— to be continued —
Archive for June, 2019
Lunch at Infinity Foods Kitchen
June 30, 2019Dough Lover
June 30, 2019— to be continued —
Cappuccino at Blend & Brew
June 30, 2019Blend and Brew used to have a tiny little coffee shop on a corner, more a counter than a coffee shop. Only once ever found open as not open on a Sunday, at I guess their clientele is commuters.
When I did find open, they were opening a coffee shop on the opposite corner. Corner coffee shop now open.
I was not going to have a coffee as their coffee crap, but thought ok I would try, maybe it has improved.
It is still crap, over-roasted cheap crap Italian coffee. Worse still, I was first served a cappuccino with chocolate, which I sent back.
Why does no one know how to serve a cappuccino?
I do not know which is worse, being served with chocolate or being asked if I want chocolate? At least the latter I do not have to send the coffee back. But I should not even be asked, cappuccino is not served with chocolate. It ruins a good coffee. Though for bad coffee it does at least take away the taste of the bad coffee.
I did not have to ask, I could tell from the taste, black over-roasted coffee beans.
A pity as they have done an excellent job on the coffee shop and the food and cakes looked good.
Staff pleasant and friendly.
I picked up latest copy of The Independent Brighton & Hove Coffee Guide which was useful as I could not find my copy. The number of coffee shops has doubled since the guide was published last year, though I would question the inclusion of some of the entries.
The coffee shop was empty. Maybe because Sunday they used to be closed or maybe because their coffee is crap and far better coffee at Coffee at 33 further down the street.
Brighton last day of June
June 30, 2019Waht a difference a day makes.
Yesterday 34C, sat under the trees in the garden. This morning before nine cool.
The sun came out and it was warm. I wondered why I was dragging a warm coat around all day.
GWR need to get their act together on their Reading-Guildford-Gatwick trains. No wifi, now power usb charging points. This is becoming the norm.
Although train to Gatwick was running late, I managed to catch a Thameslink train to Brighton, which meant I arrived 15 minutes earlier. Standing room only. Luckily I found a seat.
I though the Passenger Lounge had usb charging. Maybe mistaken as I did not see. Plenty of 13A sockets, if carry a charger.
They used to have water. Not today. All the more surprising when there is movement for everywhere to have water. FCB are losing the plot.
I sometimes have a coffee off the Small Batch kiosk. Not today.
I decided not to walk straight to the seafront, maybe stop off at Coffee at 33, maybe find Gazed or Glazed, look in Hisbem, have lunch at Iydea.
Blend and Brew used to have a tiny little coffee shop on a corner, more a counter than a coffee shop. Only once ever found open as not open on a Sunday, at I guess their clientele is commuters.
When I did find open, they were opening a coffee shop opposite. Coffee shop now open.
I was not going to have a coffee as their coffee crap, but thought ok I would.
Its is still crap, over-roasted cheap crap Italian coffee.
A pity as they have done an excellent job on the coffee shop and the food and cakes looked good.
The coffee shop was empty. Maybe because Sunday they useed to be closed or maybe because their coffee is crap and far better cofffee at Coffee 33 further down the street.
I looked in Coffee at 33. It too was empty. Maybe treturn later.
Looked in Magazine Brighton. No Drift, no Ambrisoa, once again problems with distribution. In the apsy ame probelm with Standart.
I looked in Pelicano. No Drift, clueless staff did not even know what i was asking for, even though they stocked last year.
Feeling hungry.
I do not know what is going wrong at Iydea. I have eaten there since tehy opened over tens years ago, something I have alsowasy looked forwrd to ona trip to Brightom. Not last yaers, each tiem I visited, I regretted my choice.
Today, outside seating empty. I am usually luicky to get a seat. Inside empty. Not tghat I enjoy inside as loud mornisc music btaslting out.
I decided to try Infinity Foods Kitchen, looking in Infinity Foods on the way.
Excelelnt lunch at Infinity Foods Kitchen.
I mentioned to the guy serving Ydiae gone diwnhill. He said many customers have said the same.
A pity though only bvegan, a pity not vegeration as wider choice,. But ist put to same the disgusting vegan sausage I had off Wincesher Ssreet market last week.
I headed to Magazine Bfrighton to pick up a copy of Cerals. Very annpyed to fidn had clsoed early.
