Brief notes: cold and rainy today, lots of sleeping, even for me (two naps!); a late excursion to Villiers, ostensibly for the pub quiz, but we just couldn't stomach the terrible, unignorable, soulsuckingly shitty lounge music (which we'd previously encountered on Friday but had hoped was a one-time thing...conversation with the friendly bar staff revealed that it was a mgmt-decreed constant), and bailed after a couple drinks.
What a fantastic decision that was. Walking into to Banner's (which had been recommended by our absent hosts), suddenly everything was OK again. Ali Hassan Kuban and Nass El-Ghiwane were on the stereo, a perfect bowl of popcorn was plunked in front of us on the bar, and on the wall a specials board of Jamaican and Sri Lankan food (sort of a direct hit on the home base of my taste buds). The wonderfully retro cocktails menu featured a Harvey Wallbanger, a name that I hadn't seen since I sneaked a sip of Harvey Wallbanger mix from my grandparents' rec room bar in the late 70s (and then wondered what all the fuss about alcohol was...I didn't feel anything!). So of course the Mara had to order one (below).
Even better than all that, the food was really good. We shared some jerk chicken and some kind of manchego nachos thing, which could've been totally pedestrian, but every homemade thing on our plates—the jerk, salsas, guac, chutney, spoonbread, beans—was impressively and mysteriously delicious, and these are the kinds of foods that, if we're knowledgeable about anything, this is it.
The highlight: the spoonbread may have been the best cornbread-like concoction we've ever eaten. Ever. And that is really saying something. We will be back soon...our lovely bartender Emma said that their breakfast is even better.
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1 comment:
this looks like a real vacation. happy times!
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