Father's Day lunch at Heirloom, London N8

The Englishman enjoying his Father's Day pre-lunch pint.

There's a new kid in the restaurant block in Crouch End, called Heirloom. Both the Englishman and I have been watching the changing shopfront of the restaurant on Park Road while walking past on our way into town on a Saturday, or passing onboard the W7 bus on our way home from work. Over the months of the refurbishment, we'd heard good things about Heirloom, so when it was time to book somewhere for a Father's Day lunch, Daughter and I thought this new British restaurant would do nicely.

Reputedly this restaurant was going to use ingredients from their own farm in the not-too-far Buckinghamshire to offer fresh ingredients for a short menu. Just our cup of tea (or coffee for me...).

I really liked the decor of Heirloom. It's very pared down and simple, with wooden tables without tablecloths (but with generously portioned cloth napkins - yes!) and white walls with just the odd colourful print adorning them. There's a bar at the front where you can enjoy nibbles and drinks, and some tables at the back. We were seated at a lovely round table under a skylight. But the table was right next to a back door, with a bit of a draft coming through, which on a hot London day would have been very welcome.  But because I have been 'blessed' with another bout of frozen shoulder I couldn't sit with any kind of draft. (I know - it's depressing to have it again but at least it reputedly only hits a shoulder the once, so this should be the last time). The staff were very good about it and moved us swiftly onto another table in the middle of the restaurant.

In  spite of this, it was obvious the restaurant had been open for a matter of days, because the service was a little tentative, although friendly, which is ultimately what matters. Plus the food was - in one word - divine.

To start I and the Englishman had baby leeks with lobster, which was a combination I certainly would  never have thought of but was perfectly balanced. Daughter had fried asparagus with pork jus and breadcrumbs. I am really pushed to say which one of these was the better starter; both had a clean taste, with none of the ingredients overpowering the dish.

For mains I had skate wings with capers, burned nut butter, new potatoes, fennel salad and greens. Although the dish was far too large for me, I enjoyed the perfectly cooked fish. The new potatoes were really tasty too, and the fennel salad and greens were good accompaniments the dish.

Daughter had ricotta-filled courgette with courgette flowers and pineapple tomatoes. Again the taste of this dish was fresh and well seasoned.

The Englishman's Red Devon rib of beef with baby beets was melt-in the mouth, and rare - or rather blue. It was just as well he did like his beef barely alive, because the waiters had not queried his preference. As I said before, there were a few teething problems with the service, something I'm sure Heirloom will put right in the weeks and months to come.

The puddings were again delicious, with the treacle tart and gooseberries getting the most votes at our table.

Puddings - treacle tart at the front.

This is the kind of food we like to cook at home and equally delicious if we get it right on occasion. Not to be big-headed about it, but it's rare that we get the same quality British fare when eating out locally. Which is why I just had to write about Heirloom and recommend it to you all.

Oh, and the craft beer according to the Englishman was excellent too, as was the pre dinner drink of Cava Daughter and I had. Plus the bread brought to the table at the start tasted excellent with the small pot of hot pork dripping. The taste combination reminded me of the Swedish tradition of Dopparedagen when you gather around the kitchen to dip bread into the juices of the traditionally seasonal cooked ham night before Christmas Eve.

There was a definite Nordic flair to both the cooking and decor of Heirloom, which is probably why I loved it so much. It'd be interesting to find out if the restaurant has a Scandinavian connection?

With three courses, pre dinner drinks, a bottle of good quality white wine and a glass of red our bill came to just under £50-00 per head. That's not too bad for excellent food in North London.

Heirloom
35 Park Road
Crouch End
N8 8TE
Te 02083483565
www.heirloomn8.co.uk
@heirloomn8

Comedy Downstairs at the King's Head

Last Saturday, on the spur of the moment, and because of The Englishman's recent interest in stand-up comedy (more about this later in the year), we decided to check out the Comedy Cabaret Downstairs at The King's Head. I'd heard great many good things about the acts that perform there, so I was very surprised when we got tickets at the door an hour before the 8.30 pm performance. Thus convinced that we were in no hurry to grab a good seat, we went off to have some pan-Asian food at the nearby Tootoomoo (a review coming soon).

