eggbaconchipsandbeans

Andrew's has moved

Andrew's has moved. A little bit up the road and to the other side. Still a magnificent EBCB.

2 Sam's Cafe, Eastwood, Nottingham

I think we have to accept now that not everything has to be a full EBCB. That, it seems, is the latest medical advice. So can I please present...

...a fabulous bacon cob from 2 Sam's Cafe in Eastwood, the lovely Nottinghamshire town famous for DH Lawrence and IKEA. Accompanied by this elegant tea delivery. Splendid, simple.

And look at the condiment cluster. Gorgeous.

What's especially brilliant is that there's only one table in the place. One table, two chairs (though there might be some others in the back). Not many people are sitting in. But you should. It's a fab place to sit because you're surrounded by so much.

Because this is more than just a cafe. It's also the most useful and well-stocked shop you've ever been in. 

Look at that. Birthday cards and an ancient Apollo poster. 

What a place. Thank you Sams.

Take on me

It's been a while. And this is not a review.

But it feels important to note that it has come our attention that the A-ha Take On Me video was filmed at the Savoy Cafe, Wandsworth Road.

And that feels like something readers of this blog, if there are any left, would like to know.

Must try and visit soon.

Pagham Beach Cafe, Pagham, West Sussex

The Pagham Beach Cafe is a lovely place.

A very tidy egg, bacon, chips and beans. Almost healthy. Not too many or too much of anything. Like a taster fry-up. Absolutely perfect for the 21st century fry-up lover. Crisp, light chip-shoppy chips. They melt in your mouth. The beans need to ordered separately and arrive in their own vessel, off to the side, very handy for those who don't like their beans to touch anything else. That, apparently, is a thing.

A classic interior nowadays, a mixture of memorabilia from football, rock 'n' roll and film. All the diner stuff. Busy and nice and lots too look at. The couple behind me were particularly amused by one of the signs. Laughed for ages.

A very practical condiment delivery system. Highly efficient. Everything you could need.

What a brilliant place. We'll be back.

Bruno and Italia

Ben was kind enough to buy me these two lovely drawings for my birthday; the twin pillars of my Soho life - Bar Italia and Bar Bruno (pictured before its latest revamp). They're by Eleanor Crow who does gorgeous stuff. Thanks Ben!

Little Portland Cafe, Little Portland Street, W1

I wrote about the Little Portland Cafe 12 years ago on A Good Place For A Cup of Tea And A Think. They'd just had a make-over. In the intervening years they've started doing chips so now it's time for an Egg, Bacon, Chips and Beans entry. So, Look. At. That : 

Absolutely gorgeous. Text book. I imagine you could draw one of those Golden Ratio things over that and prove it was in fact a renaissance painting. And you might even suggest that the egg represented the sun high above the Roman hills while the chips were the massed galleons of whoever probably invaded Rome at some point. And that, therefore, beans = Rome, bacon = sky. Obvs.

From this angle you can see pock-marking on the face of the sun which might indicate concentrations of magnetic field flux, inhibiting convection and resulting in reduced surface temperature compared to the surrounding, er, egg. So, worth watching out for.

A magnificent condiment array. All the basics, lined-up and ready to go.

This view suggests mortars, ready to pummel your taste buds. Though obviously they'd be more tactically valuable if deployed from a concealed position.

The Little Portland's interior is dominated upfront by a huge glass cabinet of delight and at the back by tables. Beyond that there's the blue hole of kitchen. Splendid.

And the exterior looks lovely now too. The pink is gone, spring is round the corner, those chairs look perfect for a sit and a think.