I arrived in the UK late last night and already had my mind set on
visiting a store about a 1/2 mile from my hotel called LA FROMAGERIE
as it had been written up extensively in the US
(www.lafromagerie.co.uk). They have two locations: one at 2-6 Moxon
Street in West 1 just off Marylebone High Road, the other in Highbury
Park (North 5). La Fromagerie opens around 9-10am for breakfast and
has a small cafe with and several tables that will fit no more than 2
dozen; the close by 7pm most days (5pm Sundays). I ordered the
Southwest France Breakfast plate which came with three cheese, two
meats, breads, butter and yogurt.
The cafe au lait was divine and so was everything else.
I started light with the Vardon Yoghurt which was fresh, smooth and
very tart then moved on to the mild Crottin Pic di Bigorre a small
round goat disc from Ariege that was rinded and aged a bit, but still
quite mild. The creamy almost semi-soft OSSAU, a ewe's milk cheese
from the Pyrenees was mild and tasty, it was great with the slightly
spicy local Saucissons and the Bayonne Ham which is somewhere between
a Spanish jamon and prosciutto. The best cheese was the aged, tangy,
slightly sharp and intense Le GABIETOUT made from cow and goat mixed.
Their farmhouse butter is divine, although the bread was only okay.
Don't miss a stop in the CHEESE ROOM which houses hundreds of cheeses
for sale from all over Europe that make your mouth melt. I wanted to
buy tons, but knew I was leaving London for the North tomorrow and it
would never keep all day traveling! I yearned for the runny St.
Marcellin and oh so many others.......
I left before my resistance broke.
Tonight I return to THE LEDBURY where I was so thoroughly enthralled
with Chef Brett Graham when I was here a year ago, that I swore right
on this blog and google group that I would return for this tasting the
second I set in foot in London. Promise kept and now The Ledbury
proudly boasts TWO Michelin stars (I said they deserved two, if not
three right here!). YAY!
ALAN