But later when we descended the stairs at quarter past eight, the place was packed. The only available seats were either behind a pillar or right by the stage. Guess which one we (or rather I) opted for? We regretted that decision as soon as the compare, the excellent and hilariously funny, Dominic Frisby, started ripping into our similarly naive neighbours. ('Told you so,' whispered the Englishman in my ear) I think we got off quite lightly. Dominic asked us what we did for a living and I even got in a plug about my novel, The Red King of Helsinki. Not bad work, eh?

Dominic Frisby

The rest of the acts that followed Dominic Frisby were equally good, and we laughed like drains most of the night. My particular favourite was Toby Williams, who under the alias (I presume it was an alias, because this is how he was billed) of George Ryegold, did a really convincing series of sketches in a role of a disgraced doctor. There is embarrassment galore in people's illnesses anyway, and playing a delusional GP who's been struck off the register worked beautifully for the set. I really liked Ryegold's understated delivery, and his act made me think of Krister Henriksson's performance in Dr Glas. Comedy is just the other side of the coin from a tragedy?

The next day I spotted Williams/Ryegold on TV. He's the brilliant vet in the Specsavers ad about a (not so) dead cat. It's a small world for comedians.

We will definitely got to a Cabaret Night again, and will also check one of the Comedy Try Out nights for new acts.

Downstairs at The King's Head
2 Crouch End Hill
London
N8 8AA

Tickets are £11/7 for the Comedy Cabaret and £4/3 for Comedy Try Out Nights.

Crouch End Knowledge - Done!

On a complete spur of the moment, the Englishman and I decided to go on a pub crawl last night. He'd been going on and on about the fact that I'd not finished The Knowledge (this self-imposed task involves visiting every pub in the area) and thought last night was good as any to finally achieve my goal.

But in order to finish the task, first we needed to avoid temptation and (for once) walk past our local, the Maynard Inn (that of the famous Scotch Egg Friday). Determined, we made our way briskly even past the next temptation on Park Road, our favourite tapas bar, Bar Esteban, and carried on towards Broadway, and up Crouch Hill to The Railway Tavern, a pub we had yet to visit. 

The Englishman had a pint of UBU and I a pint of Staropramen. On this sunny evening we even managed to get a table in the little garden at the back. (The whole of Crouch End has been quiet since the start of the school holidays  - the area's not called 'Nappy Valley' for nothing). 

The garden at the back was minuscule, it's true, but full of flowers and very pleasing to the eye. However, it didn't satisfy The Englishman, because when we were walking out, he announced, 'This is a Winter Pub.' I have no idea where he gets these categorisations from. There's 'The Perfect Boozer'; there are pubs that are, 'A bit too poncy for my liking' (I suspect my favourite The Maynard comes under this description), or those that are just 'OK'.

The next unvisited pub on our list was the local Wetherspoon's, but I wasn't ready for that yet, so we nipped in for a quick half at the King's Head. We'd been here before, and if it wasn't for the difficulty in walking past The Maynard, we'd come here a lot more often. The pub is a traditional one, with swirly pattered carpet and dark wooden interior, but the cellar hosts some of the sharpest comedy acts in North London. There's always something going on, which I really like. The beer wasn't bad either, I had Camden Hells and the Englishman a pint of Summer Lightning (he doesn't believe in halves).

After we'd finished the delicious beers (I do like the Camden Brewery lager), still I tried to wriggle out of going into the Weatherspoon's opposite. 'Don't be such a snob,' the Englishman said and pushed me across the road. I'm not sure if it's snobbery, but I dislike pubs that belong to large chains. This one, called Devonshire House, is extremely popular, I grant you. Even at breakfast time when I pass the place on a bus, I often see their regular patrons having the first pint of the day in there. (See why I wasn't so keen?) But tonight I was on a mission, so off we went. To play it safe, I asked for a bottle of Sol.

