The best thing about reading blogs is the way you get to see behind the scenes. They're an aid to noticing because they let you peer inside places you might not ordinarily see. I've been reading Scrambling Eggs since almost the beginning and it's been a fascinating ride to watch a dream take shape, and to watch someone grappling with Britain's peculiar food culture. (Especially as I'm presumably part of the problem.) But, now the absolute best thing is that Lantana has opened and it's lovely. Brilliant food, splendid coffee, excellent atmosphere.
I still get called quite a lot by journalists looking for quotes about the decline in British cafes (actually I can imagine someone readying a piece about the credit crunch and a return to basic eating even as we speak) and I'm always loathe to give them their ammo because British cafes aren't in decline. They're changing, like they always have. And like they've always been, the best ones are made by people bringing food expectations from other countries and having a bash at feeding us. Lantana is a fantastic example and I bet it's near a lot of people reading this - on Charlotte Place, just off Goodge Street. You should pop in.