eggbaconchipsandbeans

Astral Cafe in the FT

russell davies — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 15:38:27 +0000

A nice appreciation of the Astral Cafe. Only 20 years after our first visit.

Happy Cafe, Downham Road, London N1

russell davies — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:42:45 +0000

This might be the happiest place on earth.

I was walking along Regents Canal when I saw this sign. It was noonish. I hadn't eaten. What more invitation might I need? My only fear was that I might be lead to some ironic hipster place that only did oats.

Then there was this sign. I found this reassuring.

And I needn't have worried because the Happy Cafe is godamm perfect. A textbook cafe. Look up 'cafe' in the dictionary and this is what you find. Look up 'happy' in the dictionary and this is what you find. Also 'egg', 'bacon', 'chips' and 'beans'. It makes for an especially efficient dictionary.

Look at this. Gorgeous. The chips look to have been aligned by geology, like a giants causeway, abutting an Irish Sea of beans. The egg gazes unblinking at you, a poultry Sauron, a chickeny Cyclops, a hen-based Hitotsume-kozō. The bacon? The bacon abides.

A magnificent interior. Flags. A4 signs. Condiments contained in neat plastic baskets.

All watched over by the patron saint of cafes.

With a free sweet! Absolutely joyful. The weather for the last few weeks has apparently been characterised by 'anticyclonic gloom'. This is the antidote. It's a brilliant place. Get yourself to the Happy Cafe.

(I googled the Happy Cafe just now, to get the address for the title. And found this post. I've been there before. Because of course I have. Different chairs. Still flawless)

Well done CNN

russell davies — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 20:50:10 +0100

I've come to dread it a little when people send me a link to a fry-up article from Mainstream Media. They're normally pretty thin gruel. More often than not it's a 'why can't you buy a fry-up any more!?' thing. But this piece from CNN is actually pretty good. Deep, informed, researched.

Cafe Arriba, Portree, Skye

russell davies — Sat, 25 May 2024 14:09:31 +0100

You're not quite sure what you're going to get when you first approach Cafe Arriba. Something Mexican?

Then you wend up the stairs and you're still not sure. Chillis?

But then you check the menu and your heart sings. Three items and a side of chips. EBCB!

And it is magnificent. Gorgeous grub moulded into an apparent tribute to the Colosseum, with the beans representing the Palatine Hill and the bacon the Domus Aurea. Flawless, you could use it as a map. And delicious. I demolished it like a Nero at the grapes.

Was also nice to see the most cogent explanation of coffee variants I've ever seen

And is there something of the amphora about the condiments? Or is that just me?

Anyway. I'm just being silly. This is a brilliant place. Lovely people. Lovely food. Get yourself to Skye and get stuck in.

Cafe Royal no longer

russell davies — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:24:19 +0000

We were in Bridport the other day and spotted that the Cafe Royal had been replaced by a Dominos.

Bankside Cafe, Hatfields, London SE1 8DQ

russell davies — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:26:16 +0000

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you. Without a strong rhyme to step to. Think of how many weak shows you slept through
Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you.

And we're back.

"Slightly matt fry on the chips with the light still dancing off of them in parts. The beans like an eager crowd waiting to flood through the match day gates."

The E to the B to the C to the B.

To the double T.

Drop the mic, you shouldn't be holding it. This is how it should be done. This style is identical to none.

Very pleasing to be back in the EBCB groove.

Excellent typography.

Excellent companions.