London Calling: Tale of Two Tables

London’s dynamite duo restauranteurs, Jeremy King and Chris Corbin, whose smart and slick, yet comfortable restaurant, The Wolseley, made waves when it opened in 2003, bring new to the stage, St. Alban, located at Rex House on Lower Regent Street. In contrast to the grand Viennese style of Wolseley, St. Alban boasts a modern interior with a “pod-like” retro design, matte turquoise and red hues. Head chef, Francesco Mazzei, draws upon Mediterranean influences (heavy on Spain and Italy) in dishes such as shellfish impepata (a spicy shellfish dish often prepared with mussels at Italian tables), Joselito gran riserva ham, Sicilian rabbit stew, and octopus and baby squid Catalana. Appropriately, the wine list pairs well with the inspired culinary regions, and offers a dozen intriguing white and red selections by the glass. There is reason to believe that the team dubbed “Batman and Robin” based on the success of their previous restaurants will have the crowds beckoning and coming back for more…….

Wright Moves in Borough Market

Amidst the buzz of Borough Market on London’s South Bank, tucked outside the edges of the market stalls, lies Wright Brothers, a gem of an eatery in foodie territory and a supplier of oysters and shellfish to a myriad of top London restaurants. Specials de Claires, Kumamotos, Duchy of Cornwall…the daily selection (written on a blackboard) is impressive, particularly when served simplest with a pickling of lemon and mignonette. Not only are the oysters and shellfish (read: fruits de mer) worthy of the draw, but a number of the other dishes demand attention as well, notably the Dressed Crab – fresh crab with a mayonnaise dressing presented in a crab shell and tucked beneath a fine topping of minced egg white and hard-boiled egg over a bed of frisee. A hard to beat pairing with a glass (or two) of Picpoul de Pinet, Felines de Jourdan. Equally as noteworthy are the fish pie, with generous pieces of salmon and haddock blanketed by a golden layer of potato mash, and classic moules mariniere, a toppling bowl of mussels in a silky, creamy broth with garlic. Get lost in this seafood bar, which packs plenty of soul, for a late afternoon lunch…you might feel a bit of the sea or mistake London for the port city of Montpelier!

Bagpipes and Bubbly

A beautiful wedding this past weekend at a private club in Manhattan which exuded elegance and charm. Bagpipes welcomed the guests into the dining room for dinner and the dancing followed on the tiled vestibule.

Flowers by Katrina Paris.