Fashion Designer Alexander McQueen committed suicide in February, 2010 at the age of 39. But his work and memory lives on, including in a new play simply called McQueen.
Stephen Wight plays (and looks just like) McQueen, who was one of the most celebrated UK fashion designers of our time. McQueen, though very successful, had a troubled life; drugs, depression, the suicide of his friend and muse Isabella Blow, who practically helped McQueen become the success that he was, and the death of his mother are some of the factors that probably led him to take his own life in his Central London flat on Feb. 11, 2010.
McQueen is written not as a play about his life but more about the journey McQueen took to build his career. The journey is brought on by fictional character Dahlia (Dianna Agron) – the idea taken from McQueen’s 2008 collection ‘The Girl Who Lived in the Tree.’ She’s basically a stalker who breaks into McQueen’s flat. He’s startled at first, but her childlike personality and beautiful looks and curvy body appeal to McQueen in a visual sense.
So McQueen and Dahlia travel through a few important milestones in McQueen’s life; the tailor shop where McQueen got his start and where, on the spot, he makes a dress for Dahlia. They go to his mother’s home, where she is upstairs in bed, sick. And McQueen gets to be reunited with the ghost that is Blow (a smashing Tracy-Ann Oberman), the woman who bought up all of McQueen’s first collection but who still wants to know why he didn’t take her with him to the top, and why did he leave her behind when it was she who made him what he was. In between these pit stops we are visually treated to very slow moving dancers who change the set and morph with, through and in between each other. Visually it’s stunning, you don’t realise the set is changing because the movements are so mesmerising. But this doesn’t make up for the fact that McQueen the play is a bit too thin and doesn’t provide the theatregoer with a true celebration and story of McQueen’s life.
Wight is amazing as McQueen. In fact, he looks exactly like McQueen did in his later years. Wight captures all of his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, including the scene where he instantaneously creates a dress for Dahlia. It’s an excellent performance. Agron as Dahlia is given lots of soliloquy dialogue to recite – is she talking to McQueen, the audience, or to herself? And yes, she does recite, likes she’s reading from a teleprompter. Hers is not a great performance as she’s with the amazing Wright during the whole show. But Oberman practically steals the show from Wright in her all-too-brief turn as Bow. It’s a showstopping performance, with Oberman dressed in a sexy negligee. Playwright James Phillips and Director John Caird have produced a play that is weak in biography but beautiful in its presentation, but we’re still left wanting to know more about McQueen and his life and his fashions. We will have to do with the V&A Museum’s Savage Beauty exhibition as well as the highly-acclaimed book about McQueen; Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin, by Andrew Wilson, as well as Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, by Dana Thomas.
McQueen is playing at the St. James Theatre until June 27th:
Recently the opportunity came up to review gay dating apps. Now being a single pringle ready to mingle I thought to myself, why not? I need to get my lazy butt back out there and this seemed like my kind of thing and I do enjoy a good app (who doesn’t??).
Well I can safely say I’ve been on a little journey boys and girls and let me tell you it’s a maze of nonsense out there.
Ranging from the apps that Cupid would be proud of to the apps that try and fail miserably there are literally countless numbers of apps out there for you to chose from. I’ve gone with a small selection of the ones most people appear to have heard of (or that came recommended to me).
Let’s begin with the usual suspects. Number 1, good old Grindr…
Grindr Xtra
Now if you haven’t heard of Grindr then where have you been for the last five years or so? Love it or hate it the fact is that most (emphasis on most, but not all) gay men have been on it at some point over the last six or seven years. I gave it up for two years when I was with my boyfriend and didn’t miss it but now that I’m single again it does become a little habit. Good or bad, I’ll let you decide.
Grindr sells itself as “the best gay dating app” and yes as far as technology goes it is the simpler of the apps out there. It simply shows 1 profile picture for you, shows you people around you and lets you input basic information about who you are and what you are looking for. I currently pay for Grindr “xtra” (because I’m sad like that) and it basically gets you unlimited blocking capability and a much larger list of guys to view. I’m undecided if it’s worth paying the extra few pounds for. It could be to remove the ridiculous amount of adverts that are on the free version.
Now because it is location based it’s also very handy for those that want “a quick hook up” and nothing more. Hence there are a lot of guys on there that are after one thing and one thing only. On the ‘looking for love’ scale, if you go onto it with low expectations when it does happen (and I know that it has) then it’s a pleasant surprise. Otherwise, I’d recommend it for visiting new areas and seeing who is about or for those days when a booty call is really all you want (and don’t deny that you have those days, because we all know that you do!).
