DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS: HAWKSMOOR @ SEVEN DIALS

Four years ago, DH decided to celebrate one year of posting about our eating experiences in words and blurry pictures by holding a small supper at one of our favourite restaurants.  We posted about it on the blog and managed to rustle up a little over a dozen willing souls to join us for memorable meal at Hawksmoor in Shoreditch.

Move on to 2010 and DINE WITH DH has become, people tell me, one of the more popular dining events in the capital with  hundreds of people requesting a place for meals at such notable restaurants as Casa Brindisa, Bentley's Indian Zing, Forman & Field, Vinoteca and The Bull & Last.

It is hard to believe we have hosted a dozen of the things to date, but the combination of a fixed price and great venues seems increasingly popular.  So much so that our latest event on Monday 25th could easily have seen ten times the number of people attending as the thirty lucky few whose names I pulled out of a hat.
Mind you, while the numbers may well reflect the popularity of DWDH, they also reflect the fact that our chosen venue for the night was the new Covent Garden Location for Hawksmoor's new restaurant.

DH and Hawksmoor go back a long way.  HP was one of the first people to walk through the door of the Shoreditch branch in 2006 and it has become a regular haunt for us ever since.  Given that these events may be more spaced out in future with my relocation stateside, I wanted to do something a little bit special for my all too brief return to Blighty and was delighted when Will & Huw said they would be up for hosting a bunch of us during their soft opening.

Unsurprisingly, the new space on Langley Street is stunning.  Huw tells me it is a converted brewery and both the bar area (always a vital part of the whole Hawksmoor offering) and main dining area are built around the supporting columns in the cellar space.  In the kitchen too, they have done things properly with about ten times the space of the original restaurant and a Josper Grill very much in effect.

After a welcoming cocktail provided by the good people of Ketel One we made our way to a long table set up for us down the spine of the main dining room and left the rest up to restaurant manager, Tim, Will, Huw and the rest of the excellent staff who were using the opportunity to feel their way around their new working space.

There was, of course, plenty of food.  There always is at DWDH.  The one thing we insist on is that people come away feeling like they have had fantastic value for money.  No one has let us down yet and Hawksmoor kept us well on track to some serious meat sweats with a menu that far surpassed even the impressive one they had promised.

I don't have pictures of everything because, quite frankly, I was a little bit pissed and too busy enjoying myself to remember to snap everything with my little point and shoot.  Particular mention, however, should go to the Hawksmoor chipolatas made with beef, pork & mutton, the T-bone steak which is still hard to beat as the best steak in London and a collection of stunning sides. Alongside all of that, there were oysters, Tamworth pork ribs, smoked salmon and a couple of exemplary desserts.

As well as the pre-supper cocktail, there was also enough good red wine splashing around to have a bath in and, for those that like that sort of thing, an espresso Martini.  All enough to send people out into the chill night air of Central London four hours later pledging to return again and again.  Quite right too.

One sour note of the evening, given the number of people who clamoured for tickets, was an e-mail from one pair of diners an hour before the event to say that they were not coming because they were ill.  These bugs that hit you an hour before you have to shell out £50 are a bitch aren't they?  Perhaps they should, as I reach my sixth decade, but the ill manners of some people never cease to amaze me.

All I can say is Amy Lu and friend, you don't know what you missed.

I am likely to be away from the UK for the next few months as I ponder on matters immigration.  However, I am already working on some ideas for next year.  So keep 'em peeled. Dine with DH will be back before you know it.

DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS: HAWKSMOOR SEVEN DIALS - 25th OCTOBER 2010

Well folks, it has been a while since the last DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS, a splendid meal at H.Forman & Son's way back when at the end of May.  But, now we are back with a bang.

