Favorite Boozy Places: The Pig and Butcher

The Wino has been meaning to post about The Pig and Butcher for months now but for some reason she's been unable to make it happen. Perhaps she was drunk. Perhaps she was lazy. Probably both. In any case, she is now ready to loudly sing The Pig and Butcher's praises.

The Pig and Butcher is one of The Wino's favorite boozy places in London. Located in Angel just a short walk from the Tube, this fine establishment has a gorgeous, reasonably priced wine list and a gastropub menu that, The Wino swears, when eaten, warms the soul like a cashmere sweater on a cold, damp January afternoon.

Loads of places use the word, "gastropub" to describe their food but the Pig and Butcher actually delivers on the word's promise and frequently goes well beyond (Don't even get The Wino started on establishments who call themselves "gastropubs" and use it as an excuse to charge a higher price for really bad food.). Pig and Butcher diners are treated to exquisitely executed pub fare and creative comfort food with layers of flavour always served with a dollop of mustard and perfectly paired with a glass of wine or beer. Glasses are never empty as the service is attentive, friendly, and efficient.

Tartare with Quail's Egg and Grilled Toast

A glass of Mont Rocher Carignan pairs perfectly with just about everything.

Crispy Fried Wiener Schnitzel with Celeriac Slaw and Dijon Mustard

Perfect Lipstick. Perfect Color.

Boozers, The Wino has found the perfect lipstick for fall: Lipstick Queen's Sinner full-coverage matte lipstick in "Wine."

Cheers!

What's The Wino Drinking?

What's The Wino been drinking lately? Well, hang on to your Riedels, Boozers, 'cause she's going to tell you. The Wino's been drinking La Croix Saint-Roch Montagne Saint-Emillon 2012, which she finds at the Budgens grocery a few blocks from her flat (See how she said "flat" instead of "apartment"? She's sooo London now.). The Wino would describe it as balanced with hints of dark fruit, particularly blackberry, a bit of black pepper, and nice, bright acidity. Maybe a some of vanilla??? Who knows. Anyway, it's a bargain at £5.99 ($10.20 - ugh, the exchange rate these days is utterly demoralizing) and pretty darn good for easy weeknight sipping.

 Glug-glug!

Manhattan Madness

Boozers, ordering a Manhattan in London is not the same as ordering one in the U.S. The Wino is sure you are not surprised by this, but, unfortunately, she was.

A Manhattan Cocktail, in The Wino's mind, as well as in Wikipedia's mind, is a simple cocktail containing whiskey (or bourbon or rye), sweet vermouth, and bitters. So when The Wino was asked by a bartender, errr mixologist, at a London bar known for its cocktails, "Do you want it dry, perfect, or sweet?" she was completely baffled and was totally unable to play it off like she knew all about it.

The Wino knows, of course, that there can be variations in the ingredients and ratios and she would certainly expect it considering she's living in London now and not in Seattle. She is even somewhat familiar with the Perfect Manhattan but unsure of the exact ingredients. So The Wino, ever in pursuit of knowledge (particularly boozy knowledge) about her new (albeit temporary) hometown, asked what the differences were. There ensued a stammeringly awkward and painful conversation filled with misunderstandings about the Manhattan cocktail.

Boozers, in the bartender's descriptions of dry, perfect and sweet Manhattans there was no mention of anything resembling the classic Manhattan cocktail The Wino know so well. (She would also point out that nearly every Manhattan recipe on the Web references the classic Manhattan cocktail she is used to, even in the UK.) The Wino tried to describe it (in her American accent) to the mixlogist, but he just looked at her like she had no idea what she is talking about and replied, "Well, it's not going to be the same as in the U.S." Right. What was The Wino thinking? She gave up.

And when the bartender served The Wino a Perfect Manhattan, she didn't really like it. But rather than prolong the already unruly, wildly unpleasant conversation and confirm the bartender's assumption that she was just a pushy, rude, tourist who expects everything to be like it is in America, she slurped it down like a good, boozy boozer and then ordered another.

She supposes she probably should have just ordered a glass of wine.

Bottoms up!

The Wino's New Handbag

The Wino felt that since she survived her first 6 months living thousands of miles from her beloved home away from her friends and family she deserved a new handbag. In addition, she freely admits that she likes to buy presents for herself and will pounce on any excuse, however wobbly, to do so. So, feeling fabulously entitled, she ordered a ruby-colored Liebeskind tote and has been happily carrying it around London from the moment it arrived on her doorstep. As you can see in the below photos, there is ample room to carry a bottle of wine. Maybe even 2 bottles. The Wino is sure you expect no less.

 

Scotch Eggs Are For Boozers

There is no actual scotch in a scotch egg. But The Wino assures you, they are still worth trying. Especially if you are in London and drinking in a pub. For those boozers with no idea what a scotch egg is, The Wino will provide you with a simple definition: it's a semi-hard boiled egg, coated in sausage, then battered and deep fried.

Like all fried food, scotch eggs can either be done really well or end up a horrifying soggy mess that you will regret eating like nobody's business. Fortunately, the majority of the scotch eggs The Wino has encountered during her time in London fall into the former category.

Down the hatch.