Archive for March, 2019

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Spring day in York

March 29, 2019

A lovely warm sunny day in York.

End of February was warm and sunny, as was today end March, though not as warm as end of February.

From York Station, along the City Walls is a better route as avoids the traffic, and bring to Barker Tower which houses The Perky Peacock. If walk along the road, not visible.

Barker Tower is one of two medieval towers, a chain was stung between the two to guard the River Ouse.

I have not eaten before at The Perky Peacock. Avocado on sourdough toast was excellent.

Then across Lendal Bridge to Spring Espresso Lendal.

A cappuccino and chat with the owner.

A quick look in Brew & Brownie, no, no copies of Independent Life.

They suggested I try the Tourist Information Office. It was somewhere I had thought of trying.

In luck, not only had copies, had a cupboard full of copies. I suggested hand to Burr & Brownie, Spring Espresso Lendal and Kiosk.

I found my way to The Attic. It was empty. At a guess not doing well and now only open on Friday and Saturday.

Not helped not visible from the street and at street level a betting shop.

My V60 a disappointment.

Art on the wall by Joanna Sutherland. Art is changed every six weeks.

It has copies of Independent Life.

It was then find my way back to York Station

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Lincoln street food market

March 29, 2019

The third visit of this disastrous street food market. The surprise is that it was ever invited to return.

Little more than a travelling circus.

The low quality summed up by two cheese stalls very poor quality cheese, but other stalls little better.

Why a beer stall in the Cornhill. Not enough drunkenness on the streets? Why were many of the tables barred from use in what is public space.

Large generators polluting the High Street.

Overflowing bins of rubbish.

Who is responsible for inviting this disastrous street food market? At a guess another major fail by Lincoln BIG hyped by Visit Lincoln.

Whoever has not a clue what constitutes good street food.

Why does not Lincoln organise its own street food market?

Invite a few stalls, build up slowly. Any stall that is not quality, any stall problem with obnoxious smells, do not invite again.

In the meantime, to taste quality street food try Curry Jacks, every week in Lincoln town centre.

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Tamper

March 28, 2019

— to be continued —-

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Steam Yard Coffee Co

March 27, 2019

— to be continued —-

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South Street Kitchen

March 27, 2019

South Street Kitchen is easy enough to find if know where, a few minutes walk out the back of Sheffield Railway Station, follow the path up to South Park Flats, stunning views over the city.

The main entrance from Sheffield Station leads to the city centre. I wished to leave by the back entrance, was there a back entrance as I wished to be at the other side of the tracks?

I asked at the Information, I wished to get to the other side. They said no, only leads to trams, and signage only points to trams. They added, as if to say no one would wish to go there, leads to the estates.

When leaving by main entrance, can see flats across the valley.

I headed out to the trams, carefully crossed the tram lines, and walked up the slope towards the flats.  Luckily when I crossed the tracks, there was a sign pointing to South Street Kitchen.

South Street Kitchen is a hidden gem. Easy enough to find if know to follow the path up the slope, to find at the top nestled below the flats.

I was reminded of Puerto de la Cruz, always find a bar-cafe often more than one at the foot of a block of flats.

Very new, a little over a year old. Open, light and airy. Seeing the barista disappear, and wondering where, I followed, to find a flight of stairs, and a much larger area on the first floor.

Coffee excellent. Food looked good too, but no time to stay as I was heading back to the station, then to Union St for Taiwanese pop up kitchen.

Coffee sourced from Dark Woods, who appear to have something of a local monopoly in Sheffield. My only criticism, single origin old coffee and Dark Woods need to put roast date on their coffee, Best By is meaningless.

Occasional evening events.

South Street Kitchen is featured in The North and North Wales Independent Coffee Guide.

Now Then issue 132 had an article ‘Struggle For Space’ on urban resistance on Park Hill Flats.

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Afternoon in Sheffield

March 27, 2019

Refurbished Northern Fail worse than before.

Empty two-coach Northern Fail train Lincoln to Sheffield makes the point, why travel from Lincoln to Sheffield for the same crap chains that can be found everywhere? A point lost on Sheffield City Council when responded to a criticism in fake-Left Guardian. Why hype Sheffield has 200 degrees a chain serving mediocre coffee at best when Sheffield has a vibrant coffee culture of independent speciality coffee shops serving excellent coffee. And why not mention Now Then, an excellent indie magazine. Train only starts to fill when nears Sheffield.

The main entrance from Sheffield Station leads to the city centre. I wished to leave by a back entrance, was there a back entrance, as I wished to be at the other side of the tracks?

I asked at the Information, I wished to get to the other side. They said no, only leads to trams, and signage only points to trams. They added, as if to say no one would wish to go there, leads to the estates.