Leaving the Englishman at the bar, I found a table in the back. Compared to the other two pubs we'd been to, the place was heaving with almost every table taken. I noticed there were couples eating, or groups of girls having drinks. There was a TV in the corner and some plastic plants around. (Not so good). But glancing at the menu, I noticed they had my current obsession, frozen yoghurt on there. I've been wondering why there's no Froyo place in Crouch End. Idly I considered, that if in dire need, I might venture in here for a hit. 

The Englishman arrived at the table carrying three bottles. 'Somebody joining us?' I asked. 'It's a fiver for three bottles!' he said. It was then that I saw the reason behind the popularity of this place. (I know, I'm a bit green sometimes). With his infinite wisdom, the Englishman had asked the barman to leave the top on the extra bottle, so we didn't need to drink all three. Just as well, because I was getting quite tipsy. 

Next (and luckily last) on the list of unvisited pubs in Crouch End was a place, which I'd not even spotted before, on Topsfield Parade. (Just shows you!?). At the Henry Reader there was a pleasant surprise waiting for us. In the mostly empty pub, there were two large screens showing a friendly match between Tottenham (the Englishman's soccer team for my US & Scandi readers) and a Spanish side, Espanyol. I don't usually like TVs in pubs (who does!?) but this was different. Two other Spurs suppporters began having an (almost) intelligent conversation with us about the match, about the forthcoming football season, and about whether our best ever (although possibly not - what do I know?) striker, Gareth Bale, would be sold off. 

'It's a Spurs pub,' the Englishman rejoiced (I think he'd had quite enough beer by this stage too) on our way out. I then remembered that the worst categorisation he could give a drinking establishment is a 'Gooner's pub'. I knew he wouldn't even consider stepping into a pub populated by Arsenal fans. With not only officially completing The Knowledge, but also finding a pub which would show away matches, and friendly towards Spurs, on our doorstep, the evening had just about become complete. 

So there you have it - The Knowledge of Crouch End Pubs is now officially complete. Needless to say, there was a bit of a headache hovering around my temples this morning….

Crouch End Knowledge: Scarlet Rage Vintage

I have to come clean: I don't like vintage shops. The only good item I've ever got in a second hand shop (as they used to be called) was a beautiful Victorian christening gown for Son. And that was nearly twenty-six years ago. (Time flies). I still have it, for the next generation, and I truly treasure it.

Oh, come to think of it, I did once get a very lovely burgundy ball gown in a vintage shop, called Bertie Golightly's in Bradford-on-Avon. I remember that they had to take the waist in, I was that thin. (Those were the days!) That was before Son was born, so best not think how many years ago that was... I still have that purchase too, so I may have to eat my words on not liking vintage.

But, the idea of wearing someone else's clothes fills me with dread. Besides, I think the whole vintage fashion phenomena is over. There are now far too many shops calling themselves vintage, when in truth they're just full of second hand wares, or last season's sale items at normal prices.

Of course there are exceptions, and one such shop is Scarlet Rage Vintage in Crouch End, North London. I've been meaning to visit this shop for ages, because it has such an attractive window display, but have never quite managed it. And now they are already celebrating their first Birthday!

As soon as you walk into the shop you notice this is a professional outfit: all the clothes are beautifully displayed and they're clean, ironed and not stuffed into overfull rails (and there's no 'old clothes' smell). The lady in the shop, Rosie, was friendly, not overly pushy, just lovely.

My eye soon caught a treasure; 1920's waitress' (or servant's?) uniform. The lace at the cuffs and the thin white linen pinny convinced me it was truly original. Perfect for a fancy dress; although it looked on the small size (this time it would have to be altered in the other direction). Rosie told me it was probably a size eight, so erhm, perhaps not for me.

