It’s Been A Long, Cold, Lonely Winter…..

I wouldn’t say I had “a train of thought” today so much as thoughts of trains! More than one year has passed since I’ve visited either London or Edinburgh and, now that Spring seems to have arrived, the yearning to resume travel is stronger than ever!

The situation surrounding the pandemic is just beginning to ease in Britain. Though it may be some time yet before I will personally be able to recommence travel, it’s been heartening to receive emails and newsletters from restaurants and hotels as they prepare for their reopening.

Yesterday, I had an email from Marcus Wareing’s Belgravia restaurant, “Marcus”, announcing their reopening on Monday 17th May. I’m glad to hear it and wish their team every success. That email was also a reminder that I never did write up a full review of the excellent lunch I had there not so very long before everything shut down “for the duration”. This much delayed report will be next up on Capital Letters review list.

There were further reminders this evening of just how much I’ve missed the food which is to be enjoyed in the English and Scottish capitals. I watched the Scottish heat of “Great British Menu” – the television series in which British chefs compete for the opportunity to cook one or more courses as part of a themed banquet. Three of the four chefs competing in this evening’s broadcast were Edinburgh based – and the fourth based only a short hop across the Firth of Forth in Fife – so the feelings of yearning to travel to that city were further bolstered. Just when it seemed my pining for travel and dining could not be heightened, the veteran chef brought in to judge the contestants’ work was Tom Brown, one of my favourite chefs.

I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Tom’s London restaurant, “Cornerstone“, but I’ve sampled his handiwork on many an occasion when he was Nathan Outlaw’s Head Chef at “Outlaw’s at the Capital”, the restaurant based within The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge. He delivered consistent quality of food and service and some of my favourite dishes in that restaurant were of Tom’s own design and creation.

It does indeed seem like years since I’ve been there, but I look forward with great anticipation to future trips to London, Edinburgh and beyond in search of new restaurant experiences and re-unions with old favourites.

With apologies for not only plagiarising but also ( slightly ) misquoting George Harrison.

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It’s Been A Long, Cold, Lonely Winter…..

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