Pancake breakfast (Aunt Jemima, just add water), then tube to Westminster bridge and the boat to Hampton Court Palace. Picnic in the gardens at Hampton Court, walk around the palace (pick up some ideas for future houses). Finish the day with a little S&M.
Monday: Tube to Heathrow, noon flight to New York. Back in lab by 4pm.
