londonyank

Places to Go: Benjamin Franklin House

londonyank — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:47:11 +0000

You wouldn’t expect to find a slice of American history a stone’s throw from Trafalgar Square, would you? But it’s there, right off the Strand on a little side street leading to Victoria Embankment: the house that Benjamin Franklin, one of our founding fathers, lived in for almost 16 years.

Our country’s favorite diplomat, inventor, writer, and jack-of-all-trades lived in the house on Craven Street from 1757 and 1775. While there, he indulged in his love of science, music, and socializing; he also found time to serve as Deputy Postmaster of the then-Colonies and to attempt to mediate the growing tension between Britain and the Americans. The house itself is the only one of Franklin’s homes still in existence.

Benjamin Franklin House is not, thankfully, just another stuffy period museum. It’s an experience. Visitors are guided around the house by Polly Hewson, the daughter of Ben Franklin’s landlady, in full period dress. Lights, projections onto the walls, and narration add to the recreation of Franklin’s time in the Craven Street house. In keeping with Franklin’s love of science, there’s also a small hands-on learning area for children.

Tickets are a bargain at £7 each, but pre-booking is essential, as tours operate on a set timetable. Benjamin Franklin House is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 12pm to 5pm. (Charing Cross tube)

Benjamin Franklin House

How To…Shop (Relatively) Painlessly At Primark

londonyank — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:00:06 +0000

It’s bad enough that the worldwide economy is tanking. Things are even worse for us Americans in the UK, as we get to deal with a poor exchange rate on top of an economic crisis. What’s a stylish American abroad to do when it comes to clothing, when even buying a scarf at H&M seems downright decadent? The answer is simple: buy everything at Primark. Yes, a shopping trip to Primark offers horrors that rival Dante’s trip to hell. But with a few tips, the excursion can be (somewhat) painless.

First and foremost: PLAN AND PREPARE. The absolute worst thing one can do is to go to Primark on a whim. You will be overwhelmed by the choices, by the amount of people shoved into the store itself, and by the heaps of clothing on the floor. Schedule your trip on a weekday, preferably in the morning; the store will still be somewhat organized. Carve out a few hours for shopping, as nothing moves quickly in Primark. Then, carefully go through your existing wardrobe to determine exactly what it is you need. Because it’s so cheap, Primark is an excellent place to find trendy items and wardrobe basics. Make a list of what you need, but be sure to budget for impulse buys. Primark receives new merchandise every day, and there will almost certainly be an item you can’t not buy. Luckily, Primark is one of the few remaining stores in this world where you won’t feel horrible for succumbing to temptation. Do bring cash, though, and limit yourself to what you can purchase without resorting to your credit cards; it’s easy to go overboard at Primark. You’ll also need to dress for the occasion. The fitting room lines at Primark are horrendously long; it isn’t uncommon to wait for 45 minutes to try items on. There are mirrors everywhere in the store, so where an outfit conducive to changing in public. The easiest choice? Leggings, a tunic, and a camisole underneath. Everything should be tight, so you can pull clothes over them.

Once you get to the store, STOP BEING POLITE. Something happens to people when they walk through the doors of Primark: normal, well-adjusted citizens turn into animals. The worst instincts of humanity are always on display in Primark. You will be pushed. You will be cut off in line. You will have something taken out of your hands. Unfortunately, the only way to deal with this behavior is to imitate it; there is no place in Primark for weakness. If you see something you like, grab it, regardless of whether or not someone else is looking at it. If a group of people are blocking your way, don’t bother asking them nicely to move aside; push your way through. The smartest shoppers use their ipods when at Primark; your own music is better than the cacophony of sounds that is Primark, and you won’t be able to hear the curse words muttered at you.

After you’ve found everything on your list, braved the fitting rooms, and made your final selections, it’s time to sit down and INSPECT EVERYTHING. This is the vital step that most people miss when shopping at Primark. Find a relatively quiet corner of the store and physically sit down on the floor. One by one, take a long, hard look at your items. Check them for loose threads, bad hems, makeup stains, and tiny holes. Yes, Primark is cheap, and one expects the quality of the clothes to be less than perfect. However, £5 for a skirt with the hem falling out is a wasted £5.

Once you’ve made your final selections and filed into the queue at the check out counter, don’t think you’re in the clear. No, you still need to BE A VIGILANT QUEUE WATCHER. Some Primark shoppers seem to believe that the queue exists for everyone except them. Without fail, someone will attempt to get in front of you, and quietly excuse me-ing them will not help; they will ignore you. You must loudly tell them to get to the back of the queue. Everyone else in line will thank you.

When you get your purchases home, do another in-depth check for damages. No more how excited you are to wear your new, cheap clothes, WASH EVERYTHING FIRST. Your clothes were, most likely, tried on by dozens of people and spent a lot of time on Primark’s floor. You don’t want that on your body.

Primark

Find The Best….Barbeque

londonyank — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:37:14 +0000

If there’s one thing we know how to do in the U.S., its barbeque. We have as many styles of barbeque as we have states, and we’re all positive that our version is the best. But in London, we all have the same problem: no matter how nice our flats are, they lack space for barbeque pits. Fortunately, we also have Bodean’s BBQ, the best barbeque joint in London.