I am delighted to be able to announce that the next event will be

LOCATION: HAWKSMOOR SEVEN DIALS

DATE: MONDAY 25th OCTOBER 2010

DRINKS: 7:00pm

TO TABLE: 7.30pm

COST: £50 (All Inclusive of drinks + service - although as ever, we do take a extra collection for the waitstaff at the end of the meal)

I am particularly pleased to have this exciting new restaurant as the venue for the next in our series of popular dining events.  DH were, I believe, the first blog to write about Hawksmoor's original location back in June 2006 . At the time, although they were not even serving food, there was something about the place which made us keen to return, which we did again and again and again. Both HP and I have been staunch supporters of the restaurant which made steak hip again ever since and are thrilled to help support their new venture.

Will, Huw and all the team at the new location, are guaranteed to pull out all the stops to make this a truly memorable meat filled occasion and I am already counting the days before I stare down at an unfeasibly large slab of dead cow.

There are only 30 spaces for this extra special DINE WITH DH.  If you would like to attend, please email us via the website by FRIDAY OCTOBER 8th.  As we are limited for space, then please limit to + 1 requests only.  As before, I shall be pulling names out of a hat and will contact you shortly after that date if you are lucky enough to have a place. 

We look forward to seeing some of you on the 25th.  

GOOD LUCK

THE HAWKSMOOR HAMBURGER: AT LAST A DECENT BURGER IN LONDON

Well, it took nearly three years of plaintive moaning from London's meat enthusiasts, but I am pleased to say that the good people of Hawksmoor have finally caved and thrown their buns into the capital's burger wars.

It's been no small matter either, because as with most exploits, Hawksmoor like to do things properly not quickly. So, I was told by Tim, the estimable manager, they have tasted over forty different buns, as many cheeses and enough ground meat to make Tobe hooper shudder.

But, I am delighted to say, the wait has been worthwhile.

The offer of burger and chips at Hawksmoor is not a cheap one. It comes in at a hefty £15 with an order of triple cooked chips. But for that sizable amount you are presented with the best part of 1/2lb of lean longhorn mixed with fattier cuts including two I had never encountered "clod" and "sticking" which I am told are from the shoulder and add richneess to the burger. So to does the clever addition of bone marrow. With the option of Oggleshield cheese, the burger is served pink and comes on a semi-sweet brioche bun with a dressing of raw red onion, lettuce, tomato and a mustard mayonnaise.

As with all good burgers, the knife and fork provided should never be touched and the Hawksmoor Hamburger is one to be picked up and chewed upon in Desperate Dan size bites as the juices flow from meat, to chin to floor. It does not disappoint, but, there are still elements that need improvement. The cheese needs to melt more before the burger is presented, the bun needs to be toasted less, if indeed at all and the mustard mayonnaise needs a spot more punch. An additional option of bacon was not available because the batch sent from The Ginger Pig was too salty.

But, these are small matters for a superb hunk of meat that comes the closest yet to those that gladden my fatty heart on visits to the good old US of Stateside.

As I said, it's not cheap, but by comparison to those on offer elswhere in London (Hache apart) this is welcome news for London's downtrodden burger enthusiasts.

All they need now is to listen to my cries for a Hawksmoor hot dog and even I might stop complaining

EAT MY GLOBE: TAKING THE BOOKTRADE ON A BINGE

And so it begins.

Although EAT MY GLOBE is not published in the U.K until April of next year, the sell in has begun in earnest and my publishers, John Murray suggested that a good way to show the book trade what it was all about would be to take selected members on an afternoon food tour.

So, on a cold, windy and miserable Friday, I met with a gaggle of assorted buyers and trade journalists for a swift pint at The Market Porter before taking them on a whirlwind tour of some of my favourite places.

The pub served a shockingly bad pint, but made a great meeting place particularly as our first port of call was Mrs King’s Pork Pies where the estimable Ian Hartland gave us a little talk before cutting up a prime large example for everyone to try all the while making sure that real customers were not neglected.

Next stop, around the corner, where the good people of Brindisa had arranged for Master Jamon Carver, Zak to give us a demonstration of fine art of ham cutting before he too distributed fine slices of Teruel and Iberico for our eager group to taste.

