By Richard Vines Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — The River Cafe, Chez Bruce and other leading London restaurants are planning to create a series of one-day, pop-up eateries next month to raise money for Haiti. Behind the project is restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas, who will host the dinners at her Putney venue, the Phoenix, which is closed for refurbishment. Diners will pay 60 pounds ($94) for three courses and may bring wines at 10 pounds corkage or buy bottles from suppliers at near cost price. “We’re doing this for Action Against Hunger because they support indigenous farmers, which is key for the long-term recovery of the country,” Mascarenhas said yesterday in an interview. “You can’t rely on aid for long-term stability.” Mascarenhas is hoping to get a dozen or so restaurants on board. Restaurateurs who have committed include her business partner Phil Howard of the Square and Rowley Leigh of Le Cafe Anglais. Restaurant staff will work without payment, and at least one well-known television chef is close to committing, said Mascarenhas, whose London venues include Kitchen W8. Details of the event will appear on the site http://www.putneypopup.co.uk/ when it’s up and running. Fans of Colin Firth get the chance to meet the actor at the inaugural event of Le Cafe Anglais’s cinema club, on Feb. 23. He’ll take part in a discussion of “A Month in the Country,” along with director Pat O’Connor. The scriptwriter on the movie was the late Simon Gray, who was a regular at the restaurant, where he held a party for the third volume of his “The Smoking Diaries.” Tickets for Le Cine Anglais cost 50 pounds and include dinner with wine. For tickets or information, call Nicky Lynskey on +44-20-7221-1415 or e-mail nicky@lecafeanglais.co.uk . Tristan Welch at Launceston Place has introduced a two- person chef’s table in his kitchen. He’s not publicizing it — well, apart from here — so if you are interested, you need to call the restaurant and ask nicely. Tel. +44-20-7937-6912. Gordon Ramsay has found an unlikely guide as he explores the etiquette of Twitter : restaurant critic Giles Coren. The shouty chef, who signed up on Feb. 1, gained more than 8,500 followers within days. Coren — known for his own expletive- packed Tweets — has advised Ramsay to follow a few people so as not to appear narcissistic. Heaven forbid. Ramsay took the advice and now looks at the Tweets of just four people: Jamie Oliver , Jonathan Ross , Chris Moyles … and Coren. Ramsay is roasted in an interview in the Australian newspaper with chef Michel Roux Sr ., who says Ramsay spent more than two years with the Roux family at Le Gavroche. What does he make of the TV chef? “I find (Ramsay’s behaviour) appalling; totally out of place and totally unacceptable,” the paper quotes Roux as saying. Does he rate Ramsay as a chef? “That guy is not better than anyone else.” And Marco Pierre White ? “He is a good cook, one of the best I’ve seen; he’s got palate, he’s got flair; {he is on} another scale to Gordon Ramsay.” I went along to Starbucks Coffee College, in Chiswick, west London, to learn about ethical sourcing and — more important for me — how to get that thick froth on top of my latte. The key is to froth the milk gently, allow a little air in by pulling away from the wand and not overheat. The last person who taught me said I should bang the jug up and down, so now I am confused, but the latest way appears to work. Freggo, the Argentine ice cream and coffee bar on Swallow Street, will be giving away a Dulce de Leche pancake with every coffee on Pancake Day, Feb. 16. Pierre Herme conducted a tasting of his macaroons and chocolates at Pied a Terre last week and was asked about wine matches. It can’t be done, he said, rejecting sweet wines as confusing and Champagne with a simple, “Non.” Having tried his creations — on sale at Selfridges — I’m almost inclined to agree. But I’m not sure if a gift of a box with a bottle of mineral water will quite do the trick on Valentine’s Day. ( Richard Vines is the chief food critic for Bloomberg News. Opinions expressed are his own.) To contact the writer on the story: Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net .
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River Cafe, Chez Bruce to Open Pop-Up Eateries for Haiti Relief: Food Buzz
