British Style Bouffe
If France and England have a tense history, you wouldn’t know it after eating at Le Bal Café, a new spot where lines of Parisians seem more than happy to scarf down scones, kippers and kedgeree.
Hidden at a tiny impasse near place de Clichy, Le Bal is an exhibition space housed in a former bordello and ballroom (thus le bal). The café has been open since September.
Whether you come for the art and stay for the food or vice versa doesn’t matter: there’s no shame in either. Two alumnae of Rose Bakery are running the kitchen, and the menu is an appealing assemblage of cross-channel specialties.
Start brunch or afternoon tea with the aforementioned scones, flaky and not too sweet.
Consider the Welsh rarebit or kippers (smoked herring) on toast.
I kept it simple with an English breakfast of fried eggs, seriously good bacon, roasted tomatoes and toast, and was not disappointed; this is not the sloppy hash-slinging you find at many brunches, but thoughtful cooking with plenty of fresh touches.
Categories: Paris France Tags: Breakfast, Breakfast foods, British cuisine, Brunch, Food and drink, France, Full breakfast, Gastronomy, Hospitality/Recreation, Kipper, Le Bal, Le Bal Café, Meals, Scone, United Kingdom, Welsh rarebit
When I Was a Boy
When I was a boy, my father had an “allotment”.
For the duration of World War 2, the United Kingdom became separated from her normal trading resources, which mostly came by sea. This being the case, the administration of the day motivated individuals to “Dig for Victory”… i.e., turn their flower gardens into vegetable gardens, and so grow to be more self-sufficient.
Categories: Garden Tags: Agriculture, allotment, Community development, Faboideae, Food and drink, Pea, Pigeon pea, United Kingdom, Urban agriculture, Vegan cuisine, Vegetable, Vegetarian cuisine, Victory garden