If everyone had been eagerly anticipating the first two stops, the next caused a little more concern as we hopped in some waiting cars and trundled off to Aldgate East and Tubby Issac’s Whelk and Jellied Eel Stall, which has been on the same spot for a hundred years or more. It was a first taste of old London for most, but they were all very brave soldiers as I doused bowls of cockles, whelks and, of course, eels with extra special, extra hot chilli vinegar and handed them around for everyone to try. Wonderful stuff although a shame to think with all the parking restrictions in that area now, the owner was doubtful about the long term future of the stall.

There is no doubt, however, that Paul A.Young has a very bright future and, although Paul himself could not be there for our visit, his Managers, Jakob and Brendan looked after us when we bustled in from a blustery Camden Passage and were soon giving us tastes of a rich brownie and handing over little goodie bags that Paul had asked them to make up. We took the opportunity to buy everyone a cup of Paul’s superlative hot chocolate before climbing back into our cars for perhaps the most unusual stop of the day.

I have written about Memhet at Embassy Electrical Supplies before, but now was the perfect time to visit as he has just taken delivery of some of his wonderful olive oil. On top of which he now has a new range of infused oils, some paprika dried in the Sun on the terraces his Cyprus estate and stunning wild oregano from his farm. As ever, Memhet was soon ladling out tastes of oil and olives and everyone was filling their John Murray shoulder bags with ideal Christmas Presents.

All this eating is thirsty work, so our penultimate port of call saw a quick stop at Hawksmoor where Nick Strangeway had created a special EAT MY GLOBE cocktail containing Compass Box Oak Cross Whisky, Jostberry Cordial and Palo Cortado Sherry. Very good it was too thanks to Tim and Noal who did the mixing and, with an added round of Martinis and a few plates of Iberico which we had picked up at Brindisa, it fortified us for the short walk to our final destination.

Where else could we finish a tour of this part of London than Tayyabs? It was, of course, already mobbed when we arrived, but we were shown to the private room and plates of sizzling lamb chops were put in front of us almost before our coats were off. As good as ever and as the food came, I took the opportunity to propose a toast to my new chums and to all the amazing and astonishingly generous old chums who had been so giving of their time and products to make the day such a success.

Thanks All.

SHERRY O, SHERRY O BABY

Sherry is, arguably, the most misunderstood drink of all.

For many people, it conjours up images of Harvey’s Bristol Cream which their nan kept on the sideboard and only ever reached for at Christmas or if the vicar came around for tea.

Nowadays, on the rare occasions you do see it on a restaurant menu, it is served at the incorrect temperature and charged for as if it is a spirit not a wine.

For DH, however, sherry has become part of the fabric of our life. Not least because of our obsession with all things Spanish, but also because, within the range of wines that make up the sherry family, you can find something to compliment just about every food from fresh seafood to dark puddings. Sherry is one of those drinks that works all the year round from a crisp, dry Fino in Spring, to a salty Manzanilla in Summer and rich, dark PX’s in Winter. It is, to put it simply, fantastic stuff and, while perfect for Spanish food, it works well with just about anything else we cook too.

So, a few weeks ago, when I was having lunch with my new chum Andrew from Gonzalez Byass and he mentioned that he had never eaten at Hawksmoor, my eyes lit up and I suggested a deal. DH would help him pop his Hawksmoor cherry if he promised to bring along a few bottles from the range to let us try them with a food that many would consider as far to the other end of the spectrum as possible.

Sucker bought into it and, yesterday, turned up at London’s finest steak restaurant, laden down with bottles, to await DH’s arrival, which came a few minutes later as we spluttered in from the rain sodden streets.

Well, I am not going to say too much about the meal. It was of course, top notch with meaty ribs followed by three excellent cuts of rump, rib eye and sirloin joined by triple cooked chips. But, the sherries were a revelation.

