Today, it was good to be a New Yorker. It was a day of pure beauty and radiance. Early November and round about 60F. Everyone was out in full force and not a coat in sight; I almost wore flip flops! It was a lazy Sunday morning, the regular dog walking and Saturday night recovery but today I was intent on just being outside to enjoy this glorious day!
What to do? Brunch, of course, with my favorite dining companion, Jake. After an exciting Grace Coddington sighting outside of his apartment building, we wandered a bit aimlessely and bleary eyed not being able to make any decisions on where to go. "Do you feel like walking over to Tea & Sympathy?", he asked. "Yes!!!"
Tea & Sympathy is THE authentic English restaurant in New York City. No self respecting Brit comes to New York without making a pilgrimage to this West Village institution. All their staff are British and their ex-pat head chef, Lindsay, is a huge presence in the dining room; she gladly takes drink orders calling you "my darling" as she sets down a fizzy Ribena. I grew up in London and have lived in NYC for 16 years but I've never been to Tea & Sympathy. The visit was overdue and I was ready to indulge. After arriving at their steps, we had a relatively short 20 minute wait.
Waiting along with us was this gorgeous gentleman standing outside. I was struck by his regal quality and imagined him as a young man, a soldier who found true love here in the States and stayed to be with his sweetheart. I could feel a kindness coming from him that was revealed when he bent down to pet a puppy that was walking by.
When we were called in, we sat and looked at the menu for all of 30 seconds before deciding on our dishes: Sharing a bowl of Stilton potato leek soup, Sheperd's pie for me and bangers and mash for him. We both had a fizzy Ribena.
The portions are so huge that we were almost full with the soup and bread they brought to the table!
They set our entrees down and we were overwhelmed. Huge plates of England's finest were presented and we were in carb heaven. I have to admit that even though I loved my dish, I was openly envious of Jake's meal. His sausages were partnered with mashed potatoes and beans and smothered in onion gravy. I remembered my Aunt Laraine making me bangers and mash when I would visit my cousins. There was nothing like it. The best was when she put a side of fried toast on the side.
I loved mine though. My favorite meal is Sheperd's pie. My grandmother would make it for me as a special meal on my birthday and my mother would pull it together on the weekends and I would scarf down a plate and go for seconds and sometimes thirds.
My lamb pie was divine as is but I poured a little onion gravy on it for good measure. It was served with a side of baby peas and carrots. I don't like carrots so as I did as a child, I pushed them to the side of my plate and tucked in to the succulent peas. It was all utterly delicious and at the end of the meal we were just about to fall over and nap right there. We were in a huge food coma and I felt like I gained 10lbs, but it was so worth it.
FOOD COMA ALERT!
I'll be ready to go back in about a month and I'll probably try out one of their lighter dishes and end with scones and clotted cream. When I do, I'll probably wear looser jeans!
