Thursday, April 15, 2010

theme thursday - lunch


Dot's Diner, Shady Dell, Bisbee AZ

When our children were small, I was a Lady-Who-Lunched. As a full-time Mum it was good to get together with friends in a similar situation. Usually we went to one another's houses. It kept the cost down and was easier when the little ones needed an afternoon nap. Lunch was leisurely, if frequently interrupted.

Now my girls are grown and I work full-time, lunch is a snatched opportunity. A hasty coffee and takeaway sandwich in my car between visits or soup and bread at my desk as I eat with one hand and type with the other. (My keyboard had to be replaced last year due to irreconcilable differences between it and a bowl of Leek & Potato!) Lunch is still frequently interrupted, usually by the phone, and no longer leisurely.

An article in last Saturday's Daily Telegraph informed us that Gordon Ramsay has re-opened his famous restaurant Petrus in Belgravia and that lunch can be enjoyed for the paltry sum of £25. Of course that's for food only and doesn't include wine (there's a brave little Vérité Le Désir from Sonoma for a mere £195) or service charge, but it's probably the only way Himself and I are likely to eat there. The a la carte menu is a touch pricey. So we may give it a go.

Who, however, could resist this?? - Discover the thrill and emotion in the heat of the kitchen at the horseshoe shaped Chef's Table for up to six people. The Chef will create an exclusive menu for guests to enjoy in the calm, amidst the movement and subtle chaos.

Lest any of you should fear that diners will be put off their "Roasted beef fillet with braised shin, baked celeriac and Barolo sauce" or "Chocolate sphere with milk ice cream and honeycomb" by Gordon running around and screaming F*CK! at the top of his voice, be reassured that the head chef is Sean Burbidge, who seems a much calmer sort of chap. And does anyone know what subtle chaos is?

Today, however, is my day off. I have been shopping for clothes this morning, the full length mirrors in the changing room a shiny reminder that I don't eat as healthily as I'd like, and am now sitting at home in my study having lunch. I'm also blogging, of course. We women like to multi-task!!

There's not much of my lunch left to show you, but it was a very tasty homemade sandwich with wholemeal bread, cheese & coleslaw. Plus a crisp apple and a large mug of hot tea. There may be a piece of flapjack lurking around somewhere, too. One of the cats is asleep on the sofa nearby, the washing machine is spitting out its soapy suds into the drain outside and I can hear the sparrows twittering in the garden. It's sunny, which means I can hang out the wet towels to dry. All is well with the world.

And my lunch didn't cost £25!

13 comments:

mouse (aka kimy) said...

love it 'the lady who lunched' but oh how things changed!!

i saw on gordon's site there's a joint in nyc, i wonder if i can go in and take photos - i certainly couldn't afford to eat or drink anything!

i have to laugh at your current lunch picture, resembles my own usual lunch not only the cheese sandwich and apple but the child's plate - my own a 30 year old unbreakable (melanite?) sesame street plate that was em's when she was a little girl.

nice diner!

happy theme thursday!

Roy said...

Hmmm... A bit pricey for my budget. I'll stick to Subway. Heh, heh!

Brian Miller said...

smiles...all is right in the world..enuf said.

would love to visit one of Gordon's restaurants sometime. how neat.

hope you enjoy that day off!

ilovepink1078 said...

wow! your really on diet...still you have good source of carbohydrate and vit.

Maude Lynn said...

"Subtle chaos" occurs every time I cook!

C.M. Jackson said...

sounds lovely and better ambience than Gordon Ramsey's place;-) happy TT

Gladys said...

I thought everyone ran around the kitchen yelling F*&K. Oh it's just me and Gordon? Ooops.

PattiKen said...

On a trip to London several years ago, our big "splurge" meal was at Maze. It's a Ramsay restaurant, but has its own chef, I think. It was pricey for sure, but it was also the best meal we've ever had.

Baino said...

Sounds pretty reasonable for the experience actually. Then eating out at reasonable calibre restaurants here isn't a cheap trick either. Thank God for Thai in a Box!

Jaime said...

lunch usually consists of what i can grab within minutes and suck down at my desk... it's not often i can sneak away for a full hour.

i'd love to be a lady who lunched...

Anonymous said...

nice entry,
have fun dining in your favorite restaurant.

Anonymous said...

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/waiting-for-the-splash-theme-thursday/

in case you did not see mine yet!
Happy Saturday!

Betty said...

kimy - well spotted! That melamine plate belonged to one of my daughters :) The diner was one we visited on our road trip last year. Their pancakes were lovely.

Roy - :D

Brian - the day off was very relaxing.

ilovepink - not sure 'bout the diet, seeing as I've just tucked into chocolate tart & vanilla ice cream. O, well. It's the weekend!

Mama Zen (love the name!) - It's chaos in my kitchen when I cook, but there's nothing subtle about it :)

CM Jackson - happy TT to you too.

Gladys - no, it's me too.

PattiKen - Gotta confess, we've eaten at The Boxwood Cafe (also a Ramsay) twice and the food was just gorgeous.