Why It’s The Best: Because at Bodean’s, you’re spoiled for choice. There’s the expected barbeque fare, cooked to perfection over a wood-burning smoke pit and smothered in Bodean’s good-as-home-made barbeque sauce: baby back ribs, pork spare ribs, and pulled pork sandwiches. But Bodean’s also offers other kinds of authentic American comfort foods. Their all-beef chili hot dog is delicious, and their corn bread muffins have to be tasted to be believed. They also offer slices of surprisingly good key lime pie for dessert, a treat almost unknown outside of the U.S South. On top of the excellent food, Bodean’s also features live feeds of NCAA football games, including the annual meetings of the biggest rivals: Michigan and Ohio State (November 22), Georgia Tech and Georgia, (November 29), and Auburn and Alabama (also November 29). A hint: go on Tuesdays, when all combination dinners are a mere £10; you won’t need to eat for day afterwards.

The Details: Bodean’s has five branches in London: Soho (Oxford Circus tube), Clapham (Clapham Common), Fulham (Fulham Broadway),Westbourne (Bayswater) and Tower Hill (Tower Hill). All serve the same menu, and take-away is available at each location.

Bodean’s BBQ

Quick Hit: EAT Christmas Pie

londonyank — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:30:42 +0000

Just a quick note for those of you beginning to have turkey deficiency meltdowns: ever-present takeaway joint EAT just placed the perfect pie for you on their menu. It’s turkey and stuffing, baked in a flaky, buttery crust, covered with cranberry sauce and served piping hot. It will surely satisfy those cravings for Day After Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwiches. Best of all, it will be available until after Christmas, so you’ll be able to eat your fill in the next month.

Things To Do: Thankgiving Dinner in London

londonyank — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:58:56 +0000

It’s getting close to that time of the year when we Americans start craving cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole and insane quantities of turkey. If you’ve got a long weekend and are returning to the States for Thanksgiving, things are good. But if you’re stuck in London without Mom’s home cooking, there are options other than attempting to cook a Thanksgiving meal for one. There are plenty of restaurants in London that are offering Thanksgiving meals to us homesick Americans (and those who just love turkey).

Harvey Nichols

Fifth Floor Restaurant

The Fifth Floor Restaurant @ Harvey Nichols

If Harvey Nicks just isn’t fancy enough for you, go all out with a Thanksgiving dinner at the Park Terrace Restaurant at the Royal Garden Hotel in Chelsea. £39.50 per person will get you a gourmet five course meal, including roast Kentucky turkey breast. Unfortunately, dessert is blueberry cheesecake and a peanut butter parfait—it isn’t really Thanksgiving without pecan pie. [Park Terrace Restaraunt @ the Royal Garden Hotel]

At £35 per person, the Thanksgiving menu at Missouri Angel Grill and Restaurant in Aldgate isn’t much cheaper than the Royal Garden Hotel’s…but they include pumpkin and pecan pie in their spread. You can also enjoy less-traditional dishes like their salmon carpaccio or goat cheese soufflé. [Missouri Angel Grill and Restaurant]

Bodean’s will host a family-style Thanksgiving party at all of its London locations on November 27th. For £19.95 per person, you’ll be able to stuff yourself with smoked chicken gumbo, turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed spuds, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. To really duplicate the traditional American Thanksgiving Day experience, they’ll also show NFL games starting at 5:30 pm. With restaurants in Soho, Fulham, Tower Hill, Westbourne Grove and Clapham, you won’t have to go far to find a home style meal. [Bodean's BBQ]

Find The Best…Afternoon Tea

londonyank — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:23:37 +0000

What’s the first thing that your friends and family want to do when they visit you in London, after taking pictures of Big Ben and Parliament? Have a “traditional” English afternoon tea. You have two options: take them to Starbucks, buy a grande Earl Grey and swear that this is how the English do it, or max out the AmEx on a two-hour, white tablecloth and fine china affair at one of the grand hotels on Park Lane. There is another, less-known option: Court Restaurant at the British Museum. It just happens to be the best afternoon tea in London.

Why It’s The Best: Let us count the ways. First, and most importantly, the food is fantastic (and freshly made on the premises). Afternoon tea at the British Museum includes tea sandwiches (from the expected cucumber to the inventive fig and Stilton), two warm scones with a healthy serving of clotted cream and strawberry jam, and five too-adorable-to-eat pastries. At £18 per person (far less than the same tea service at the Dorchester), it isn’t cheap, but you’re unlikely to be hungry afterwards; this tea could double as a late lunch or early dinner. It isn’t just the food that makes tea at the British Museum the best—the atmosphere can’t be beat, either. Court Restaurant is located on the second floor of the museum, with plenty of natural light pouring in from the atrium. It’s a classy, stylish environment, but far from the stuffiness of a hotel lobby. The wait staff is friendly without being overbearing, and they’re content to leave you and your companions alone after your food is served.