Getting progressively darker, the wines we tried worked incredibly well with the food. Tio Pepe fino is probably the best known outside the “Bristol Cream” circles and there is a reason, it is a very well made wine. Bone dry and, surprisingly, perfect with the ribs.

Following that, Oloroso, Amontillado, and a gorgeous Apostoles which is made from Palo Cortado grapes rather than Palomino. Sweet, but not overly so, it is just a beautifully well balanced wine that would be interesting to sip with spicier food.

Finally, most interesting of all, one of the most rare dessert wines of the lot, A Noe PX which is given a tiny release every year. It is intense stuff as the taste of roasted almonds and cream comes through the initial sweetness. Andrew suggested it with Vanilla ice cream and recommends, as they do in Spain, pouring it over the top.

At the end of our meal we set the guys at Hawksmoor a challenge to come up with cocktails based on two of the sherries. Myles, one of the great mixers there, took away the Apostoles and the Noe and came back a few moments later with two Manhattans where the sherry had been used in place of sweet vermouth.

To our surprise, the worked incredibly well with the sherry taste coming through the hit of bourbon. I could get rather too used to these.

In his role of developing the image of Sherry, Andrew was heading off to Café Spice Namaste to help plan an Indian supper, where sherries would be the accompanying wines throughout the meal. Now, that’s one I would love to attend if I was not going to be on the road.

So, yes, this is a little ‘puff” piece about sherry but, I hope it makes anyone who reads it want to go out and buy and try some. Sherry is incredibly under priced right now and Sainsbury’s, Tesco and even M&S sell very decent examples for about £6 a bottle. It is a steal, particularly when you compare it to the anti freeze wine you could buy for the same price.

If you have never tried it, go and buy a bottle, warm through some almonds in the oven, sprinkle with a little salt and serve with a chilled glass of crisp, dry as a bone, Fino. You will never think of sherry in quite the same way again. I promise.

HAWKSMOOR

WON'T YOU POUR ME A CUBAN BREEZE GRETCHEN

Or in this case a rather good Mint Julep at new Spitalfields joint Hawksmoor.

In most areas of life Dos Hermanos are pretty quick off the mark: quick to lose our temper; quick to pass judgement ; quick to attack a pile of tandooried chops at New Tayyabs and of course the legendary DH ‘quickie’ boudoir technique (form an orderly queue ladies). So it had to happen that I ended up going to a new Bar & Grill last night that was so new that it hadn’t got its Grill going so was just Bar (but not blah).

Managed by legendary Nick Strangeway (ex of just about every cocktail place you’ve ever heard of) this is another lovechild of the duo who have given us Green & Red, Redchurch and the Marquess Tavern. Their aim to provide a US Steakhouse experience (think big steaks and good cocktails) without the heavy theming. It’s early days but they seem to be heading in the right direction.

Over the course of the evening I had several well-made cocktails including the aforementioned julep (something the Peabody in Memphis failed to come up with because they’d run out of mint) which along with their sours will be part of the house specialities, a few glasses of a fetching Sauvignon Blanc and a rather fine Van Winkle’s 15 Reserve Bourbon which was most acceptable. Bar snacks were on offer so I snarfed down some pretty good ribs and excellent chips (triple cooked HB ones, apparently) during the evening.

The friendly staff proved excellent company and we all enjoyed seeing the French wipe the smile off Aragones face courtesy of some T.Henry payback. Not funny. Not funny at all.

But back to the Grill part. Once they get their extraction system working, we are promised the likes of huge porterhouse steaks, veal chops and various joints porcine. Sourced from Ginger Pig, Northfield Farm and Sillifield Farm it’s all sounding pretty damn good. All they need to do now is deliver. Expect some more news in a couple of weeks time when Dos Hemanos will be reduxing. It’s not easy being us.

Note to HS. Please could you put some snaps against this post - my camera wasn’t charged up (yeah, yeah, I know, Amateur Night In Poughkeepsie, but you’re the lensman…)