No. 12 - San Pellegrino Cocktail, Three Instagrams, System
Non-alcoholic aperitivo, Japanese IGs to follow, tunes and wine in a butcher...
San Pellegrino Cocktail
I write this on a hump-day Wednesday evening, after a day on which my brain stubbornly refused to play ball. Brain fog all day. I dragged my body out of bed in the morning, but my brain stayed on the pillow. Later, I made a cup of tea, my third of the day, tried to put the kettle in the fridge, forgot about the tea and went out for a walk. My body screamed for one thing all day. SUGAR! Today was my last day with Zoe’s continuous glucose monitor attached to my arm. I didn’t think I’d been particularly well behaved food-wise while I had it on (Häagen-Dazs Pralines & Cream I’m looking at you), but perhaps my brain spies relief and the chance to indulge today.
With that in mind, I made a bee-line for Haringey’s worst kept local secret - All Star Food & Wine on Green Lanes, home to a wondrous selection of the best Italian treats available in London, usually at equally wondrous prices. There I picked up a bottle of San Pellegrino Cocktail, never having tried it before. As with most proper Italian soft drinks of this ilk, the ingredients label begins ‘acqua, zucchero…’ Just the ticket.
On to the tasting. I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest. The colour reminded me of Irn-Bru which might have primed me. But the taste did too. I was hoping for something more Aperol-y balancing sweet and bitter. This was pretty much pure sweetness. It worked in terms of the energy boost I was after today, but if you’re looking for that pre-dinner bitterness without the alcohol hit, I recommend Sanbitter instead which is much more like a Campari Soda. Still chock full of sugar though…
Three IG accounts to follow
Due to the aforementioned brain fog, this week’s post is a little briefer than usual. Recently I booked my tickets for another trip to Japan next year and was reminded of some of my favourite Instagram accounts from the country. Two of them find humour and beauty in the everyday - Shin Noguchi and super_ordinarylife (Yasumi Toyoda). While I don’t take as many photos as I used to, I find both their styles inspiring for when I do get around to taking some snaps for mine. Ginza Lion is one of my faves by Shin Noguchi.
The third is one of my favourite Japanese architects and designers - Keiji Ashizawa - beautiful pared back interiors and furniture, including the interiors for Blue Bottle Coffee shops across the country and further afield.
System
System joins Jumbi as another newcomer on London’s listening bar scene. And luckily it’s just down the road from me, in Newington Green, which is fast filling up with great spots. Cadet, around the corner from System, for example, seems to be one of the most hyped recent restaurant openings in London. With rents as they are in London, businesses have to get creative with space, so System is also Stella’s Butchers by day, run by the same folks who run Hill & Szrok on Broadway Market.
Built around a vintage hi-fi employing 1976 Tannoy speakers, System is open two nights a week with invited DJs playing on each night. There’s a nice article on the rise of these types of bars in London on Vinyl Factory here. It’s definitely a trend I’d love to see continue, and it’s one that seems to be picking up in Paris too, with Bambino, Montezuma Cafe (a dream spot), Fréquence and more. I’ve always loved visiting listening bars in Japan too, though the atmosphere can vary from bar to bar, depending on the level of hi-fi geekery of the owner, with some being no-talking, very serious affairs.
Definitely not the case here. On the night we visited, we arrived just after opening and snagged a couple of the few remaining stools. It was already nicely buzzing, and I was a little starstruck to see Daniel Avery occupying a space at the bar. The first thing that hit me was the lush, beautiful sound from the speakers - warm, bassy and crisp. Loud, but easy to talk over. A quality and depth of sound that brought a big smile to my face. There’s a a solid selection of drinks on the menu, as well as some bites - the pork rillettes looked delicious. Next time. Pretty much everything you need for good times.
The night’s selector, Shenaaz rolled through tune after tune - blending familiar faves, new Shazams, and the odd un-Shazamable gem that makes going to places like this a great experience. It’s good to have a bit of mystery sometimes. Though as my friend Lee suggested, I could always have just asked the DJ what the song was. A fair point, but I was glued to my stool, and enjoying my fifth glass of wine too much. We’d planned to go for "“just a couple”. A good sign. All in all, this is a great spot - for me pretty much my ideal neighbourhood bar, with a nice, up-for-it and ready-to-boogie crowd. I’m planning on becoming a regular!