So it’s been awhile. I know that, but the thing is I am in
London and there is so much to do and see that I have to expand the mission of
this blog a little bit. With that said, I am also a master’s student, playing
on the volleyball team, and I have very little time to cook. Which is another
reason to expand the blog. Ergo, I am also doing restaurant reviews.
But not just any restaurant, restaurants that claim they
serve amazing breakfast. Breakfast food is a big thing in the United States and
even though any one can get a massive English breakfast here (contains: toast,
fried eggs, sausage, bacon/ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans), I look
for a little more variety.
My first breakfast adventure took me to Camden town, a short
fifteen-minute walk from my home to The Diner. From the name of the
establishment, it is easy to imagine that The Diner is also heavily themed like
an American diner. I really wonder if there is a website that pops up when you
Google, “Pictures of small, middle of nowhere towns in Texas.” If there is,
that is where the decorum for this diner is from, clad with red, white and
blue.
As cliché as it is, the place was oddly comforting for we
three Americans and one Dutchmen who sought a decent shortstack. Now this is
the tricky part about finding “American” classics in Europe, they will never
rise quite to the occasion and that is simply because of the change in
ingredients and the market. I’ve learned to just be happy to get maple syrup.
Luckily, The Diner doesn’t disappoint.
The pancakes were massive, a portion size you would expect
in Texas. The pancakes were delicious but the batter was more crepe-like sweet
and dense rather than the fluffy flapjacks of the United States. Even then, it
was a lovely taste of home with over easy eggs and hashbrowns. Although, if you
expect hashbrowns the American way, I guarantee you will not find it unless you
make them yourself. (Which is not all that difficult, my next blog post I
think!)
Typically, the hashbrowns are just like the McDonalds or Burger
King variety, fried into some geometrically accurate shape and thankfully more
delicious at The Diner than other places.
My friend Michael had Eggs Royale—a play on the classic Eggs
Benedict, but with Smoked Salmon instead of ham-- Very tasty.
On another occasion, I’ve had their French Toast. It was wonderful,
as close to home as it could be without making your own bread.
After a rough night out, it seems like the best place to
grab a Bloody Mary, or their version called the Bloody Maria made unique with
Tequila and hot sauce.
You can find other locations in Islington, Kensal Rise,
Soho, and Shoreditch or visit their website at www.goodlifediner.com. Let me know how
you like it! I will continue to add to
this post when I try other dishes.
