Trees for Cities

This is a late update but we completed the Treeathlon. It was a gorgeous day and there weren't too many runners which made for a relaxed atmosphere. Battersea Park is pretty and, importantly, flat. Joff ran with me this time so he coud be the pace person, I told him to keep an eye on the time as I wanted to do it in under 40 minutes adn then every time he looked at his watch I shouted that I was going as fast as I can and he could go on if he wanted. Which led me to the conclusion that I am a grumpy runner, I do not feel the wind in my hair and freedom driving me along, it feels like a hard slog, I look red and sweaty as opposed to lithe and athletic and it always feels like a long way. However, once finished I am excited enough that I didn't actually die doing it that it all seems worthwhile. In the end I managed to complete it in 34 and a bit minutes, which wasn't too bad, event though at one point I was being overtaken by some pretty elderly looking people.

And on to the food. We collected our Veggie brunches in their little brown paper bags, took them back to my mums, where we changed, and then promptly went out to lunch. Not that they didn't look nice but going out to lunch seemed like the thing to do. For the record the brunch consisted of a club sandwich with salad, egg and cheese. I think it was the egg and cheese that did it, I don't really see the point of egg and cheese, it's a bit like having pizza and chips. We went to Coffee Republic on the Kings road and had bagels, which they make at the counter and which were fresh and suitably chewy. The coffe there is good and strong, the surroundings seem a little faded but this meant there was room to sit down. I prefer the coffee here to most of the other coffee chains, except perhaps Cafe Nero, and you could do a lot worse than lunch on one of their bagels.

Running 5k

Next weekend we are running 5k for a charity trees for cities, which is a tree planting charity. Please see the widgit on the right for details of my just giving sponsorship page. We are having a veggie brunch afterwards which I will tell you about when I have eaten it.

The Cut Bar and Restaurant

The Cut Bar and Restaurant is attached to the Young Vic Theatre and is therefore mainly aimed at pre and post theatre eating and drinking. It is a large open space with outside tables and an upstairs Bar area and does become fairly noisy. Given that you are unlikely to come here for a quiet, romantic dinner the noise is not really a problem and lends the place a lively atmosphere.

The food is good and reasonable priced, it is not a wide menu but this means that it is quick to come to the table and what there is is high quality. Last night I had courgette and aubergine sandwich (burger style) and chips. We shared a large and very green salad with deliciously sharp dressing and a side dish of green beans and shallots. The courgette and aubergine were perfectly cooked, with just enough chargrilling to give them a smoky taste without obliterating the original vegetable. The chips were the best I have had for a long time, crispy outside and soft and fluffy in the middle. Joff finished with a scoop of apparently very good vanilla ice cream.

With two glasses of wine each the bill came to £42 pounds which I think is pretty good value. The service was efficient and friendly and the whole operation friendlier and more inviting than the basement restaurant at the Old Vic.

Toast

I have been excellent toast this week, a rye and carraway seed loaf from De Gustibus in Borough Market. It has lasted all week and becomes crispy round the edges when toasted properly. I like it best with peanut butter.