The Calm After the British Storm

I arrived into London yesterday on what I was told was the worst weather day of the year to - date....with rain pouring down and winds gusting at 80 mph....and a descent into Heathrow that left me feeling ill.  After a fantastic nap, I dressed for my evening and began to mentally prepare myself for a stormy night.  It turned out to be quite civilised, clear and perfect...as was the rest of my evening.

The plan was for dinner and theatre with a dear friend who is an ex-pat living in London for now three years.  Both the table and the tickets were tough pulls as they were rumoured to be among the best in London-town.....and they were.

We dined at The Ivy, www.the-ivy.co.uk , which is tucked away on a genteel corner in the heart of "Theatreland."  I had been told to try it for brunch for many years, not realising that it is also one of the better places for pre or post theatre dining.  Offering Modern British and Euopean fare, the space is elegant and clean, and much like the famed Ivy restaurants in Los Angeles, it is a great place for a bit of star-gazing.

My choices last night included Roasted Partridge on Toast, Pumpkin Tortelloni with Walnut Cream Sauce and Sticky Toffee Pudding with Ice Cream.  I had never seen partridge in print before (other than "Partridge Family" or "....in a pear tree") and was even more fascinated that the game served at The Ivy is so fresh that it comes with the disclaimer that one might find a bit of buckshot on the plate.....so I couldn't resist!  It was lovely and flavourful (and no, my friends, it does not taste like chicken),  buckshot free, and came topped with salad and marinated tomatoes.   The tortelloni was amazing, served with large slices of roasted pumpkin and filled with dense, creamy cheese.  And the sticky toffee pudding was the perfect treat!  It seems that "pudding" in the UK is a general term for dessert - and not the Jello brand, creamy stuff that we get in the US.  I was brought a simple warm, dense caramel flavoured cake topped with caramel-toffee sauce and served with vanilla ice cream - and could not have been happier!

We took a short walk after dinner to the Donmar Warehouse, www.donmarwarehouse.com , to see "Life is a Dream;" an ensemble piece featuring the incandescent Dominic West (from HBO's "The Wire).  For theatre lovers, the Donmar is paradise; a 250 seat, non-profit space that showcases innovative, critically acclaimed, award winning theatre.    "Life is a Dream" is a play that was translated from the 16th century original Spanish by Pedro Calderon de la Barca and is a complex, both funny and torturously poignant poetic piece that I cannot recommend highly enough.

It remained clear and beautiful after we left the theatre, and so the evening ended with a leisurely stroll through Covent Garden for as long as my high heels would allow.  It was a truly perfect evening.

As this is how my trip has begun, and it should be noted that the sun is shining brightly this morning, I can only quote the author of last night's piece and say...

If I'm asleep, don't let me wake
If this is real, don't let me dream