London's 34 Restaurant:
Linger with a Leisurely Weekend Brunch Story by Ruth J. Katz
Photos courtesy of Caprice Group
et
just off regal Grosvenor Square, 34 is an elegant oasis in a region,
Mayfair, which is a haven in and of itself. A relative newcomer to London's
restaurant firmament, 34
has become an instant culinary classic. With its burnished ginger banquettes,
rich oak parquet flooring, and open kitchen as a centerpiece, it has
fashioned a welcoming hearth and homey table for visitors; and indeed,
there is a literal hearth, 34's charcoal grill (custom-built in Argentina)
.
Part of the Caprice Group, 34 is a sister restaurant
to the many bold-faced names in the group: Le Caprice, Scott's, The
Ivy, and the destination restaurant, Daphne in Barbados (where I dined
a few years ago and where I murmured to myself after my meal, "That
is one of the best meals I have ever enjoyed.") In addition, under
the company umbrella are some of London's most prestigious private clubs,
including Annabel's, George (where the hamburger is to-die-for), and
of course, The Club at the Ivy.
34's remarkable grill, fed by natural fuels, is known
as a parrilla and is ideally suited for the kind of meat repasts
for which the Argentines are lauded – the cornerstone of which
is the churrasco, the beef (usually) which is prepared in the
Argentine churrascaria, or beef restaurant. Head chef, Harvey
Ayliffe, has developed an eclectic menu, using the grill not only for
beef, but also for seasonal game, fish, and shellfish. The beef served
at 34 includes Scottish, dry-aged, grass-fed; Australian Wagyu; and
US prime, corn-fed beef from particular ranches with which the restaurant
has a relationship.
Weekend brunch is a lovely treat here and on a balmy
Sunday, I enjoyed my meal there, as well as a stroll around the nabe.
First, ask for the ingenious drink menu, as there is an entire page
devoted to Bloody Mary and her cousins.
After fortification, then dig in: My colleague savored
the lobster Thermidor omelette, so rich and creamy it was sinful; the
crab and grilled asparagus frittata was a great twist on a classic,
as were the buttermilk pancakes with cured bacon, which we drenched
in sweet maple syrup.
The smoked salmon, dill, and bacon hash was an extraordinary
combo, and the pan-fried calf's liver, with maple-cured bacon, pickled
shallots, and sage was a savory and succulent main course. There are
also a few interpretations of American classics, like the Southern fried
chicken/coleslaw sandwich and the 34 hamburger, with dill relish. (Oh,
did I mention that the menu also sports – get this – lobster
macaroni. Talk about obscene.) Save room for dessert, as it's another
walk down Tasty Lane: roasted plum, caramel, shortbread, and brioche
ice cream; warm almond and honey cake with roasted figs and yoghurt
ice cream. Ummmmm...
As for the ambience, designer Martin Brudnizki has taken
inspiration from English, Edwardian, and Art Deco styles. The bar, at
which guests can dine or enjoy an aperitif, has garnered awards and
is the perch for the house pianist, Sunday to Wednesday evenings (and
from Thursday to Saturday, a jazz trio performs).
If you luck out and have as lovely and balmy a day as
I had, then walk over to Grosvenor Square (home to the American Embassy
until the new one is built), where you can sit and enjoy the serenity
of the outdoors. Pay respects at Britain's 9-11 memorial, honoring the
67 British citizens who died that day. There are two pergolas, with
quiet seating, where you can enjoy a contemplative hour.
Restaurant 34: 34 Grosvenor Square (entrance on South
Audley Street), London, W1K 2HD; telephone: + (0)20 3350 3434
Let Ruth know what you think about her traveling adventure.
* * * * *
Three Musical Pilgrimages: Mozart, Grieg and Hendrix
Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
could read and compose music, plus play the violin and piano, when he was
five years old. Born into a musical family in Salzburg, Austria (then the
Holy Roman Empire), he had a unique ability for imitating music, which first
became evident when he recited a musical piece by simply observing his father
conducting a lesson to his older sister. This led to a childhood on the
road, where the young prodigy performed before many of the royal courts
of Europe.
Treasures of Ireland: The Irish Goodbye (Dispatch
#20)
The Palladian Traveler brings to a close his 20-part
series on the Emerald Isle from an upscale restaurant in downtown Dublin
where he files his final dispatch and then quietly slips away.
Two "MUST SEE" Truly Spectacular Places
in Europe. Here's Why.
The Han Grotto and Culzean Castle. As the name
of my Traveling Boy feature is "Travel With a Difference," it's
important to me to always bring you offbeat and unusual tourist places around
the world you may not know about. These two fit that category to a T, and
they're absolutely worth a visit. One's in Scotland and one's in Belgium.
Culzean (pronounced CULLANE) Castle is located near Maybole, Carrick, on
the Ayrshire coast of Scotland.
Highway 49 Revisited: Exploring California's
Gold Country
In the 1840s, the population of California was only
14,000, but by 1850 more than 100,000 settlers and adventurers had arrived
from all over the world – and they came for one reason: gold. James
Marshall had discovered the first gold nugget at Sutter’s Mill in El
Dorado County, creating the largest gold rush in history.
Lake Charles’ Family-Size Low-Key Mardi Gras
The Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras in Lake Charles,
the second largest in Louisiana, does not need parents there to avert their
children’s eyes. This is family entertainment and children are very
much part of it. The main office of the Lake Charles CVB has costumes from
last year’s Mardi Gras but it also has figures to fascinate little
ones from country boys fishing for their dinner to alligators who have already
fed and are rubbing their stomachs.