POF
For months I have resisted the urge to join Plenty of Fish because, rightly or wrongly, I saw this type of site as the last chance saloon of singledom. And I don’t think I’m quite there yet… (Famous last words). Now I fully accept that was being prejudiced having that view and I took the plunge some months ago and signed myself up with an account. I’m all about challenging perceptions and all that so why not start with my own? I have to say that I was surprised a little with what you are given. Yes, it’s the same faces on here as there is on Grindr but actually, this is geared up more to those just looking about to see who wants to connect.
Yes, you do get the people that start off all sweet and lovely and then declare that they are horny and “can our date be moved forward to right now”, but actually that’s just men. We can’t really blame an app for what an arse your average man can be.
But actually, if you’re looking for something different then POF could be for you. Unfortunately, the app does load other users that are near you so if you happen to check it while travelling about you may have to disappoint some people that message you thinking you are local when in fact you are just travelling through.
If you are concerned like I was that being on there is “sad” or not something to admit in public then I would challenge you do try it out. You might be surprised at what you see. Again, the app is only as good as what you put into it. Put rubbish in, get rubbish out.
Tinder
Like POF tinder a simpler app designed to “match” people based on their personalities and likes/dislikes. Tinder asks you to complete a survey and provide as much information about you as possible so that it can create a list of possible matches for you and ask you to “like” or “not quite right” profiles that it presents to you.
The traditional features are all there including location-based searches but like POF there are very little opportunities to declare your sexual preferences or put on your profile that you’re horny. Like POF they are still on there but this app is geared up to be very “blind date” matchmaking.
It sounds cheesy but it really isn’t. I’d recommend checking it out as it’s fairly modern in design, appears to be stable and like POF if you put some real effort in you may be surprised with what you get out.
Jack’d
Jack’d is a really odd app as it is very simple to use, a little more functionality that Grindr does (more pictures for example and a “matching” service) but it’s also very basic, very clunky in places and has a habit of presenting you to a lot (and I do mean a lot) of US-based guys. I’d say out of all of the profiles that messaged me during my time on here a good 50% were “non-UK” based. Which is great if you’re looking for a long distance to marry and move to the states with. But for us lowly average gays it doesn’t really do much for your chances.
It also seemed to struggle with logging in quite a lot (more than Grindr anyway which is saying something). Can you see Willam Belli or another drag queen making a song with a reference to Jack’d? No me neither!
As far as “hook up” usefulness, yes like Grindr it is location based so can show the guys around you it doesn’t really sell itself as a hookup friendly app. You will find the same guys on it mind you. Except on this one its long walks and snuggles and on Grindr its long dicks and group sessions. That’s a massive generalisation but you get the point.
Wapo
“Wapo” (what used to be called Bender before someone cottoned on that it really is a stupidly unwise name) apparently is Spanish for ‘handsome man’. Far be it for me to quote trade descriptions at them as I oversell myself but seriously?
In recent years it’s undergone a major overhaul so that now it’s not bad looking. It gives you more functionality than Grindr (ability to view your profile views for example without having to pay for it) but it is slightly temperamental. Not only in my experience but some of the reviews on the app store also give it a scathing report that it is unstable and not very user friendly. On the upside it does let me detail my height in feet and inches (it’s the small things. Oh and I’m 6 foot 3).
Again, most of the people you’ll find on Grindr or Jack’d you’ll find on Wapo but it does seem to be more of a mixed bag. Worth a look and see what you think. I do however think the name is lame.
Hornet
Now hornet seems to be a mix of all the others. It has a very simple setup like Grindr with some added features liked Jack’d (public and private photos, view tracks, add favourites etc) but isn’t quite as ‘tidy’ or as finely tuned as Grindr. The Hornet app is also geared up for those looking for something more as not once does it ask you your “role” or if you are listed as looking for “hook-ups”.
What I also like about Hornet is that it asks you if you know your HIV status and when you were last checked. You can choose not to provide that information as it’s not mandatory but alongside asking you it also encourages you to find out and get checked. As a promoter of good sexual health, this is a big tick in the box for me. An app that seems to actually care…
Booty call usefulness again depends on your profile. Like the others it is location based so if you are anywhere near another user then you’ll show up and who knows what could happen. It doesn’t appear to offer any sort of “matching” service nor does it offer chances to detail your sexual preferences so in the battle between “sex app” vs “dating app” Horney remains decidedly neutral.
Gaydar
For those guys, that like me had a gaydar profile back in the days when it was just a dating website I couldn’t not mention the app they now have. Given all the changes Gaydar has been through lately the app isn’t bad overall. It is reasonably well designed, clear and easy to understand. It follows the same sort of layout as the website profiles and gives you pretty much all the same information as the full website.
As Gaydar is the longest serving gay dating website that I’m aware of, its ‘looking for love’ factor is quite high. The days of sitting on Gaydar just for the chat rooms are long gone. Having a look around online and talking to other people I get the impression that everyone has a profile on there, but not many people actually use it or update it.
