Terroirs Wine Bar

09-07-2016 Local Black BookCharing Cross station, cheese, Covent Garden, French, Leicester Square station, London, nibbles, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates, snails, Terroirs, Terroirs Wine Bar, Trafalgar Square, wine, wine barLeave a comment

The best place to indulge in meat, cheese, bread and wine is France. Obviously.

And trust me when I say I’ve been having my fare share of the good stuff already and fully intend to have more this coming week #wheninFrance

But with Bastille Day approaching, there’s no reason for me to be the only one enjoying les bonnes choses de la vie.

So if you’re suffering from French food envy… I have just the place!

Just a stone’s throw away from Covent Garden (and right by one of my absolute favourite London restaurants), Terroirs is a vibrant wine bar focusing on small scale, natural wines and ingredient-led, French-inspired small plates.

Everything sounds so good you’ll want to get stuck right in.

And after all, wine not?!

“Beryna” 2012 (Bernabe Navarro, Alicante, Spain) for the girls…

While I simply had to stop and smell the rosé (a lovely glass of 2014 Château Plaisance from Fronton, France).

With some bread and butter bien sûr.

Quickly followed by a table full of Terroirs’ best nibbles.

Rich, meaty Pork & Pistachio terrine with a generous helping of crunchy and sharp cornichons.

Wafer thin slices of Salame Felino.

And a little bit of blue cheese (Bleu de Laqueille)…

We nibbled our way through the lot…

… and then some!

Beef carpaccio with herbs and lemon.

Zingy, herby and fresh, I could have eaten five of those.

Last but not least, France’s most infamous culinary speciality: snails.

Big, juicy snails, served on toast with a pungent, parsley & garlic sauce and crispy bacon.

A match made in (French) heaven.

Don’t mind if I do…

French puddings are always something special & Terroirs is no exception.

Simple but stunning Chocolate pot & Salted caramel.

Intense, rich and super indulgent.

Beautifully light and creamy Panna Cotta with grappa and honeycomb.

A little piece of France in the heart of London, Terroirs Wine Bar is one of the best places if you’re after a lil’ bit of something nice.

Perfect for a quick after-work drink or a leisurely dinner with your favourite people

…or any time you just need to wine down!

Terroirs Wine Bar, 5 William IV St, London WC2N 4DW

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A meal of memories (+meeting Novak Djokovic ) at Jacob’s Creek Table

25-06-2016 Local Black Bookevent, Jacob Creek, Jacob Creek's Table, Jacob's Creek, London, Made by Moments, Novak Djokovic, Our Table, tennis, Wimbledon, wine, wine tasting1 Comment

Do you have a favourite recipe, or a dish that always reminds you of a special memory? Or maybe a meal that takes you back to your childhood, or a trip that changed you, or a significant event?

Australian wine brand Jacob’s Creek has teamed up with tennis champion and world number 1 Novak Djokovic to celebrate food and wine and the special memories that they can evoke.

For the launch of their new #madeby campain, Jacob’s Creek organised a very special dinner, hosted in Wimbledon by Novak himself and celebrity chef Lisa Faulkner.

So last week, we made our way to Wimbledon in the pouring rain and as soon as we arrived, we knew we were in for a very, very special night.

Long tables were layed in Wimbledon’s legendary All England Lawn Tennis Club, with beautiful colour-coordinated flower arrangements…

And of course, some of Jacob’s Creek very best wine!

We started the party in style with a taste of the brand’s two Chardonnays.

Classic on the left, Reserve on the right.

The later was my favourite.

Elegant, creamy and refined, it’s the perfect welcome drink.

We then moved things to the dinner table for a very special menu.

Each dish had been selected by top food bloggers, as well as hosts Lisa Faulkner and Novak Djokovic, and each triggered a very special food memory.

Delicious food and equally delightful stories? I couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

But this stunning Charcuterie & Cheese platter might have had something to do with that…

Parma ham, salami, N’Duja, creamy brie, a big wedge of blue cheese, thinly sliced Manchego…

It truly was a foodie’s (and We The Food Snobs‘) dream come true!

Scallops with crispy pancetta and pea puree.

A recreation of Not Another Mummy Blog‘s first wedding anniversary dinner and an absolute delight!

Served alongside Jacob’s Creek Reserve sauvignon Blanc ’14 (lovely with the scallops)

And just a touch of Jacob’s Creek Reserve Pinot Noir ’13 (the perfect pairing to any sharing platter)

Needless to say, it got the food memories flowing.

There were tales of fish finger sandwiches, Christmas dinners, pasta alla vongole and much more…

My story? It was all about meeting my boyfriend and baking the world’s best brownies…

Novak Djokovic also shared his favourite recipe: a delightful vegan lasagna, featuring zucchini, squash and heaps of pesto (which I totally failed to take any picture of).

Good thing Novak’s better than me when it comes to fulfilling his picture engagements ??

Besides Novak’s signature lasagna, mains also included Jacob’s Creek Executive Chef Veronica Zahra’s signature dish, Lamb cutlet with rocket, caramelised figs and balsamic reduction.

