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St. Katharine's Dock Market
When we arrived in the UK (see, I told you I would write all this up eventually), it was far too early to check into our hotel, so after a valiant effort we left our bags there and went walking. Patty took me to the Tower of London and I insisted on wandering into every Pret and Eat to see if they had gluten-free things (since Patty had brought me gluten-free carrot cake from one last time she was in the UK; if you haven't figured it out yet, I get OBSESSED with food when I'm traveling).
Eventually we sort of decided we'd get sandwiches/salads somewhere and sit outside, as it was a ridiculously warm day, unseasonable weather having followed us from New York. As we were roaming, though, Patty saw a sign to a market so we followed it and discovered St. Katharine's Dock.
It's hard to describe this little neighborhood. It's as if you hollowed out (NYC's) Chelsea, filled it with expensive boats belonging to hedge fund guys and then surrounded that with pubs. Then! Then, on Fridays fill it with gourmet street food vendors.
Patty and I had kept hearing about the markets in London, and I don't know about her, but I guess I assumed they would be like the farmer's market here -- fruits and vegetables, some preserves, cheese, things like that. We figured it would be good for picking up a snack or two, but poor for a trip wherein we did not have access to a kitchen.
Oh god, we were so wrong. The market was like tent restaurants, a street food paradise. I wound up getting gluten-free risotto balls with hot pepper chutney and a salad with apples and sunflower seeds. It was the best thing EVER, and only 4 quid. Patty got a chorizo, cheese, roasted pepper and wild rocket sandwich and we sat on the ground near some school kids and looked at the boats and watched the finance boys in suits starting the weekend drinking early at the pub.
AND we found a vendor of fudge which was gluten-free, so I got tons of strawberry-vanilla, chocolate vanilla AND coconut ice (HOW DID I NEVER REALIZE THAT THE TANG IN THE COCONUT ICE THAT I COULDN'T REPRODUCE WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE IT AT HOME WAS A SLIGHT BIT OF STRAWBERRY FLAVOUR?????) who was super awesome.
It was all so good. SO GOOD, one of the best meals we had of the entire trip. And I was super chatty with all the vendors because I was all "I just got off a plane from New York, gluten gluten, blah blah blah, Patty conference blah blah blah" and people thought I was really funny. People remembered me the next week when I went back while Patty was at her conference, because I had to have more of EVERYTHING.
When I think of flying in and out of London again later this year, even if my destinations are points elsewhere, I feel like I'd have to go out of my way to get to this market for more fudge and risotto. Most of the time we were in the UK it was cold, but how lucky we were that first day to sit on the pavement and eat beautiful food and think this country was just fucking waiting for us to show up.
If you're in London, you should go, it's on Fridays. And if you do go, tell the fudge vendor guy that the chick from New York with celiac disease who got stranded by the volcano says hello.
Eventually we sort of decided we'd get sandwiches/salads somewhere and sit outside, as it was a ridiculously warm day, unseasonable weather having followed us from New York. As we were roaming, though, Patty saw a sign to a market so we followed it and discovered St. Katharine's Dock.
It's hard to describe this little neighborhood. It's as if you hollowed out (NYC's) Chelsea, filled it with expensive boats belonging to hedge fund guys and then surrounded that with pubs. Then! Then, on Fridays fill it with gourmet street food vendors.
Patty and I had kept hearing about the markets in London, and I don't know about her, but I guess I assumed they would be like the farmer's market here -- fruits and vegetables, some preserves, cheese, things like that. We figured it would be good for picking up a snack or two, but poor for a trip wherein we did not have access to a kitchen.
Oh god, we were so wrong. The market was like tent restaurants, a street food paradise. I wound up getting gluten-free risotto balls with hot pepper chutney and a salad with apples and sunflower seeds. It was the best thing EVER, and only 4 quid. Patty got a chorizo, cheese, roasted pepper and wild rocket sandwich and we sat on the ground near some school kids and looked at the boats and watched the finance boys in suits starting the weekend drinking early at the pub.
AND we found a vendor of fudge which was gluten-free, so I got tons of strawberry-vanilla, chocolate vanilla AND coconut ice (HOW DID I NEVER REALIZE THAT THE TANG IN THE COCONUT ICE THAT I COULDN'T REPRODUCE WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE IT AT HOME WAS A SLIGHT BIT OF STRAWBERRY FLAVOUR?????) who was super awesome.
It was all so good. SO GOOD, one of the best meals we had of the entire trip. And I was super chatty with all the vendors because I was all "I just got off a plane from New York, gluten gluten, blah blah blah, Patty conference blah blah blah" and people thought I was really funny. People remembered me the next week when I went back while Patty was at her conference, because I had to have more of EVERYTHING.
When I think of flying in and out of London again later this year, even if my destinations are points elsewhere, I feel like I'd have to go out of my way to get to this market for more fudge and risotto. Most of the time we were in the UK it was cold, but how lucky we were that first day to sit on the pavement and eat beautiful food and think this country was just fucking waiting for us to show up.
If you're in London, you should go, it's on Fridays. And if you do go, tell the fudge vendor guy that the chick from New York with celiac disease who got stranded by the volcano says hello.
sometimes
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Unrelated to London entirely, I read this post and thought you might find it interesting --The Politics of the Pocket (on the differences in pocket size for mens vs womens clothing and some related thoughts and observations as to why)
~Sor
Thought of you when I read this
http://mondaymag.com/articles/entry/gluten-be-gone/
http://www.originbakery.com/
Ekatarina
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http://www.google.com/search?client=gmail&rls=gm&q=risotto%20ball
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HAHA! Just saw who you were! *WAVES*
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In return, I suggest Borough Market if you end up on the south bank during your next trip to London. It's only a short walk from Tate Modern and while it seems a bit chaotic due to renovations, it's still worth a visit.
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I had that in Paris when I went back with my Cambridge housemates to the same little restaurant on the Chemin du Pot de Fer that I'd been to six months earlier with
Some of us are just, well, memorable. Not entirely sure whether this is a good or a bad thing ....
Lucy's cookies
http://www.drlucys.com/
I find them at Starbucks.