This means that Gaydar does have a chance of helping you find love, little to no chance of finding a hook-up and providing you’re in no hurry to find anyone or get a reply to your messages then this is the app for you.
(After this little exercise I decided to completely delete my profile on there… No real reason other than I very rarely got anything from it and I decided it was the end of an era).
Fitlads
Now I’ve always liked the Fitlads main website. Yes, it is basic but functionality wise it offers a lot and some of the guys on there are a laugh. I’ve had many a good night on Fitlads and made a few online friends from it.
But having said that I wouldn’t recommend the app. It’s very basic, not very stable and makes you want to log on to the website to see what it’s trying to present to you. You can search for members, use your location to find other people, message and post on the forums but is pretty much it. Whereas the mobile web page lets you do much more. I mainly use the mobile web page now, to be honest. I may also be the person that subscribes monthly to get access to the porn videos. Far better than storing them on my laptop. ;o) I’d recommend checking out the website www.fitlads.net as it’s a pretty good, albeit basic, site for meeting guys, getting dates and various other things. I think I bought my first sex toy from the Fitlads shop. For that reason, well that reason and others, it will always have a little soft spot in my heart.
If I was to tell you that I was ever so slightly hairy and fell into the category of “otter” would you be surprised? No? Didn’t think so! Well for those that also love the male form with a little bit of hair (or not) then Scruff is the app for you. It’s got all of the functionality of Grindr and Jack’d and is a little more stable and easy to navigate. It’s a little more complex than Grindr as you can have private “albums” and search internationally for people but essentially it is simple to use. Having been on Scruff during my single years I’ve found it to be very handy for meeting guys that not only like the hairier male form but also some real guys that are looking for something more. I’ve got a couple of dates out of Scruff and while they haven’t developed into a relationship (because not everyone has to fall in love with the first guy they meet) I’ve actually made some good friends from it. And yes I have also had some good times from it. As it is location-based and allows for private album sharing it is very “hook up” friendly. But like all the others, it is an app where what you put in is what you get back out again. If you’re after the more masculine man then Scruff is for you. If not, then I’d stick with Grindr.
Recon.
Now I thought I’d throw this one into the mix purely because of my last article about kink in the media. If you are looking for love on here then you will be hard-pressed to find it but that isn’t to say that you can’t. I know a fair few people that have met their partners in a roundabout way through Recon. So don’t automatically dismiss the idea.
Now that being said, Recon is very much aimed at those with a kinkier side to their personality. From the hardcore through to the milder tame stuff. The app, just like the website, is very geared up at the sexual aspect detailing what you are into, what your body is like and what you can be contacted for. The app allows messages, searching based on your current location, editing your profile and searching for Recon events in your area.
If you’re looking for an excuse to escape London and see the sea, sand and scenery, then head to Kent! Here you’ll find the beautiful seaside town of Whitstable, famed for its oysters and only a short drive down the coast, you’ll find the up and coming art scene of Margate.
★★★★
While in Whitstable, why not stay in a retreat of absolute relaxation and solitude, the Crescent Turner boutique hotel. This hotel is perched at the top of Wraik Hill, with views over Whitstable town and out to sea, encompassing the famed oyster beds and only a 10 minute drive from Canterbury. The 18 bedroom boutique property, also boasts a seaside staple and an iconic Whitstable Beach Hut the ‘Sundowner’, complete with kitchen, BBQ, chandelier and 3 canoes for guests for daily exclusive use, and also a chef to cook for you for the day too.
The hotel’s bedrooms are all individually designed, with luscious soft furnishings, and details such as exposed brick and nooks to while away the hours reading and relaxing. Designed with distinct headboards, each covered in a different fabric to create layers of interest. Each room also features ornate mirrors and eclectic furnishings to complete the boutique aesthetic.
The food is exquisite thanks to new Head Chef Mark Kember, a Whitstable local who has developed a menu of classic British fayre such as fillet of beef, potato fondant, smoked garlic and mushroom puree, sea-bass, sweet potato hash brown and kale and rich desserts such as dark chocolate torte, berry soup and raspberry sorbet. Afternoon tea is made from scratch (apart from the clotted cream) where the strawberry, raspberry and fruit jams are made from local berries and the scones, and cakes including sticky toffee sponge and carrot cake and sandwiches made on site.
All produce is sourced locally as much as possible, supporting local Whitstable suppliers Salvatori, Whetwhelks and Chapmans who all help to ensure a local flavour. A trip to Whitstable would be incomplete without sampling the Rock Oysters, which are available in the hotel from just £1.40, (for one) to as many as you can fit. Eaten plain or with a chilli and mango salsa, they have been paired by the GM come Sommelier Toni with Chenin Blanc, Riesling or Grillo, or Champagne. If staying in Whitstable you can sample the famed Oysters of Whitstable, which have been a delicacy for over 2000 years, when the Romans discovered them and shipped the delicacy across Europe back to Rome.