The Details: Afternoon tea is served every day from 3pm to 5pm. Besides the set afternoon tea menu, there is also a champagne tea available for a few pounds more, as well as a la carte options. Entrance to the British Museum is free. The closest tube stop is Tottenham Court Road.

Court Restaurant at the British Museum
The British Museum

The News: Your Huge Sunday Paper Round-Up

londonyank — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:59:55 +0000

The New York Times

The New York Times

Desmond Tutu

The Washington Post

finally

The Guardian

Tissue Alert:

The St. Petersburg Times

Things To Do: The Lord Mayor’s Show

londonyank — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:05:15 +0000

Let’s face it: we’re severely lacking in pageantry in America. Okay, we have the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but the vast majority of us only ever see that on TV between bites of turkey and mashed potatoes. Unless our city’s NFL team wins the Super Bowl, we never experience parades on a grand scale–and that’s only if we live in one of the 32 cities with a team.

But there’s plenty of pageantry to be had in London, and it’s hard to find something more pageant-tastic than the Lord Mayor’s Show this Saturday. Behind the jump, a handy guide to the day’s festivities.

What To Know: It’s old; really old. The Lord Mayor’s Show dates back to the days of King John, when the City of London was granted a charter to elect their own mayor in 1215. Said mayor had to travel from the City to the palace at Westminster to swear allegiance to the Crown. The parade to the palace became grander and grander over the years, and voila: the Lord Mayor’s Show.

The Route: The procession starts precisely at 11 am outside the Guildhall. It will make its way down Cheapside towards St. Paul’s Cathedral, then down Fleet Street, arriving outside the Royal Courts of Justice at 12:40 pm. It will then turn and head back towards the City, travelling down Queen Victoria Street and arriving at Mansion House at around 2:30 pm. It’s a long parade, so wherever you are, it will take over an hour for the entire parade to pass you. The entire route map can be found here.

Getting There: Using the Tube is your best bet. Bank is on both legs of the parade route, but will undoubtedly be very crowded. St. Paul’s, Blackfriars, and Mansion House are all on the route. Taking a bus is not a good plan, as most bus routes will bypass the City. If you must take a bus, they’ll go as far as Old Street, Liverpool Street and Kingsway, and you can walk to the parade route.

Extra Stuff: There will be an RAF flyover at approximately 11 am, which can (obviously) be viewed from anywhere you happen to be at that time. At 5 pm, there will be a massive fireworks show on the Thames. The best view is from Victoria Embankment, which will be closed to cars, allowing plenty of room for pedestrians. You can also watch from the South Bank or Blackfriars Bridge.

Most Importantly, Where Are The Public Toilets?: They’re outside the Guildhall, the Royal Courts of Justice, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Go before you claim your viewing spot so you wont be caught in the post-parade rush.

The Lord Mayor’s Show 2008

The News: Obama Wins, McCain Loses

londonyank — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:51:16 +0000

Barack Obama

won the election

Yahoo

was

reading the full transcript

Malia

Sasha Obama

New York Times

John McCain

defeat

Yahoo

Gordon Brown

David Cameron

can’t agree

BBC

the civil rights movement

CNN

George W. Bush

expects alot

“Sorry, world!”

BBC

Places To Go : Election Night

londonyank — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:24:30 +0000

After two years of campaigning, it’s finally here: Election Night! Of course, we Americans abroad sent in our absentee ballots weeks ago (you did…didn’t you?). Still, the excitement is palpable: maybe, just maybe, we won’t have to hang our heads in shame for another four years. At any rate, we can celebrate that George W. Bush has only 77 days left in office. No American should spend the night of November 4th alone at their computer, frantically hitting “refresh” on CNN.com. Below, a few events in London where you can celebrate–and, more importantly, drink–with your fellow Americans (and those who, inexplicably, still love us after the past 8 years).

£35 will get you entrance, an American buffet and a £10 drink voucher at Yates’s Wine Bar in Leicester Square (Leicester Square Tube). In the spirit of bipartisanship, there will be Obama and McCain merchandise on sale and multi-screen coverage from CNN and Fox News until 4am. Arugula-eating elitists may want to purchase VIP tickets for £100, which includes a bottle of champagne and table service all night. Advanced tickets are required, and are going fast; click here to purchase.

If you can’t bear the thought of queuing up for the buffet with someone who will lecture you on Sarah Palin’s real qualifications and John McCain’s five and a half years in a Vietnamese prison cell, the UK Obama for President Meet-Up is hosting a party at The Hoop and Toy (South Kensington Tube). Tickets are £45, and include your first drink and an all-night buffet. TVs will be tuned to CNN, FOX (for mockery, surely), the BBC and ITV. There will be a champagne toast if and when Obama’s victory is sealed, and the party won’t stop until the wee hours of the morning. Tickets can be purchased here; be sure to wear all of your Obama gear.

Buffets and beer not your thing? A classier time can be had at the American Bar at the Stafford Hotel (Green Park Tube), where tickets aren’t required. The cocktails are expertly prepared, but they don’t come cheap. TVs will broadcast election coverage all night. This one is probably the best bet for Republican expats: drunk Obama fans won’t throw things at you at the Stafford, and you can slink away quietly into the night if McCain is defeated.