Rosie told me the stock comes mostly from the US and Europe, and that they make sure the items are from their chosen era of 1920's to 50's. They also stock a large collection of handbags, vintage jewellery, and a few homes wares such as cushions and chairs.

If you're into your American 20th century vintage, this is definitely a place to visit. And if you're in Crouch End this week, why not pop in on Thursday to celebrate Scarlet Rage Vintage's first birthday?

Scarlet Rage Vintage,
11 Topsfield Parade,
Crouch End,
London,
N8 7LA

Opening time are:

Monday to Friday 10:30am till 6pm
Saturday 11am till 6pm
Sunday 12pm till 6pm

Jazz and Swing in North London

Photo: BBC 

I've been loving the new BBC Two drama, Dancing on Edge directed by Stephen Poliakoff and starring the fantastic Chiwetel Eijofor and Matthew Goode, among other big stars. It's a story of a jazz and swing band in 1930's London, and the acting, direction, plot and above all the music have really impressed me.

So when I had an email  from the wonderful Jazz and Swing band Down for the Count that they will be at The Music Palace in Crouch End this Friday (today, sorry for the last minute notice), I immediately had an image in my head from Dancing on Edge and thought I must go. I had a fantastic evening when this talented group of musicians performed as part of the Crouch End Festival last year. Plus the venue is but a hop and a skip from where we live, so even if there's snow, I am confident we can make it!

Today, the event will also include a dance lesson, which I am sort of dreading, because I love dancing but find it incredibly difficult to follow a pre-designated set of steps…we'll see how it all goes!? Talk about dancing on edge...I will report back if I dare…

4 reasons why I'll never forget 2012

Another year is nearly over and after such an eventful 2012 in London (Olympics etc!), personally I too have had quite a remarkable year. Here are the four major reasons why.

1. In January '12 we finally took the plunge on the property market and moved into our own flat in Crouch End. I cannot describe to you how wonderful it was to set my roots down again. (A few mishaps like being shut out on the balcony not withstanding) In the last 11 months or so we have grown to really love this part of North London, from its pubs (The Maynard Arms and The Queens), to its award winning coffee shops (The Haberdashery and The Blue Legume) to its fishmongers (Walter Purkis and Sons). The End is truly a lovely place to live.

2. The year 2012 also saw the first ever Crouch End Festival, a feat of local arts in the form of music, literature, dance, performance, bunting displays around the Broadway and much, much more. The festival broke all records for both the supply of events and spectators, but to me it was a fantastic way to get to know the local arty folk. (It's reputed that over 40% of the people living in N8 are working in the creative industries - no wonder I feel so at home here). I cannot wait for the 2013 Festival which I'm lucky again to be involved in.

3. The year 2012 was also significant for me because I published my first ebook, The Englishman. As well as having wonderful support from many of my fellow bloggers, who reviewed the book and/or let me talk about The Englishman on their sites (thank you Tania, Karen, Expat Mum and Ruth), it got terrific reviews (4 and 5 stars!!!) on Amazon. It was also a choice of the month at Indy Writers and became an Awesome Indie. It also made the N10 Show locally, where for the first time I read out loud from the book. That was scary….What's more the sales of the book have completely outstripped my expectations. All is now set for the next two books to be published in 2013. My tale of displacement, Pappa's Girl, will be out in January closely followed by a gentle spy thriller, The Red King of Helsinki. All I now need to do is to finish the next one…

4. Last, but not least, this year I found a diet that works for me: the 5:2 fasting. I've talked about it  lot here, but the fact is that I lost a whopping 5 kilos in the first two months! Plus the fasting has completely changed my relationship with food, so much so, that even during this holiday season when I decided to give myself a break with the diet, I've not been overeating as I usually do either. This is truly unusual and revolutionary for me. I cannot wait for the New Year when I will be starting the regime anew. And roll on 10 January when Dr Mosley's book, The Fast Diet is out (where this blog gets a mention).

So those were my highlights of 2012 - what were yours?

Life Touch Massage in Crouch End and my old life in the country.