There is no doubt that Whitstable is the family-orientated and fashionable seaside town, famous for its beach huts, Oyster Festival and quaint harbour. There is an eclectic and quirky mix of independent boutique shops and galleries, Whitstable Castle and an increasingly popular arts festival,the Whitstable Biennale. However if you’re looking for something a bit livelier, Canterbury is only a 10 minute drive away and also accessible by bus.
Visit Whitstable Castle, which also has a lovely Tearoom and a pirate inspired wooden playground for the kids and beautiful gardens. Jojo’s Tankerton, just a few minutes on from Whitstable and Tankerton Slopes is JoJos right on the beach with views of the sea which has a coffee shop and lunch & dinner menu with meze and Mediterranean salads, fish and meat. There’s also Crab & Winkle Way, which is a lovely countryside cycle route all the way to Canterbury.
For more details:
The Crescent Turner Hotel, Wraik Hill, Whitstable Kent, CT5 3BY
Classic Double’s B&B from £110 per night for two
Suites B&B from £145 per night for two
Exclusive rental of the Whitstable Beach Hut from £150
Reservations: info@crescentturner.co.uk or 01227 263 506
www.bespokehotels.com/crescentturnerhotel
Only a little bit further down the coast, you’ll find the Crescent Victoria in Margate. The sister hotel to the Crescent Turner, this 14-bedroom boutique escape by the sea, is a hop, skip and a jump from the Turner Contemporary Gallery. The Crescent Victoria and Crescent Turner are the first 2 hotels in the Crescent Groups portfolio.
Only a little bit further down the coast, you’ll find the Crescent Victoria in Margate. The sister hotel to the Crescent Turner, this 14-bedroom boutique escape by the sea, is a hop, skip and a jump from the Turner Contemporary Gallery. The Crescent Victoria and Crescent Turner are the first 2 hotels in the Crescent Groups portfolio.
The Victoria Margate offers individually designed bedrooms and a plethora of opportunities for convivial eating and drink, the Hotel boasts a restaurant, bar and courtyard lounge area and an enviable location for exploring a quintessentially English resort.
Victoria Margate embodies the changing face of this historic seaside resort. It is home to artists, galleries and vintage shops peppered along cobbled streets overlooking the beach with fishing boats lining the shore. General Manager Mat Pugsley said “The Victoria Margate aims to be a sanctuary by the sea. Celebrating the great British coast and offering a modern take on seaside heritage.”
The restaurant with attached courtyard will serve delectable food throughout the day with afternoon teas being a highlight with everything from the jam to the petit fours made from scratch. The chefs will seek out the freshest local produce from suppliers he has worked with for many years; they’ll be found wandering down from the hotel to Mannings daily on the seafront to find out what the catch of the day is.
Margate has been a popular seaside haven for over 250 years, drawing busy Londoners to its peaceful Victorian winter gardens and the restorative sea air of its beaches. The hometown of Tracey Emin, its recent regeneration has firmly established its place on the British art map. The town’s new Turner Gallery – just a stone’s throw from the hotel – celebrates British artist J M W Turner, who described the skies around Margate as the loveliest in all Europe. In neighbouring Broadstairs, you’ll find Bleak House, Charles Dickens’ summer home, on the clifftop of a pretty old smuggling town.
For more details:
The Crescent Victoria Margate, 25 – 26 Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent, CT9 1HX
Classic Double B&B from £100 per night for two
Reservations: reservations.victoria@bespokehotels.com or 01843 230 375
Website: www.bespokehotels.com/crescentvictoriahotel
The Purifry cooks by circulating & blasting hot air onto food. The manual suggests it cooks vegetables, meat, and even cakes. Hang on… this is sounding very much like an oven isn’t it?
The cooking basket has a 2 litre capacity and requires no oil in order to cook food (some of their recipes suggest a teaspoon of oil). It can reach 200c and I found upon setting the heat, it was ready within five minutes – very quick, albeit noisy.
Firstly, I used the Purifry for sweet potato chips. Ready in fifteen minutes, they were marginally superior to those from an oven. They came out slightly charred, crispy but soft inside. Following the manual I made onion rings – appearing nothing like usual onion rings, but were crunchy with no grease.
Initial cake making in the Purifry was highly unsuccessful. It erupted coming out looking more Mary Scary than Mary Berry. I was already dubious when the recipe stated to dent the center of the batter- riddle me this, how can you make a dent in liquid?
Not one to be defeated, I tried again once I’d stopped sulking post-failure. Second attempt was just as awful, so abandon the cake making and in turn due to an overall underwhelming experience, abandon the Purifry altogether.
It sits on your worktop looking like Eve from Disney’s Wall-E, with the name “Purifry” but essentially being an oven, even the product doesn’t know what it is. The design wants to be “minimalist” but is chunky, not ideal for small spaces, and despite its price (RRP 149.99), looks cheap.