Puerto Vallarta: Magic and Mayhem on the Malecon
So I heard that you could spend from dawn to dusk on
the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and never get bored and I thought,
"Okay, I'm up for that challenge." Well, maybe not the dawn part
– I'm not a morning person – so I had no problem leaving those
early hours to the joggers and those seeking an early start to catch their
red snapper for dinner.
John January and Linda Berry Have Chemistry
Chemistry by its very definition is the spontaneous reaction
of two people to each other, especially that sense of mutual attraction
and understanding. This month John January and Linda Berry release their
new project, Chemistry 101 and together they explore a range and
depth of musical styles on both organic and physical levels. As a joint
labor of love, January says Chemistry 101 is pretty straight-forward.
Relaxing at The Inn at Laguna Beach
There is nothing like sleeping in an ocean-front room
and awakening to the sounds of waves crashing against the sand. It is
one of the finer things in life. And it is exactly what I experienced
recently on a memorable getaway to The Inn at Laguna Beach. The adventure
began when a friend I pulled off the 5 Freeway in Orange County and took
SR 133 south nine miles through winding lush hills and wilderness areas
to the ocean.
Tahiti and Her Islands
Just their names (pronounce each vowel!) conjure up romantic
images: Tahiti Nui, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Ra'iatea, Taha'a. Her
people are gentle; the air, tiare-perfumed. Warm lagoons, majestic peaks,
tropical fruits from the land and bounty from the sea all tantalize the
senses. Paradise! As near as can be found on planet earth. And, in my
experience, the finest way to explore her is on a ship designed for that
single purpose.
Monte Verità: In the Footsteps of Anarchy
Just as I reach the end of a squiggling, multicolored
path, an acorn plummets from an oak tree above me. It lands at my feet,
just as the path culminates at a mandala of Venetian glass, eight feet in
diameter. On the worn-out front lawn of Monte Verità, the Mountain
of Truth, this path, Chiara's Rainbow, evolves through the colors of the
spectrum – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and finally violet
– before arriving at the mosaic mandala where psychic energies supposedly
prevail. The falling acorn brings me to the present moment.
Remembering My Dad
My father died while I was roaming through Northern Italy.
He was 52. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in his home in Florida.
I found out about it at the American Express office in Istanbul three
weeks later when I opened a letter my brother sent me. This was 1970.
There were no computers, no smartphones, no Skype.
Japan: Bullet Trains, Monkey Shows and Whale Steaks
Last month, I went to Japan for three things... Ok,
let me back up a little bit already. The #1 reason I went to Japan was to
visit my girlfriend, Yuki, and she will kill me if I don't say that, so
there it is. Hi Yuki! Anyway, so after that, reasons number 2, 3, and 4
were the following: I wanted to ride a bullet train, go to a monkey show,
and eat a whale steak. That's right. That's right.
Costa Rica's Green
Sitting at an umbrella table in downtown San Jose overlooking
the Plaza de la Cultura is like a page out of Hemingway's "The
Sun Also Rises." The plaza is laid out in a maze of stalls where
passive vendors sell sparkling silver jewelry by the trayfull, hand-carved
clay masks, colorful Guatemalan belts, area rugs, and hammocks perfect
for a midday siesta. Three men play an old wood marimba over the buzz
of the crowd while a steaming plate of Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) is
served to an elegant lady who was performing with her guitar...
California Road Trip
You would never guess that you didn’t have to
leave the mainland USA to find an Island with lush gardens, oceanside views
and fabulous food all minutes away from downtown San Diego. I wondered what
exactly we were heading towards, an Island in the middle of a city? It sounded
slightly absurd, never-the-less, we drove onto the property of Paradise
Point Resort and Spa and were pleasantly surprised.
The Shortest Road Trip
The Canadian side of Niagara Falls has a 35 mile linear
park, called Niagara Park, with seemingly endless attractions stretched
along the full length of the Niagara River. I recently spent several days
driving to each, sampling fantastic wines and great food while enjoying
the rugged beauty of the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. It became one
of the shortest road trips ever. From tunnels under the falls, to zip
lines into the gorge, and from a soaking boat ride to the base of the
falls, to a challenging hike along the shore of the rapids, Niagara Park's
attractions are amazing.
Leviticus 20:13 Sent by Tom of Pasadena,
CA
It all makes sense now. Gay marriage and marijuana
was legalized in the last election. Leviticus 20:13 states
"If a man lays with another man, he should be stoned..." We've
been interpreting it wrong all these years!
Love Is Better the Second Time Around (Lake Como)
As our wedding plans came together in the summer of
2007 my fiancée Dorothy and I began to focus on the honeymoon. Hawaii?
New York? London? Paris? Rome? Both of us had travelled to these iconic
places in the past, but in our conversations we quickly realized that neither
one of us had ever had a truly romantic visit to any of these wonderful
destinations. Dot and I had both been in long-term, "complicated"
marriages, where romance had not been on the plate for many, many years.
The Last Place You’d Visit: A Few Days in Europe’s
Least Visited Country
I’m a biased traveler. Having fallen in love with
Europe on my first trip to Italy with my father as a 14 year old, it is
to this continent that my travel plans always seem to lead. I return to
somewhere in Europe now every May to see old friends and favorite cities.
But with each trip, I have a firm goal: to fit in at least one new country
every year.
et
just off regal Grosvenor Square, 34 is an elegant oasis in a region,
Mayfair, which is a haven in and of itself. A relative newcomer to London's
restaurant firmament, 
Let Ruth know what you think about her traveling adventure.
