Grrrrrrrrrrr This is a very simple variation on the classic martini, and its obviously got a very arresting name. I first had a hot and dirty martini at the Mermaid Inn in New York. It’s an excellent aperitif as it really gets your digestive juices churning. It’s perfect before a special dinner, whether it’s Sunday lunch, seafood, a romantic meal for two or … Continue reading The Hot and Dirty Martini
A relatively pleasant martini was let down by bad service and poor value for money. It wouldn’t take much to perfect their martini but some of the fundamentally poor elements of the restaurant will be more difficult to rectify. Nestled under a railway arch in Borough Market, I had high hopes for this Levantine restaurant. However, the service wasn’t particularly attentive, the portions … Continue reading Bar Arabica, Borough Market, 2/5
Having spent an amazing weekend in Madrid I thought I would write about the drinking culture in the city and see what inspiration I could draw from a martini perspective. Los Madrileños know how to have fun – without feeling guilty, without getting stressed and without getting post-apocalyptically drunk. If you feel like having a drink or having something to eat then do so. … Continue reading Martinis y tapas
Here is another selection of savoury snacks I’ve recently served and eaten with martinis. Roasted and salted soy beans. Prawns on lettuce with Peking duck sauce and fried spicy broad beans. You can get a lot of good stuff in IKEA. Fish roe goes well in Swedish croustades. Here are some of the filled croustades, as well as some Japanese nuts and seaweed snacks. Here … Continue reading More snacks and nibbles to accompany martinis
Overall a fantastic experience. I really enjoyed this restaurant. The martini I had was also very good, although I would prefer it a little colder (keep everything in the freezer) and with more lemon (squeeze the peel into the glass when pouring). Otherwise it was beautifully served. While I’ve seen this on the Internet, it was the first time I had actually drink a martini … Continue reading The Tramshed, Shoreditch: 4/5
Laura Santtini is a London-based chef with a recipe book that changed the way I looked at food. She describes herself as the genetic equivalent of a Molotov cocktail: half Italian, quarter Persian, pinch of Sephardic and then an English-Irish mix. Her recipe book is full of things you can prepare in a matter of minutes (ie before your friends get to your home via … Continue reading The Laura Santtini Umami Martini
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… nine million olives and an EU fishing quota’s worth of anchovies. Continue reading An early Christmas present of olives
I recently posted about getting myself larger than normal toothpicks. I thought I would use them to make a larger than normal dirty martini, using this recipe. I am happy with the result. Recipe: 1 measure vermouth (I use sweet vermouth) 1 measure olive brine 4-5 measures gin or vodka Lots of olives Continue reading Supersize my Dirty Martini
My brother commented that normal toothpicks were too short for my martini glasses. He is a very practical former Royal Marine and a keen perfectionist so I took his comments onboard and spent some time trying to think of an alternative. The other day I found some slightly longer mini bamboo skewers in an Asian supermarket and thought they would do the trick. Here is … Continue reading Use longer toothpicks to maximise your garnishes
Cucina povera means ‘poor/poverty kitchen’, and this restaurant specialises in traditional Italian ‘peasant food’. If I was reviewing food and service this place would get full marks. So when I have to mark them down for very small (but crucial) martini points it makes me feel bad. I even added a subjective point to this rating – because they make their own in-house olive-infused gin. … Continue reading Paesan Restaurant, Farringdon, London, 4/5
The Martini Socialist 