Chips and onion rings were a pleasure to eat from the Purifry, yes – but I hardly ever cook these normally.
The outcome is not substantially better for me to change my cooking dynamics and use the product any further, and my oven/hob method with meat & veg is already successful and healthy.
This product would probably benefit those that need chips and need them now. As a home cook I am uncertain of an instance I would require the use of the Purifry. Ever. PROS
Minimal use of oil (0-1 tsp)
Faster heating & cooking than an oven
Safety timer with auto switch off
CONS
Identity issues (fryer or oven?)
Cake calamity
It’s hideous.
http://uk.russellhobbs.com/
RRP £149.99 (although available from £82 if you shop around)
http://uk.russellhobbs.com
RRP £149.99 (although available from £82 if you shop around)
Magimix products always provide a neat combination of style and ultimate utility. Most of their products are available in bright popping colours, with smaller versions of the appliance available for those that have limited worktop space, but still maintain a professional spec. The Le Mini Plus is no exception.
Unpacking the contents of your new toy can be daunting when you spot how many extensions and accessories come with the food processor. However, with a glance over the glossy guide that comes laden with simple step by step instructions and pictures provided for each of its functions, along with 70 recipes to get you started on the new venture that will literally change and improve the dynamics of how you create in the kitchen.
Recipes stretch from basic essentials such as home-made mayo, shortcrust pastry, Victoria sponge etc. to some interesting international dishes like; artichoke & parmesan carpaccio, and aubergine caviar.
There are even some cocktail/mocktail ideas in the back such as the ice-cool blackcurrant and kiwi, and the pear and honey nectar. Recipes are clear, highlighting the relevant instruments of the appliance you will need to use.
So let’s talk about the instruments. There is the main blade (chopping / kneading), a blender mix (soups etc.), egg whisk, slicer, grater, citrus press and it also comes with a spatula. Despite the word mini being in its name the Le Mini Plus is big on functionality and techniques.
The recipes in the back suggest a serving yield of four people so this is a perfect appliance for small households (its main bowl has a 1.7 ltr capacity: 600g of chopped veg or 500g pastry or 600ml in soup, as examples).
The slicer and grater blades alone have collectively saved me hours in the kitchen of tasks that were tedious to have previously done manually- grating a kilo of courgette for fritters by hand, never again. Another good attribute of the appliance is its fitted “failsafe”, meaning the unit will not turn on until all the correct parts of the product are in the right place.
The machine is also very quiet when in use, which is always nice. All removable parts can go in the dishwasher and will take up minimal space so any kitchen aftermath goes unnoticed, even when cleaning by hand.
The Le Mini Plus is by far my most favourite item in the kitchen. It looks cool, it saves me time, and can be used across a huge range of dishes; batter, pastry, bread, pizza dough, cake, icing, meringue, souffle, soup, pate, tart, pie, fishcakes, crumble, milkshakes, cocktails etc. etc.
In my opinion, every kitchen should be kitted out with one of these. The price range is £119.99-£152.99 from John Lewis, but do shop around. I feel the pricing is totally fair with the product and should be considered as an investment. Whether novice or expert, this product is relevant and you will find yourself using it at every available opportunity.
Good to know bits of info are any plastic materials are 0% BPA, three year guarantee included, along with a thirty year motor guarantee too.
PROS
Multi-function heaven
Looks great on your worktop
Comes with a great and handy bible of recipes
CONS
Sometimes had to blend in batches due to its smaller capacity.
This is one of those titles you may know, you’ve seen it somewhere or have heard of the author, Vera Brittain… it rings bells.
But you may be like me, know of it but not know it? I’d heard of it, I’d seen the cover, I knew the author (not personally) but it didn’t appeal enough to buy, beg or borrow a copy to read.
I’m glad I didn’t now – I’m glad I waited for this lush, rich adaptation which only makes me want to whizz out and buy a copy to read it and savour every detail.It’s an epic tale, set against the fight for women’s rights, struggles in Edwardian England that then faces the First World War, and all that this entails for the youth of that time – the lost generation.I can only imagine what it was like, but this film helps show it – the life of privilege for upper middle classes, women wanting equality and suffering for it, the horror of going to war and the horror of waiting at home for news of loved ones.It only briefly touches on it in one scene, but it also mentions the love that dare not speak its name, as Vera’s injured brother clutches to a letter from a fellow officer.This is an amazing adaption; the script is rich with Brittain’s words, the scenery gritty and pretty in equal measures and the acting superb.
Kit Harrington and Alicia Vikander are perfect as the slightly awkward lovers, separated by war and a society that still insists on chaperones for young unmarried couples.