I had a choice, Coffee at 33 or head to Gazed o Glazed. Annoyed to fidn not open. No indication of opening times.
Looked inHisbe. BVegaranlens in poor condition, tomates looled good. Picked up one Maramande tomatoe.
I had looked in Doug Love earlier. I had noticed on a previosu visit, but what I had not noticed, coffee from Taly;r Street. Some time ago I had been advised by Andre Tolley of a coffee shop in Brighton serving their coffee.
My cappuccino excelent. I also had a cake. Sufficent for tpw. They kindly puy in a box for ,em.
Too late for Pelicano.
I sat outsde to checj train times. I coudl go and cahtch a train, and that had been my original intention, a coffee thencatcha train.
But I had not yet visited tghe seafront.
A walk downto he seafron, along the pier, tehn walk back to the sataion.
A deliveroos serf ina gasr food jint with helmet on, open box outsde. Dirt, microbes, funagal spored scoudl blwo in, ideal breeding ground warm amd damp, epsecailly asi I noted isnisde disacrded food wrappers.
Made train witha few minsutes to spare.
On my trip to Brighton last week, dsichgared two power banks, though neither was full charged. Same again today, wone was almost fully charged, the other a new power bank, and rtaher than do as \I did last week charge on my journety (not that I could as no usb power), decided to use the residual charge, then chatge.
Gatwick-Guildford-Reading train usb power. Partially charged phone and power bank.
Alighting from train sometime after ten, glad I dragged my copat aroudn all day. It wa scold.
Walking home, I felt tired and skighly faint. Vegan lunch, low nuytrianal desnity.
Key in the door,s tumbed through the door, a short rest, then a nice hot nbath.
— to be continued —
Growlers & Cans
June 28, 2019Popped in Growlers & Cans.
A rough bar, through not really even a bar, more of a shop where can also have a beer.
High quality craft beer, far better than would find in any local pub, though currently limited selection.
Strange set up. Buy a bottle of beer, then pay a pound to drink it. I’d rather take it to the park.
Beer on tap, 2/3 or a pint. I asked did they do a 1/3? I had a 1/3 of an excellence beer. At £2 for 1/3 that would make it £6 a pint, though cheaper if bought a pint.
Crap coffee from Redber. I advised ditch it and buy better quality coffee, but would also need to employ a top quality barista.
Never buy cheap low quality coffee, it is false economy. Spoilt for choice for quality coffee roasters. Try River Coffee Roasters or Chimney Fire Coffee.
These days it is coffee shops where find quality craft beer not pubs. It would be an interesting combination craft beer and speciality coffee, add food too.
Later I walked through the Tunsgate Quarter zombie shopping centre to find Redber had pulled out.
Afternoon in Guildford
June 28, 2019Last night cold. This morning coolish. In Guildford hot, very hot.
France today hit a record temperature of 45.9C. Across Spain wildfires raging out of control.
Today trains at Guildford Station. Normal one may think, it is a busy station. True, but these are not normal times. Last week in Guildford on the longest day there were no trains, SWR were on strike.
Where once there was a chalkboard, FCB kiosk now a garish sign. A sign of the times, where once guest coffee, now their own coffee.
After a visit to the market, lunch at Bamboo Shoots.
Before lunch looked in Surrey Hills Coffee, four customers, one more than last week.
Last week no French cheese stall on the market. Back this week.
Popped in Growlers & Cans. A rough bar, through not really even a bar. High quality craft beer, far better than would find in any local pub, currently limited selection.
Strange set up. Buy a bottle of beer, then pay a pound to drink it. I’d rather take it to the park.
Beer on tap, 2/3 or a pint. I asked did they do a 1/3? I had a 1/3 of an excellence beer. At £2 for 1/3 that would make it £6 a pint, though cheaper if bought a pint.
Crap coffee from Redber.
Looked in Krema but did not stop.
Walking through Tunsgate Quarter zombie shopping centre. Redber have already pulled out.
It will be how long before other retailers start pulling out.
Called it a day, too hot, caught a train to sir in the garden under a tree.
The Winchester Orangery
June 26, 2019The Winchester Orangery, off the High Street, more or less opposite City Square, Coffee roasted by River Coffee Roasters, a local roastery I had not heard of .
My cappuccino was excellent.