Eleonora at Life Touch Massage

I've been suffering from a painful shoulder since last December. But it wasn't until May this year, when the pain became acute, that I decided I needed to go and see somebody. I found a web page for Eleonora at Life Touch Massage, read the testimonials, and decided I couldn't go wrong.

Eleonora asked me to arrive 10 minutes early for the first appointment to talk about my health history. She was so friendly and caring, I immediately felt at ease. After that first massage, which was wonderfully relaxing, Eleonora said I was suffering from a Frozen shoulder. 'I can fix it, but it can take a little time,' she said.

Frozen shoulder is something that affects mainly women, and there's very little research into why it happens. It's not an affliction which stops daily life - it's just painful and it prevents me from doing certain things, like swimming and going to the gym.

When my GP said the condition can last from six months to six years, I very nearly fainted. I'm not going to be in pain for six years, I decided and asked for a Cortisone injection, which sometimes helps for a few weeks, allowing more movement in the joints.

But after my summer holiday in Finland, the shoulder got even worse. It ached constantly and stopped me from sleeping. Exhausted and close to tears, I crawled back to Eleonora and her magical hands. 'You will get better,' she assured me and began working on my sore body.

After a few twice weekly sessions with Eleonora, I was right as rain. My shoulder is still a little painful and occasionally I will lose a night's sleep, but generally I feel myself again.

When I asked Eleonora why people get a Frozen Shoulder - was it my slacking gym attendance, or that fact that since we left Wiltshire I hadn't really taken regular Pilates classes? 'Well,' she said, 'Some people think it's associated with mourning.'

When I walked home after that session, I tried to think what an earth I would be mourning for. True, my life had changed dramatically in the last two years. The move from the country to London was perhaps a little drastic (from a cottage with 3 acres of land & gardens in the middle of nowhere, to a flat in busy North London with only a few potted herbs on a balcony), but I didn't think missing the orchard, or the bumper crop of swiss chard, or our lovely Labrador could be called mourning.

Our chocolate Lab doing his rounds around the garden.

But the more I thought about it, and looked at the many pictures I took of the house and grounds before we left, I realised perhaps I was kidding myself. Perhaps I just hadn't allowed myself to miss my previous life? Even though I knew I wouldn't want to go back and knew that the idyllic pictures belie the endless grass cutting, digging and weeding the garden demanded. Or the farm smells that I never got used to, or the mud and the flies which seemed to be a constant feature of our life in the country (I swear I lived in my wellington boots for the 15 years we were in the cottage). Still, I can honestly say I do (sometimes) miss the old life.

There.

Now better (nearly - my back is another story!), I go and see Eleonora about every two weeks. She literally fixes both my mind and body, and so she's become part of my regular health routine.

Eleonora at Life Touch Massage can be contacted here.

Brunch at The Blue Legume Cafe, London N8

When we moved to this particular corner of North London last January, I set out to do The Crouch End Knowledge, i.e. visit all pubs, bars and cafes in the N8 area and report back to you.  But, due to some other important business (such as the publishing of my book), this task has been rather on the back burner lately. But today, to start these efforts anew, I persuaded the Englishman and Daughter to join me for brunch at the more recently opened establishment in Crouch End, Blue Legume Cafe on Crouch Hill.

I've been wanting to go to this place for some time, because when passing the place onboard the number W7 bus, I've watched people sitting at tables outside, enjoying cups of milky coffee and delicious looking plates of food. Sometimes it takes all of my will power not to get off the bus and join them, and delay what ever trip I am making into town.



When looking at the menus today I noticed (to my slight disappointment) that the Blue Legume Cafe serves the kind of fare which most small restaurant/cafes London nowadays do. You know the kind that's called 'Modern British', old-fashioned food with a Mediterranean twist. But since this place almost always looks full, I decided here the food must be a little more special. Or at least a good example of its kind.