They are more than ably supported by Taron Egerton as Vera’s brother, Miranda Richardson as a stand offish Oxford tutor, Dominic West as Vera’s father, the list goes on…
For all its epic proportions and massive story – this is still a very personal film and I defy you not to be touched by it.
Ember Yard Soho is Timeout’s number two destination restaurant at the moment. Chiltern Firehouse is their top-of-the-pops. Leaving the reservation arrangements to the last minute meant THEGAYUK had more chance of interviewing Banksy than securing a table a Chiltern. Ember Yard could squeeze, literally, a table for two in at 9.45pm. Leaving plenty of time for pre-dinner sharpeners.
A busy gentleman greeted us with beaming pearly whites and led us to the table. It’s a good job neither party was of a large persuasion. We were wedged into a corner table, thus making lav trips a bit like putting ya fave skinnies on after they’ve been washed.
Our waitress Gabriella appeared at all the appropriate moments, guided us through the menu and suggested all our tapas. Gabriella had an air of landlady about her, she was natural and knowledgeable.
The venue has a cosy, contemporary loft-apartment feel with dark wooden floors, pillars, beams and grey walls. There’s a mixture of seating, from high stalls and counters to tables, chairs and banquettes. All warmly lit by bulbous exposed light bulbs dangling from pipes on the ceiling.
The place was full of diners that could no doubt walk, or jump in a rickshaw home.
We went straight in with vino and opted for the Mas Macia Blanc Catalunya 2014. One word in the description pulled us towards this minerally, ripe-apple-enriched number: honeyed. We should have been shooing bees away once the cork was popped.
Ember’s cuisine is inspired by Spanish and Italian chargrill methods of cooking. The menu is broken up into bar snacks, tapas and a couple of larger dishes to share.
Each plate arrived as soon as it was ready.
First up, burrata with chargrilled ciabatta, heritage tomatoes and wild garlic pesto. Gabriella’s favourite. It was like cutting into a chocolate fondant with a melted centre. The mozzarella outer layer hides a buttery smooth core. A great balance of crunch and creaminess all elevated by a right hook from the pesto.
Next to appear, applewood-smoked bream carpaccio with pomegranate, coriander and bottarga. The sea bream was slightly overpowered by the salty fish roe and coriander. Zesty, delicate and enjoyable.
To follow, courgette flower stuffed with goat’s cheese and drizzled with honey. If you’re going to clog your arteries with fried food this is the way to do it. The strong flavour from the cheese lifts the courgette while the honey brings a floral element to the dish. The three amalgamate like a pair of Grenson brogues, a crisp-white Burberry shirt and slim-fit Nudie indigo jeans.
And then, roasted and chargrilled Ibérico pork ribs with quince glaze and celeriac purée. Once we’d tackled the charcoal, fig-like-flavoured crispy shell the meat slid off of the bone. The textures worked. TGI’s should come and take notes.
The last dish, smoked and grilled beef burger with pickled courgette, chilli jam and scamorza. Perfectly formed. The chilli jam, or chelly, left a sweet but fiery undertone.
If you need an excuse not to don ya frilly apron and turn the oven on, Ember’s burrata will suffice. We ordered a second.
Pud came in liquid form.
One glass of Finca Antigua Moscatel. The first sip unravels a silky layer over the tongue, followed by a sweet frill.
And a glass of Lazio Shiraz. A peppery and berry perfumed little tinker. Reminiscent of those cherry-liqueured chocolates you get from M&S at Christmas. But much more palatable.
The bill was a reasonable £106.16. Chiltern Smiltern. We still had enough in the kitty to swing around a pole at The Village, hit the Shadow Lounge and spill into an Uber home.
Reviewed by Thabian Sutherland
Ember Yard
60 Berwick Street
London
W1F 8SU
Tel: 0207 439 8057
info@emberyard.co.uk
http://emberyard.co.uk
STAR RATING: ★★★★ (explained)
PRICE: £££ (explained)
When the opening credits roll in Buck Angel’s new documentary and you see that it is an ‘I Love My Vagina Production’, you know that this is going to be a no-holds-barred look at demystifying the whole aspect of sexuality of trans men.
What the charismatic handsome hunky Angel does is fill this highly unusual ‘sex education’ movie with scenes of explicit sexual activity to ensure that we are shocked enough not to forget his message of how liberated these men became after transitioning.
In a series of in-depth interviews Angel talks to a several FtM (female to male) trans people about how they felt alienated from the bodies that they were born with and their decisions to transition into a male persona. They all had a great deal in common as they discussed the surgeries to get rid of their breasts, and how the effects of taking testosterone changed their lives in ways they never expected.
Before transitioning some of them had played the traditional female roles with their boyfriends, some of them were in relationships with lesbians, but once all the hormone treatments kicked in, they all seemed to notice that their sexual libido shot through the ceiling and they started to be much more fluid and open to all different types of people to have sex with. Most of them also followed the same route that Angel took and opted not to have ‘bottom surgery’ with the end result that have started to be proud of the vaginas that had disgusted them previously, and now they were being penetrated and actually enjoying it.