Design excellent, on two levels.
Limited outside seating.
Currently only open to late at weekends otherwise open until six. Hours subject to revision.
— to be continued —
The Vegan Hot Dog Man
June 26, 2019I have never understood why anyone who wishes to eat vegan or vegetarian food wishes to eat fake meat.
Winchester street food markets gets smaller each time I visit Winchester, what is on offer worse.
The Sicilian guys guys with their excellent pasta have gone, the guy doing pizzas from a horse box has gone.
The only stalls worth knowing about, cheese stall which is exceptional, French stall which is only once a month, and the bread stall which is ok.
I was too late to eat at The Square.
Signs of desperation a vegan hot dog off The Vegan Hot Dog Man. I would not wish to eat a real hot dog and there I was ordering a fake hot dog. Excellent Lincoln sausages yes, hot dogs no.
To say the vegan hot dog was disgusting would be an understatement. It was unbelievably disgusting. I hate to think what processed crap went into the vegan hot dog.
I asked the guy why serve vegan hot dogs?
That’s what people expect on a market.
Not true, a good street food market has excellent food.
Why not have quality vegetarian food, not fake meat? If this was meant to showcase vegan food then an abysmal failure.
But is is not only this vegan hot dog stall that has completely lost the plot, at Lincoln Vegan Festival disgusting looking hot dogs served with equally disgusting looking French-fries that would expects to find on a best avoided roadside kebab stall. It goes without saying I did not try.
Years ago in Covent Garden I used to enjoy bean burgers made from different beans not processed crap, not trying to emulate crap from McDonald’s.
Vegan food can be a delicious mix of fruit, nuts, grains, cereals and vegetables, added oils, ideally olive oil not highly processed so-called vegetable oils.
The push for fake-meat is coming from Big Business.
Always support local.
On Guildford farmers market, delicious dosa off the the India stall Ollo Foods.
Afternoon in Winchester
June 26, 2019Morning coolish, sky milky white, but later sun broke through and turned very warm.
Passing through Alton, a circus with big top, though the big top looked quite small.
I was surprised to see rail bridge had gone. I think it was a brick bridge.
Bus to Winchester took a detour, direct onto the A31. This ought to be the normal route.
Same at Alresford, straight to Winchester not around the houses.
Alighted off the bus and walked down Magdalen Hill into Winchester. Always a pleasant walk.
The street food market gets smaller and worse each time I visit. The stalls are peddling crap.
The only stalls worth knowing about, cheese stall which is exceptional, French stall which is only once a month, and the bread stall which is ok.
I was too late to eat anything at City Square and so back to the market.
Signs of desperation vegan hot dog off The Vegan Hot Dog Man. To say it was disgusting would be an understatement. It was unbelievably disgusting. I hate to think what processed crap went into the vegan hot dog.
I asked the guy why serve vegan hot dogs? That’s what people expect on a market. Not true, a good street food market has excellent food. Why not have quality vegetarian food, not fake meat? If this was meant to showcase vegan food then an abysmal failure.
The guy with the horsebox and wood-fired pizzas has gone.
I though of going the Flat Whites.
No longer there, I learnt from the cheese stall.
Depressing news, it has gone, driven out of businesses by landlord. Another excellent local business destroyed by a greedy grasping landlord.
He suggested I try The Winchester Orangery and let him know what I thought of their coffee.
I found The Winchester Orangery, coffee roasted by River Coffee Roaster, a local roastery I had not heard of.
My cappuccino was excellent.
I quick look in Coffee Lab Academy. Dhan Tamang now roasts the coffee, coffee roastery which includes coffee shop and training school branded as DT. I have yet to try the coffee, too late for a coffee at City Square as now closes at six.
I will try next time, visit Dan at his roastery.
As a pleasant evening, walk along the river and around Winchester Cathedral.
Too late to eat at Alton Station Cafe, all the food gone.
— to be continued —
Columbia Coffee Roaster revisited
June 22, 2019Excellent coffee at Columbia Coffee Roaster.
Earlier it was too busy. It was still busy. I do not think I have ever seen a coffee shop so busy. Sad to learn their coffee roaster no longer in use. They have a Probat at another location in Oxford but not nearby.
I asked of chocolate. They have bean-to-bar from Colombia, but not in stock and do not know when next consignment.
— to be continued —
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