And the place is certainly friendly. As soon as we sat outside on this unseasonably tropical morning here in London, a smiling waitress came over to ask if we'd like drinks. We were given menus and (almost too) swiftly our first order of skinny cappuccino, americano and Earl Grey tea arrived.

Both the Englishman and I decided to have the vegetarian sausage breakfast, while Daughter went for Eggs Royal. All again arrived in record time and were on the whole delicious.

Vegetarian sausage, grilled 1/2 tomato, beans, fried mushrooms and granary toast.

Eggs Royal: Toasted muffin with smoked salmon and two poached eggs.

The poached eggs were well cooked (not a mean feat), just soft enough in the middle.  Although both the Englishman and Daughter found theirs were a little cold, mine was perfect.  The wholemeal toast was also hot and the butter which arrived was room temperature, a perfect match. I also loved the mushrooms, they weren't slimy, nor dry, which they sometimes can be, and as a whole my meal was just what I wanted on this Saturday morning.

So as the first establishment of the second leg of The Crouch end Knowledge, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Blue Legume Cafe. It's friendly, has a nice atmosphere and on the whole is as nice as it looks!

My Interview at Tania Writes

Tania Hershamn

Tania's latest book.

Tania is one of my writing heroes. I've known her since we ended up in the same critique group on our MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa, and I've greatly admired her beautifully succinct and clever short stories ever since. As expected both of Tania's collections of stories, published after our graduation in 2003, have attracted great reviews and won many prizes. Her latest book My Mother Was An Upright Piano sits permanently on my bedside table, so that I can regularly dip in and out of her magical world.

You can imagine I jumped at the chance when Tania asked me to guest her blog, Tania Writes. She has an intelligent set of questions she poses each of her visitors. You can read the whole interview here - I hope you like my answers!

PS. I was also delighted to see that Tania's interview with me is featured in this week's OpinionN8, an excellent Crouch End (London) online magazine.

It's all cricket to me

Our new place in Crouch End, north London, is surrounded by all sorts of sports clubs and fields. There's tennis, football and cricket pitches galore.

This afternoon, when the Englishman and I went for a walk with the terrier, we counted no fewer than six - six - cricket matches going on at the same time.

Number One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

Five and...

Number six we can see from our flat, although the trees in full leaf sometimes 'spoil' the view!

It was lovely to stroll in the sunshine, listening to the shouts of encouragement from the opposing teams, or the few louder celebrations when a batsman was bowled out. (See, I've got the terminology and all…27 years of marriage to the Englishman has taught me something...)

The Englishman - who was a keen cricketer in his time - informed me that the standard was very good of all the matches we briefly followed.

Crouch End Shopping - Little Paris

There are a lot of independent shops in Crouch End, but one that is a real favourite of mine is Little Paris on Park Road, N8. This lovely store, which stocks everything French, has already been featured in Time Out's 100 Best Shops in London. You can find anything from vintage furniture to beautiful leather handbags here; there are also little quirky items of jewellery, as well as 1950's prints, old crockery and silk scarves. They promise that the stock is changed every three weeks and having popped into the shop more times than is strictly healthy for my budget (it's on my way into the centre of Crouch End), I can vouch for this. If you ever have a need to buy presents for yourself friends or family, you'll be sure to find them here. I've so far stocked up on cards made from vintage French adverts and bought some jewellery I just couldn't resist, like this glass ring and a fun bunch of grapes necklace.

Silk scarves are cleverly displayed in a vintage filing cabinet

I'm really seriously tempted with another one of these necklaces.

These clogs are in very soft leather...

as are these handbags. The prices are very reasonable, the large one is priced well under £100.

The back of the shop is like an Aladdin's cave of well chosen vintage finds.

I've had my eye on this chair for a couple of weeks now…I want!

More soft leather goods and lovely summery straw beach bags. 

Little Paris
39 Park Road
Crouch End
London N8 8TE
0208 340 9008

They've recently opened a second shop on Upper Street in Islington. I very strongly recommend you visit one of these gorgeous stores if you're ever in North London.