They all unanimously agreed that transitioning had changed their lives completely and for the better. Some of them are now in relationships, some have sex with other FtM guys like themselves, some like sex with men, some others like it with women. In terms of gender they all feel male. In terms of sexual orientation, they are very different – some of them are heterosexual (they like sex with women), some are gay (they like sex with other men or FtM men) and some like to experiment with men, women and FtM guys.
As an outsider, it is often hard to get beyond our preconceived ideas of gender and the labels that society insists that we all use. One of Angel’s talking heads was the comedienne Margaret Cho who perfectly articulated her take on it all. Her sexuality had been ‘straight’ and then ‘lesbian’ and then she realised that she loved men sexually, and trans men in particular. She now identifies, as being queer as that, she feels, is not limiting and it makes sense to her as ‘gay’ simply doesn’t cover who she is. And she aptly sums up the feelings she shares with many trans men by saying that she is happy with strap on’s…’a dick is a dick, whether it’s been bought or grown.’
The message that is loud and clear in Angel’s film is that the effects of injecting so much testosterone is that it makes you aware of many more possibilities and that your sexuality is never finite whatever your gender is. I am however also convinced that we would have completely grasped that concept without nearly all of the film’s subjects getting naked and playing with themselves on camera.
Above everything, Angel is a powerful advocate for making this community visible and giving them a voice, for which he needs to be applauded for.
With a rather grand welcome from the fabulously loud front of house, we were taken to our seats giggling as he continued to tickle us with his wit.
The grand element continues, taking in our surroundings. It’s a posh crowd- a mix of business bods and rich romantics (one couple in particular really should have hired one of L’escargot’s private rooms). The lights are dim, and I find myself sinking into the comfy seat whilst admiring a lot of classic décor touches that surround us.
We were brought a selection of warm, homemade crusty breads with a moreish tapenade- being advised that the selection of tapenades and bread accompaniments often change seasonally. After forgetting completely where I was and asking for Prosecco in a French cuisine restaurant, we asked the sommelier’s recommendation on the Roses available. Rose has gained a better reputation recently and there are some lovely varieties out there now. We went for the Bandol Rosé, Dom. La Suffrene, C. Granvier, 2013 (£38.00). Which you have to try- fantastic. Their wine list is ridiculously extensive so you have plenty to suit your taste!
To start I went for the Foie Gras with kumquats & brioche (£18). Despite this being straight from the fridge kinda cold, the quality coming through was great, and they had not messed around with the dish at all- Foie Gras in it’s simplest and best form. Even the word kumquat makes me want to gag so these were left at the side of my plate.
My friend went for the Six Snails with garlic & parsley (£12). The snails were plump and came easily out of their shell. Great garlic flavour and the oil in the dish made an amazing dip for the bread, of which we were offered more of at this point.
After our table was “crumbed down”, our mains shortly followed. Clearly I had the taste for suffering that day as what followed my Foie Gras was a huge slab of Veal (£18)- a massive portion of well cooked meat in a light lemon breadcrumb. With the menu being a la carte we ordered a few sides that I found on the small side for their price.
Green beans cooked in garlic (£5) – perfectly cooked. Dauphinoise (£6) – there is never enough dauphinoise, but this portion of creamy garlic potatoes and cheese was minute. New potatoes (£5) cooked with herbs, these had slightly too much bite for my preference, but I always say rather al dente than mush with vegetables.
The other main we ordered was the Sea Bass – crispy skin and succulent flesh served with a sauce vert- lemon, cream, parsley. This really was a lovely dish and I’m not normally a fan of sea bass but the execution was flawless.
So very much looking forward to the desserts at a fine French restaurant, I was not disappointed. Cream cake extravaganza. The tarte du jour (£6) was an almond galette. Uber rich and uber tempting to re-create that Smack The Pony sketch with, where they face plant the dessert tray whilst slurring jibberish-French lingo.
Double teaming the cream cakes we also took on the Paris Brest – made with choux pastry, hazelnuts and bursting at the seams with cream. So simple but so good my favourite of the two. My love for praline is insatiable.
The food is very simple, but very well done. For me this is a restaurant serving fantastic food with seasonal changes, and a lovely professional (but humorous) team. I personally feel that the pricing is a little over, but L’escargot has been regularly voted one of the best French restaurants in London, so I would encourage you to take a look and experience for yourself.
An extra star goes for the venue itself. The venue of L’escargot is huge (four floors). You don’t quite realise being sat in the restaurant how many more levels and rooms there are to the place. With six rooms for hire, I feel this really gives L’escargot a unique edge.