Cooked to pink perfection, it was the perfect nod to the Barossa Valley (the home of Jacob’s Creek) and paired amazingly with the brand’s flagship wine, the Reserve Barossa Shiraz.

And Lisa Faulkner’s favourite dish of all times, Tarragon chicken.

Creamy and incredibly fragrant, it’s basically love (and cream) on a plate.

All served with a double helping of super rich, delightfully indulgent potato dauphinoise.

And followed by the most amazing selection of puddings.

Classic Berry Pavlova.

An Aussie classic that’s impossible to resist!

A Mummy Too‘s devilish Lemon curd & white chocolate cheesecake creation.

Inspired by her tow favourite desserts and just as good as you’d expect.

And Sticky Toffee Pudding.

A (sticky) finger-licking good British classic (and Food Globin‘s favourite)!

And this caramel sauce… One spoonful was enough for it to become one of my most treasured food memories! (I had many more just to be sure).

Excellent food, delicious wine and conversation with fellow food nerds… Needless to say, it was a fantastic evening.

An experience I intend to re-enact very soon in my own home, and strongly encourage you to try out!

Gather a few friends, cover a table with food to be shared, open a couple of Jacob’s Creek finest wine… and let the food memories flow!

What’s your dearest food memory? Please share your stories in the comments, I’d love to read them!

Raspberry Wine Spritzer

16-05-2016 Local Black Bookcocktail, cocktails, drink, drinks, raspberry, recipe, rosé, Sparkling Ice, spritzer, summer, wineLeave a comment

There’s something about the sunny weather that just calls for everyday mini-garden parties and evening cocktails.

Yes, even on Mondays. The beginning of a long week deserves a celebratory long drink.

Especially when it’s as easy to make as these Raspberry Wine Spritzer!

Raspberry Wine Spritzer is the lazy alternative to Sangria.

Less ingredients, less prep time but that same ‘summer in a glass’ vibe!

Serve in your favourite patch of sunshine, sit back, smile and relax!

Truly the ultimate summer drink!

Raspberry Wine Spritzer (for 1 glass)

Ingredients: 80ml Black Raspberry Sparkling Ice Sparkling Water (chilled), 150ml chilled rosé wine (I used Côtes de Provence), 4 ice cubes, berries to serve

1. In a large wine glass, place the ice cubes and a few berries (I used blueberries).

2. Pour in the rosé, then top with Black Raspberry Sparkling Ice.

3. Garnish with yet more berries (redcurrants here) and serve immediately.

PS: If you want to make a big batch (for a party for example), simply combine the wine and Sparkling Ice water into a large drink dispenser and serve ice and berries on the side for your guests to garnish their own drinks.

Market Porter, Battersea

10-11-2015 Local Black Bookartisan, Battersea, café, charcuterie, cheese, deli, delicatessen, Embassy Gardens, London, lunch, Market Porter, Restaurant, review, sandwich, wineLeave a comment

Those last few weeks, I had been working really hard on blog scheduling, trying to make sure I balance content to make sure you guys don’t end up reading 7 restaurant reviews one week, and then none for weeks.

It was all going well, but then I visited the newly-opened Market Porter in Battersea and everything tumbled down.

Forget being organised and planning content ahead, there was no way I was keeping this one from you for one second!

Nestled in the still-being-built Embassy Gardens luxury development right by the river, finding Market Porter is still a bit of a challenge…

But it’s well worth the effort as Market Porter is the cutest café / deli I have ever seen.

Worthy of my Paris’ favourites!

Quite small, but so very charming and welcoming, just like the people running it!

People who love wine, cheese and charcuterie are always the best people anyway.

And true to its roots (Market Porter is the first off-line venture of Meatporter.com, famous for delivering exceptionally high-quality meat cuts right to your door), Market Porter focuses on the quality of ingredients.

Only the very best, carefully sourced with both taste and ethics in mind, is to be found on the shelves.

The artisan deli selection of course includes some of Meat Porter‘s gorgeous own produce, usually only available through their website.

Along with a fine selection of wine, coffee, cheese as well as other high-quality British food and drink products.

You can of course take all those beautiful things home and turn them into the most beautiful of picnics.

Or you can turn to the man behind the bar and trust him to come up with something wonderful.

Like this Green Peppercorn wild boar salami on sourdough with spinach and roasted red peppers.

Crunchy toasted sourdough, spread with a touch of the very best mayo, fresh baby spinach leaves, paper-thin, smoky and delicate salami, soft peppers, simply drizzled in fragrant olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, this beauty shines by its simplicity.

But when everything that goes into a dish is that good, nothing more is needed to create something absolutely stellar.

Both picture and taste-perfect and one of the best lunches I’d had in a while.

So if you happen to be in the area, go give them a go (and get me some of this salami when you’re at it!).

Market Porter, 5 New Union Square, Embassy Gardens London SW8 5AJ

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Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

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wine

Terroirs Wine Bar

A meal of memories (+meeting Novak Djokovic ) at Jacob’s Creek Table

Raspberry Wine Spritzer

Market Porter, Battersea