When leaving by main entrance, can see flats across the valley.

I headed out to the trams, carefully crossed the tram lines, and walked up the slope towards the flats through South Street Park.

Luckily when I crossed the tracks, there was a sign pointing to South Street Kitchen.

South Street Kitchen is a hidden gem. Easy enough to find if know to follow the path and it is at the top below the flats.

I was reminded of Puerto de la Cruz, always find a bar-cafe often more than one at the foot of a block of flats.

Something I did not know until later that evening, the flats featured in an article in Now Then March 2019.

South Street Kitchen very new, a little over a year old. Open, light and airy. Seeing the barista disappear, I followed, to find a flight of stairs, and a much larger area on the first floor.

Coffee excellent. Food looked good too, but no time to stay as I was heading back to the station, then to Union St.

The coffee Dark Woods who appear to have something of a local monopoly in Sheffield. My only criticism, single origin old coffee and Dark Woods need to put roast date on their coffee, Best By is meaningless.

I wished to try the pop up kitchen, today Taiwanese, but to my annoyance too late, already packed up even though only lunch time.

Having a pop kitchen is a great idea, but they must get their act together.

I picked up copies of Now Then, a local freebie magazine, highly recommended. Not the usual glossy that goes straight in the bin. There is also an associated app.

— to be continued —-

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Canadiano Stokes at The Lawn

March 26, 2019

Stokes at The Lawn is the only coffee shop where I have come across a Canadiano.

A novel way of pour over, a block of wood with a fine metal sieve in the centre.

Canadiano has to be used several times to season the wood.

Main difference to V60, do not pause to enable the coffee to bloom, a different grind size, and shorter brew time.

Compared with V60, pore size larger and allows sediment through to the final brewed coffee resulting in a cloudy coffee.

How does it compare with V60?

Only way to discover, brew a V60.

Also tried a cappuccino.

Coffee used single origin Panama Kotowa Don K Estate roasted by Dark Woods.

Special thanks to Mike barista at Stokes at The Lawn.

A couple of days later a repeat exercise at Madame Waffle, a cappuccino and a V60.

The cappuccino was good, though not as good as Red Brick from Square Mile.

The V60 excellent.

The improvement on the V60, at a guess down to grind size.

Stokes at The Lawn, flagship coffee shop of Stokes, a fourth generation coffee business.

Madame Waffle, specialty coffee shop in High Street, also serves waffles.

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The Shambles street food market

March 22, 2019

— to be continued —

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Afternoon in York

March 22, 2019

One coach East Midlands train Lincoln to Doncaster.

At Doncaster, LNER train to York running at least ten minutes late. When it arrives confusion, the train East Midlands, no longer displayed on platform no announcements.

Train arrived ten minutes late in York.

On my last visit, I walked along the City Wall. I did the same today as brings to Barker Tower, one of two medieval towers guarding the River Ouse at Lendal Bridge, housing The Perky Peacock.

Excellent cappuccino, Origin coffee.

Usually I would walk into Lendal, have lunch at Burr, but never coffee as the coffee not good. Not today, I decided to walk to York Minster, then find The Shambles.

I looked in Brew & Brownie, too busy to eat, no Independent Life which I had hoped I may find.

Once again I get lost, could not find The Shambles.

Looked in a shop that had Montegrappa pens on display.

I find the little square overlooked by The Attic. A mistake not to have looked in the Attic for a coffee

Eventually I found The Shambles. I was after the street food market that runs parallel to The Shambles.

I had not been impressed by the street food market when I encountered on a previous visit to York. Today checking the stalls hoping to find something to eat, very disappointed. A hot dog stall, a burger stall, yuk.

Hot dogs, burgers and variants of junk food.

Eventually I settled on a dosa. I almost walked back to a shop where I had seen roast pork. It would at least have been cheaper.

I was shocked by what I was served, the doasa a ready mix out of a bought in plastic bag. At least the contents were good.

Utentils starch, container recycled card. Not a requirement of the market, an initiative of the taders.

Why then not a bin for compostable and biodegradable waste, into which could also go coffee grounds from the coffee stall, waste from the fruit and vegetable stall on the market?

Loud moronic music music from a bar not pleasant.

Bench seats to sit, but only myself and a couple of others. Not a popular market.

Then to Fossgate to find Kiosk.

Cappuccino Dark Woods.

Interesting conversation with a Norwegian girl who owns a coffee roastery in Norway. She told me the name. I should have asked her to write it down.

Although we talked coffee, we also talked commons, she was reading a book on commons.

— to be continued —

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Union St

March 20, 2019

Union St, co-working space, coffee shop, pop up kitchen Monday to Friday.

Union St is one of those places you walk by and pop in.

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