London Archives — A TO ZA’ATAR

August 25, 2018 by cbrandtwright 0

The Laslett: Notting Hill charms?

Can I be honest with you? Sometimes, I am spectacularly lazy when it comes to my vacation. In this case, nevermind the sheer amount of sightseeing and activities London has to offer, with less than 48 hours in the city, I wanted to concentrate my time. And by concentrate my time, I mean, eat well. Thus, I found myself looking for a Notting Hill adjacent property and stumbled on The Laslett. With such a crunch on our time, I didn’t want to spend the entirety of our trip in or on transportation. Friends recommended Hotel 41, as well as the Athenaeum, however, given the proximity to Core by Clare Smyth and The Ledbury, I decided it would be best to stay within walking distance of both restaurants. Sure, London has excellent public transportation, but with such a limited amount of time, I decided we would rather enjoy one neighborhood, instead…

Notting Hill hotel The Laslett The Laslett London

August 8, 2018 by cbrandtwright 0

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The Ledbury** London: A lovely long lunch.

When planning our recent vacation, realizing we would have a few hours in London, I knew I had to get my priorities straight, starting with where to eat. As I polled various foodie friends who had been through the city, I received a number of suggestions, but one was listed over and over again — The Ledbury. Thus, like any good global food lover, I watched the reservation window and pounced on an appointment for a long lunch on our one full afternoon in the city. Given our short stay in London (under 48 hours), I had booked a hotel in nearby Notting Hill — The Laslett (more on that experience later). I chose the property primarily because of its location, thus, we could easily stroll to lunch. Hubs and I lucked out for our brief visit, and had a clear walk to make our 1:15 reservation. Interested in the…

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July 27, 2018 by cbrandtwright 0

London

Core by Clare Smyth: The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Female Chef 2018 (and some feminist thoughts).

As Gordon Ramsay might say, “Let’s get one thing straight…” That is, I cringe desperately when awards are given in certain fields that recognize one gender and not the other. In this instance, earlier in 2018, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants identified chef Clare Smyth as the best female chef in the world. It’s an award they give out every year. Having worked in a 3 Michelin star venue for many years (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, 2012-2016), I respect Chef Smyth’s pedigree. However, this distinction puts me in a conundrum. Why does an award need to seek out a specific gender, when their current list (and really, the list any year) includes so few restaurants that are female-led? I know this is not a problem that is going to solve itself overnight, however, I do like that some progress being made in the States (a look at the James Beard nominees year…

best female chef best female chef 2018 Clare Smyth Core by Clare Smyth london fine dining

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