Ah London! Back to the Big Smoke after nearly a year away and so much has changed. Everywhere I walk I look at life around me and have to re-orientate myself with all the changes. The most striking one being the Shard – Europe’s tallest building, at London Bridge. To me it looks like the towers of Isengard where the Eye of Sauron sat in the middle, looking over Middle Earth. Nevertheless, it is a remarkable piece of architecture and if they do decide to have a restaurant right up the top, well, it’ll be quite a sight! Not to far a walk from the Shard is quiet Bermondsey Street, lined with cafes, pubs and restaurants. Anyone having been to Borough Market would have seen or dined at Brindisa, the Spanish restaurant and, for chefs, food supplier. Jose Pizarro, of Brindisa, then decided to venture out and open two more restaurants, aptly named, Jose and Pizarro! Both of them situated a few doors down from each other as well. Being a Sunday evening, only Pizarro was open for us to dine at, so we had to forego the thought of tapas at Jose for an a la carte menu at Pizarro.
Pizarro, Bermondsey
Off the Grid, San Francisco
You’ve got to hand it to San Francisco, they sure do food with style, whether it’s 2 star Michelin, a restaurant that seasons their garlic with food or serious health conscious fare. However, what San Francisco does better than anyone else are food trucks. Now, living in England, the thought of a food truck serving you something that you might be interested in seems like a farce – our experiences being limited to the pitiful excuse for food served out of these trucks at festivals and fairs. Off the Grid is San Fran’s food truck revolution bundled under one happy umbrella. The organisation has food truck markets every week, all over the city and even tells you how many trucks are going to be present at each market. Once a month, at Fort Mason, Off the Grid brings together no less than 30 trucks serving up anything from cupcakes to creme brulee to pho, beer, jerk chicken and tacos. Throw in a live band and some of the best food you’d pay handsomely for in a restaurant, and you’ve got yourself a perfect summer evening. My efforts must have taken me across at least half the food trucks and I have to admit, I was ecstatically shocked and surprised – everything I tasted was fresh, vibrant and just, downright, delicious!
