Food & Drink Archive
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Babushka Bar/Restaurant in Hawthorn, Melbourne
There’s a great new bar/restaurant called Babushka that has opened up in Hawthorn in Melbourne. This casual watering hole Babushka was created by David Christianson (Upfront Concepts), Grant Smilie (Ponyfish Island, 360 Agency) and Mark Douglass (Mark Douglass Design). The venue has a main room with a rich assortment of chairs, pews, stools and tables of [...] -
Zubrówka Pop-up Cinema at Browns Courtroom
I am a huge fan of Zubrówka. I first experienced it at Na Zdrowie (now The Polish Bar) in Holborn while studying at university. Since then it’s become one of my favourite tipples so I was terribly excited to hear that the premium Polish vodka brand is opening a Pop-Up Cinema at Browns Courtrooms in [...] -
KGB Restaurant Las Vegas
I’ve got to say, Las Vegas is not really my kind of place. However, I was interested to recently read about the KGB gourmet burger and vodka bar at Harrah’s that opened last summer. Vision 360, a Dallas-based architecture and interior design firm, were the guys behind making celebrity chef, Kerry Simon’s vision a reality. Simon [...] -
Puklavec & Friends Sauvignon Blanc & Furmint 2009
I recently wrote about the Puklavec Sauvignon Blanc from Slovenia available in Waitrose. I’m a huge fan of the folks at Puklavec having met them at the International Wine Festival last year. It’s such a shame that the likes of Waitrose have only picked up one bottle from their impressive range. I tried out the [...] -
Recipe: Balkan Ćevapčići Served with Ajvar
I can’t lie, ćevapčići is probably one of my favourite finds from Eastern Europe. The ground beef sausage shaped burgers are popular across Yugoslavia and are traditionally served with flat breads, kajmak and ajvar (more of my favourites!). The kind people at Cox & Kings recently sent me a jar of ajvar (an aubergine and red pepper [...] -
Albastrele Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Laithwaites
When my Laithwaites wine package turned up I was excited to see yet another East European find – this time, Albastrele Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Moldova. As expected this is a really zingy wine, full of citrus aroma and flavours but more subtle than New World Sauvignon Blancs which tend to be overly grapefruity. Should the [...] -
Puklavec & Friends Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Slovenia
When I was at the London International Wine Festival this year I had a chat to the people behind the Puklavec & Friends Sauvignon Blanc from Slovenia. It was nice to see them back in town and it was a good reminder of how unique this Slovene wine is. The region is usually noted for [...] -
La Umbra Merlot 2009 Dealurile Munteniei, Romania
Recently my sister gave me a bottle of La Umbra Merlot 2009 Dealurile Munteniei, Romania, she had purchased from Waitrose. It’s always exciting to try a new wine available in the UK from the region so I didn’t hesitate to crack it open. Despite being unoaked, this is a punchy red wine, with a fabulous ruby [...] -
Russian Standard Vodka at Taste of London
At this year’s Taste of London Festival in Regent’s Park (16th to 19th June) you can discover the delights of Russian vodka at the Russian Standard Cocktail Bar. Eager gourmands are invited to explore Russian Standard’s House of Vodka with two mixology master classes each day, run by leading mixologist Glen Hooper who has over 10 years [...] -
Recipe: Adriatic Mussels in White Wine & Parsley
The winter is the best time to indulge in mussels on the Adriatic coast of Slovenia and Croatia. This is a very simple recipe for steamed mussels and ensures the taste of the fabulous, succulent mussels shines through and is not dominated by any other ingredient. Here’s my foolproof recipe… Ingredients 1kg mussels, with the beards and any [...]
