EATING IN LONDON, PART II

The real reason behind the trip to London: Fergus Henderson's St. Johns restaurants.  There is St. John near Smithfield Market, and St. John Bread and Wine Spitalfields.  Henderson was one of the originators of the nose-to-tail, locally sourced, traditional and seasonal-centric restaurant trends that, 10 years on, inform all my favorite food spots around the world.  It is like going home to the mothership.  Some people I know call the original restaurant "Big Girl," which I think is very funny.  I couldn't get a table on our open night at the original St. John, but was able to eat twice at Bread and Wine.  Here is the menu for dinner (sorry it isn't a better photo):

A little pate as well as mussels with seaweed to start things off.

Then some beetroot and goat's curd.

The smoked fish with horseraddish was not my favorite, but they were pretty.

Snails and Black Cabbage.  I had it at lunch the following day.

The ox liver, watercress and pickled walnut was also delicious.

A masterpiece: pheasant with kale and bacon.  One of my fellow diners found shot in his bite... which I decided is good luck.

If I lived in London I would eat at these places everyday.