Eggcellent

I quite liked my boyfriend anyway and then he made these...

Romance is not dead in our house, let me tell you.

Havin' A Ball

My friend once told me about an episode of The Simpsons where Homer orders steak with meatballs as a drink. Even though I haven't seen it, I smile every time I think about it.

Meatballs are brilliant. They are like burgers, but they come in sauce which (unless done poorly) helps them to stay good and juicy. I don't know anyone who doesn't love them, nor do I want to. Which is why opening a restaurant centred around balls of meat is a cracking idea.

A cracking idea, that is, until you remember that they are actually hard to get right. And, if you don't, everyone will notice. Meatball's meatballs are not perfect but I'm not sure it matters. The menu is short and enticing, offering a choice of five meatballs (beef and ricotta, greek lamb, pork and rosemary, chicken, vegetarian courgette) with a selection of delightful sides or 'underneaths' including fluffy mash, honey and thyme roasted carrots and egg pappardelle.

We went as a group of six which turned out to be a perfect number for piling into the booths (I do love a booth) and ordering pretty much everything on the menu. The decor is great: polished wood, elegant leather, and a charming assortment of light fittings (I do love a light fitting). The atmosphere was a little timid for my Friday night taste but here we should note two things: one, I have a big mouth and like going places that drown out my noise and two, they have not been open long so a little time should take care of this.

Most of all though, it was just fun. Fun in the way that tapas with a table of people is fun. Lots of "Oooooh try this one," and "Stop hogging the pork balls!" It is the perfect place to go with a group and be guaranteed there is something on the menu for everyone. Because the menu is meatballs and everyone, particularly Homer Simpson, loves a meatball...

Meatballs at the Quality Chop House

92-94 Farringdon Road

EC1R 3EA

Cross It Off

Saturday mornings mean Saturday kitchen and breakfast in bed, which is why I have missed out on the delights of North Cross Road Market until now. Thank god for circumstance (and a freelance article) which got me out of bed at 8am and daaan the market by 9.

I was there to hang out with Cooper aka The Dogfather who was a pleasure and a joy. What a lovely man and, more importantly, what ridiculously delicious hot dogs. I grilled him whilst he grilled and watched in awe as he created corkers like 'The Mexican Elvis' (Beef Steak n' Pinto Bean Sauce, Jalapenos, Cheddar, Grilled Onions, Hot Cheese Sauce and a 100% beef dog) to a queue of adoring fans.

Once Cooper got busy, I got busy with the rest of the market...

Gourmet Lunch Boxes (mmmm... saffron chicken), The Viet-Van (mmmm... Vietnamese baguettes), Comfort and Joy (mmmm... wraps), as well as huge wodges of sexy cheese, wickedly plump tomatoes and indecently glossy tarts. If I hadn't already eaten a mammouth hot dog, I would have been in serious trouble.

Get ye down to East Dulwich. I like it so much, I'm moving there.

(I would not lie for journalistic effect.)

North Cross Road Market

East Dulwich

SE22 9EV

Monday to Saturday

Carbs in Marbs

I try to be classy. I buy meat from the butcher, wine that costs over £5 a bottle and, when on holiday, try to eat as authentically as possible. Which is why I am slightly shamefaced about my food consumption on a recent trip to Spain. The only night I ate something Spanish (Paella) was the night I drank so much (cheap) wine, I forgot how to use my camera...

I did take a lot of nice pictures though, I particularly love the old men on benches.

Hummmmus

As August drew to its crappy, non sunny close, I was learning two lessons. One, if you are booking a flight and, in order to save £50 you book one that flies via Oslo, don’t. Two, if you decide not to follow that advice and book a flight from Malaga to Gatwick via Norway’s capital (taking 16 hours), it is probably best not to eat a large Double Whopper meal beforehand. Why? Because, when you finally get off the plane and go directly to work, you will feel like shit.

What Malaga airport desperately needs is a Hummus Bros. Had I gorged on pureed chickpeas with tasty toppings before embarking on my mammoth journey, I’d still have been knackered but not felt like I had mad cow disease (although some might argue you’d have to be mad cow to book the flight in the first place). Healthy fast food is not a radical idea, neither is hummus, but the novelty of putting the two together is yet to wear off (the first HB opened in Soho in 2005, Holborn in 2007 and St Pauls last year). I fell for its charms in 2009 when I worked on Southampton Row and would stagger into the Holborn branch, always hung over, every Friday.

The Soho one is bigger than Holborn and boasts table service which is always a nice touch in a fast food joint (unless you want very fast food, in which case you can go up to the counter). Knowing what to do I ordered quickly, got my order even quicker and then ate as if in some kind of legume consuming race.

Special: Italian Sausage Casserole

Sausage not all that, but had infused its fatty flavour into the ratatouille-like sauce which was delicious.

Smokey Barbequed Aubergine

This, basically baba ghanoush not blended into a dip, was extremely moreish. Particularly good smeared onto the pitta bread, topped with the sausage casserole and hummus.

Greek Salad

Fresh, crunchy, salty and a nice accompaniment to the heavier dishes.

What I really like about Hummus Bros is that they have taken a simple concept and continue to do it really well because of that fact. The bread is freshly made, the hot toppings slow-cooked and the extras (a zingy green chilli sauce, for one) full of flavour. Fingers crossed the next outpost is at Gatwick.

Hummus Bros - Soho

88 Wardour Street

W1F 0TH