Dodgy Deptford!

Deptford used to be one those places in London that was stuck between other places of interest, a hinterland, somewere that you passed through. But now I must admit it is one of the areas that I visit quite reguarly. There's a bustling market and some interesting new cafes and bars , there are also some very old fashioned boozers, like throw backs to the 70's, drunk old men and carpet on the floor, which is no bad thing in this age of gastropubs.
Anyway on one of my recent visits I popped into the Deptford Cafe, one of the many in the market, for sustenance. I had my usual, bubble, eggs, beans, 2 slice and a tea. The bubble was by far one of the worst I have ever tasted, fried packet mashed potato, with no cabbage, onion, no nothing! In fact it was like eating burnt wallpaper paste. The bread was economy class and on it was the normal industrial spread we have come to expect in most cafes.
The only redeeming feature of the place was the clientele, a curious mixture of local characters, one woman's false teeth fell out of her mouth and into her tea, how quaint!

Borough Bubble!

Maria’s Market Café, Borough Market, SE1

I had bubble, 2 eggs and beans, 2 slice and a tea.

Re-incarnation of the much missed ‘Borough Café’ formerly in Park Street. Wonderful traditional bubble cooked in its own pan. Hailed by many as serving the best bubble in London. A great place to sit and watch the world go by, especially when the market is on.

Unspoilt Gem!

, beer

I met a good mate of mine in 'Ye Old White Horse' , an unspoilt gem near the LSE, the other night for a drink or two. We then meandered through the back streets behind the 'Old Bailey' skirting past our beloved 'Seven Stars' and ended up in the 'Old Nick' in Sandland Street, had a pint of HB, a strange hoppy lager. A nice enough pub with a very friendly landlady. From there we moved onto 'The Duke' in Roger Street, just off the Grays Inn Road, a great 30's art deco pub with a lovely little dining room. And lastly onto the 'Queens Head' in Acton Street, Kings Cross, a classic little victorian pub with a lovely bow window at the front and some original features inside.
All in all a pleasant crawl.

In The Bailey!

Getting away from breakfats for a moment!
I have tried thai food in pubs all over in London since it became the in thing well over 10 years ago, and I must say that most of it has been mediocre to say the least. My favourite used to be the 'Coach and Horses' in Stoke Newington. But!I have just had a thai lunch in 'The Bailey', which I think is probably one of the best pubs on the Holloway Road, and it was bloody lovely. A large portion of king prawns stirfried with peppers, onions, fresh pineapple and chilli with rice, £6.95.
I would thoroughly recommend it, if the Arsenal memoribilia doesn't put you off!!!

Armin's Arse Rippers!!!

On one of my rare forays outside of London, last weekend I went to Whitstable for their Oyster Festival. What a brilliant place and a great festival. The seafood and fish was some of the best that I have tasted and the beer, produced by the Whitstable Brewery Company, was excellent.

Whitstable is also home to the 'Ship Centurion Arminus', a wonderful pub, run by a loud and charasmatic German named Armin. They have Bitburger, Erdinger and Dark Budvar on tap, aswell as a good selection for the CAMRA lot!, and chilli pickled eggs nicknamed 'Armin's Arse Rippers'. What more can I say!!

I stayed at the Duke of Cumberland, an imposing victorian pub slap bang in the middle of the high street. The room was nice and the view even better, but the breakfast left something to be desired. I had the veggie option, which consisted of 3 small veggie sausages, 2 eggs, 6 mushrooms and a small grilled tomato. The sausages were overcooked to the point of being crunchy!

The Breakout!

Opposite Pentonville Prison on Caledonian Road there is a cafe called 'The Breakout', a nice play on words!

What is proper bubble?

Ingredients that should never be added to or served as ‘Bubble & Squeak’ (in my opinion!)
Peas
Mashed Potatoes (they should always be whole potatoes ruffed up!)
Frozen Diced Veg
Frozen ‘Bubble’ cakes
Turnip or swede (though I have got a friend that thinks this is acceptable!!)
Sour Cabbage (believe it or not I have been served this on numerous occasions!)

It should always be fried in its own pan and should never be oven-baked, although I believe that the 'Olde Cheshire Cheese' in Fleet Street serves it from the oven.

Obviously there will be a difference between the ingredients used at home and in a cafe. At home you can throw in any old leftovers, then again I think that some cafes do aswell!

Veli's Cafe, Drayton Park, N5

Just had bubble, two eggs, beans, 2 slices of crusty bread and a tea at Veli's Cafe in Drayton Park, opposite the big letters that spell out 'ARSENAL' at the Emirates.

Bubble was fried mashed potato with peas, carrots and cabbage, not proper bubble but not bad.

The eggs were cooked properly, not in one of those round moulds!, but the yolks were tasteless and anaemic.

A good cafe with friendly staff and full of builders, so plenty of loud banter about football, tits etc. Not for the faint hearted!

French Toast during the Renaissance

The best quote about breakfast, in my opinion, was by the American comedian Steven Wright.

"I went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time'. So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance."

The demise of good 'bubble'!

There isn't a shortage of cafes in London but there are very few who serve good 'bubble & squeak'. Maria's in Borough Market and Terry's in Great Suffolk Street are two exceptions but on the whole the standards have dropped.
I have my own opinions on what should and should not be in 'bubble', the shoulds are potato, cabbage and maybe onion? the should nots are peas, frozen mixed veg, mashed potato. I have recently been served fried packet mashed potato (in a cafe in Deptford Market) and frozen 'Birds Eye' bubble cakes! (in a cafe in Holloway Road), but the worst I have ever had was in a cafe in Finsbury Park, the cabbage was sour!!
What has happened to a classic, traditional dish?