Author Archives: Milly

Joe & the Juice, Soho

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Joe & the Juice has taken me far too long to tick off the to do list, but finally on a sunny Saturday afternoon my friend and I popped into the Soho branch in need of a refreshing drink.

The menu is slick and simple, various concoctions to remedy ailments, with a recipe for every mood. A large counter displays the fresh fruit and vegetables, an appealing rainbow of bright colours. The café itself is huge, open plan and airy, but when we left at 2pm the place was full and buzzing. There are comfy couches on which to relax, chat and use your laptop (there is free Wifi). It seems to me that juice bars are the new coffee shops, with drinks that are yummy and reviving and much more healthy.

On the menu I also spied a list of milkshakes, sandwiches, coffees and speciality drinks, of which Liquorice Latte sounded most intriguing. I love fresh juice, and after recently discovering a wonderful fruit shop near my work have become slightly addicted (my favourite is apple, orange and passion fruit). A perfect alternative for those afternoon sugar cravings in the office and always very tasty. London seems to have a shortage of juice bars, instead frozen yoghurt and endless coffee outlets line the streets… I am delighted to now include Joe and the Juice in my little black book of London cafes and I’m sure I’ll be a regular visitor on weekends.

I tried the ‘Hangover Heaven’ – a lovely combination of orange, elderflower and mint. It was fresh and fruity, with a kick from the mint, almost like a virgin mojito. My friend chose the Iron Man with strawberry, kiwi and apple, which looked equally appetising. Other juices that sound alluring to me include the ‘Sports Juice’ (passion fruit, pineapple, apple), ‘Sex Me Up’ (passion fruit, apple, ginger) and ‘Strong Bones’ (strawberry, apple, star anise). There is something for every preference and I’m sure creating your own is also allowed.

Joe and the Juice is a great place to recharge and refresh. Though with juices costing £3.85 for small (12oz) and £4.95 for large (16oz), it is not cheerfully cheap by any means.

You can experience Joe’s Juices at four branches in London: Regent Street, Broadwick Street, Old Compton Street and Kings Road.

Visit the website here: www.joejuice.com

Bramble, Cocktail Bar, Edinburgh

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Bramble bar is a revelation. Totally hidden down a tiny flight of stony steps, this boutique bar is known for its exciting and innovative cocktails. Dimmed lighting and concealed cushioned seating areas make this a cosy place to hang out. On a Saturday afternoon the venue was calm and chilled but apparently crowds and cramming is to be expected later on as darkness descends.

A charming bar manager came to welcome us and advise us on suitable drinks for our tastes. Named after the eponymous gin cocktail, Bramble offers a variety of gin based drinks amongst other unique concoctions. The gin theme will be continued at their new bar opening on 1st May in Stockbridge called ‘The Last Word’. Both bars celebrate the heritage and history of gin in Scotland and Britain, developing and creating special cocktails that show off this classic spirit.

My dad and brother knew exactly what they wanted immediately, I was more of a nightmare customer eventually asking for ‘anything… make me something I’ll like’. Turns out this is always the best thing to say in a good cocktail bar as the waiter will return with an absolutely magical mix; in my case the ‘Butter-Scotch Cocktail’ a genius mix of homemade Butter-washed Monkey Shoulder Whisky, Aperol, Oloroso Sherry, vanilla sugar, ginger jam and Peychaud’s Bitters. A tangy sweet dessert cocktail with wonderfully conflicting and contrasting flavours with a soft warm caramel hint from the butterscotch.

My brother tried the famous ‘Bramble’ cocktail made with Plymouth Gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar syrup & Merlet Crème de Mures: it was served long and very cold, light and refreshing, very easy to drink and garnished with delicious plump blackberry, and fruit syrup. The final cocktail we tried was ‘The Saint’ a twist on the classic bellini with St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Fee Brothers Peach Bitters & Prosecco dei Colli Trevigiani. This was a sophisticated and subtle sparkling drink with a hint of perfumy elderflower. The perfect cocktail to have before a meal out.

If you live in Edinburgh a visit to Bramble is a must.

Thoroughly Modern Milly travelled with East Coast Trains to Edinburgh. East Coast operates 46 services each weekday between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh. Customers travelling First Class can enjoy East Coast’s complimentary food and drinks offer plus unlimited Wi-Fi. Advanced return fares, booked online at www.eastcoast.co.uk: start from £33 Standard Class or £95 First Class. Times and fares can also be found via 08457 225225 or from any staffed stations.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: Barbecoa Butchery Demo

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I was intrigued as to what this demo at the butcher’s wing of Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang’s famous Barbecoa restaurant would entail.  I can assure you that it was a novel experience that I would recommend to anyone with a stomach or a taste for meat.

After a bit of a chat with the butchers (Marco, Zach and Adam) that would be leading us through the evening, we were directed to look at a humongous 170kg half carcass of a cow that was chained up in the walk-in refrigerator.  Suffice to say there was not much left of it by the end of the evening.  After a struggle with a knotted chain, the cow was lowered to eye level and the breaking down began.  The masterful butchers began with the substantial shoulder of the animal before deconstructing the entire piece; carving, boning, slicing and dicing was interspersed with helpful commentary that simultaneously offered innovative recipe ideas while dispelling preconceptions about the uselessness of certain cuts of meat.

The night also involved a wine tasting, which was professionally led by Paul Green, the head sommelier at Barbecoa restaurant.  The first wine, a 2009 Spanish red called Pacheco, had a full-bodied texture and a spicy, fruity taste.  I must say this was my favourite of the three.  The second was a 2010 Pinot Noir branded Paper Road.  It hailed from New Zealand and evoked a slightly lighter and earthier flavour.  Finally, we sampled the 2009 wine from Italy, Ca’marcanda Promis.  This was a heavier drink with a nice sweet liqourice flavour.  We were advised to enjoy this alongside a sirloin or rib-eye steak.  Interestingly, these wines are exclusive to the Butchery and are not served in the upstairs restaurant, and have been selected by the resident butchers to compliment the cuts of meat that they offer.

It was truly a delight to spend an evening with these guys who clearly love and invest a lot of time in their craft.  I left the Butchery feeling a lot more knowledgable about how to get the best out of good quality meat.  We were also furnished with some generous gift bags to go home with, and although my camera battery died just before the demo started, I can offer you some snaps of what I did with Barbecoa Butchery’s meat.

Drop by the Butchery on Watling Street by St. Pauls to inquire about one of these demos – it’s an experience you will not forget!

Visit the Barbecoa website here for more information.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Mark McCloskey.