The different rooms are named simply after the colour of them (Blue, Violet, Red etc.). There is also an upstairs exclusive club which you will need to contact L’escargot for more details on. But it is rather swanky up there, spotting some Versace home ware pieces as we walked through. Ask for the grand tour.
If you were to become a member it means you can take advantage of exclusive hire of any of their rooms, free of charge. Dinner packages are available pre and post-theatre (2 or 3 courses – £17.50/£21.50).
They also have a dog-friendly club policy offering complimentary food & treats for your pup.
REVIEWED BY: Jordan Lohan
ADDRESS: L’Escargot, 48 GREEK STREET, LONDON, SOHO, W1D 4EF
WEBSITE: http://www.lescargot.co.uk
STAR RATING: ★★★★ (explained)
PRICE RATING: £££££ (explained)
TIPPING POLICY: There is a discretionary 12.5% service charge added to your bill.
Twenty-something-year-old Evan Brisby is ambitious. Currently working on a gay magazine that covers the local community in Toronto his hometown, he aspires to bigger things and so sends samples of his writing to The Gazette, one of the city’s daily newspapers.
★★★
He doesn’t get offered a job but the editor is suitably impressed to give him the assignment to write a freelance piece on the city’s nightlife, something that shy Evan is not really an expert on. He does, however, accept the challenge, as he knows that this could be his big break, and he also knows that Aidan his colleague at the gay magazine will be able to connect him up with exactly the right sort of people.
Aidan comes up trumps and hooks him up with Hunter who despite the fact he is Evan’s age is evidently THE king of the night who runs clubs and hosts parties that are the best in the city. It is also obvious that Jordan quickly takes a shine to his interviewer who is so single-minded and determined to get the best story he can, is totally oblivious to his new admirer. Evan is also distracted by the fact that he cannot shake of the memory of a recent ex who very inconveniently keeps popping up in his mind and his dreams quite regularly.
This micro-budgeted homegrown movie from first time writer/director Eric Henry is evidently partly autobiographical and besides being a fond love letter to the city of Toronto, is very much about different kinds of acceptance. When Evan is not shadowing Hunter for his article he is still doing his regular writing job that includes interviewing people like the gay couple into fetish sex, or the straight couple who have embraced the husband’s cross-dressing. Even when he is off-duty having a drink he has an uncomfortable encounter with an old man looking for company. Very admirable reminders about everyone needing to find their own path to happiness, but still a tad too preachy and really unnecessary to the flow of the story.
Kudos to the fact that the production values of the piece that are much higher than one has come to expect from movies of this type. Henry helped this by making good casting calls using Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski a very impressive newbie as Evan, Ryan Fisher as Hunter, and hunky male model/actor Matthew Ludwinski as Evan’s lost love, even though the script he gave them had more than the occasionally grimacing moment.
The whole affair is an enjoyable boy-lite romance that may not stretch your mind too much, but if this is a genre you like, will nevertheless put a big smile on your face when you see that everyone does in fact live happily ever after in the end.
Where would we be without HBO? They keep churning out good programmes – and this Silicon Valley is no exception. Think Sex and the City with geeks, and penises, and the main characters are all men, and mostly virgins, and did I mention they were geeks? But I think you get my drift.
★★★★
The premise is simple. In Silicon Valley, California, everyone wants to be that tech start-up that gets bought by the big boys for the big bucks – but in order to do that, you need the idea, the app, the techie bit that doesn’t actually matter in this review, but these 5 guys have it. They have come together as part of a hot house, somewhere to work on ideas, in exchange for a percentage of their product – it’s a roof over their heads and someone to bounce ideas off and get help if and when they need it.
Over the course of the 8 episodes in series 1, we meet all 5, flesh them out as characters and watch as they face the ups and downs of bordering on a genius and totally inept at everyday life – and a potential billionaire. Richard is the idea man, a stereotypical geek, shy, nervous, awkward around people and in crowds, but full of ideas and potential.
When his product is put before several possible buyers or backers, he’s given a choice – take the money and run but sign away the rights or take some startup funds and sell a small share of his company and also get the business knowledge and guidance needed to succeed in this cut-throat world.
The rest of the series follows his adventures or mis-adventures with his 4 buddies and their possible backers. It pokes fun at the whole tech world, highlights some of the anomalies, the sheer wealth available, and is host to a lot of in-jokes!
The cast is made up of pretty much complete unknowns, and the series is the better for that – I liked that I got to binge watch as these boys grew and matured, learning from mistakes as they go along their journey. The writer, Mike Judge, drew on his own Valley experience back in the 1980s and this shows – it needed a gentle hand to make the jokes and still produce something where you care about the characters.
This is the real deal and cannot wait till Season 2 – yes, I’ve checked IMDb, there is a season 2!
4 stars – minus one as some of it goes way over my head at times
