Review of Starbucks Aroma Lab and a Few Brew at Home Tips (Qype does London)

Review of Starbucks Aroma Lab and a Few Brew at Home Tips
Qype does London, October 25th 2010

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Hosted by Alan Hartney (the UK Coffee Ambassador for Starbucks) at Starbucks’ flagship Conduit Street shop in Mayfair, an “Aroma Labs” session of blending, tasting, making and pairing coffee for a select group of Qyper coffee snobs was fun and informative … and the Starbucks folks were super generous. Alan was especially giving in his vast knowledge of all things caffeine as he took us through a tasting of five different blends (my faves were the Sumatra and the Christmas Blend) and helped us discern the different flavours in each.

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Review of Starbucks Aroma Lab and a Few Brew at Home Tips

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London Daily Photo: 558 o’Lantern

LDP 2010.10.25 - 558 o' Lantern

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London Daily Photo: Who are You Going to be?

LDP 2010.10.24 - Who Are You Going To Be

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New Bar Review: Aces & Eights (Londonist)

New Bar Review: Aces & Eights
Londonist, October 22, 2010 2:30 PM

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A dive by design without coming across as contrived, Aces & Eights has been open a few months offering Tufnell Park a low brow ensemble of “rock, liquor and pizza”.

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New Bar Review: Aces & Eights

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London Daily Photo: Hood

LDP 2010.10.23 - Hood

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London Daily Photo: Sombrero

LDP 2010.10.22 - Sombrero

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New Pub Review: The White Horse (Londonist)

New Pub Review: The White Horse
Londonist, October 21, 2010 6:00 PM

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Trotting into Exchange Place near Liverpool Street is The White Horse. A lighter, airier (and by no means “old man”) pub with a bit of rustic style, it’s a pleasant place to sip a pint … or to grab a bite.

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New Pub Review: The White Horse

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FHM’s After Dark Special Out Now

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FHM – After Dark Special – out now!

Just in time for Halloween, the latest issue of FHM is now available and full of articles to sink your teeth into … such as the world exclusive 16 page “sexy vampire” showdown starring super sultry vampire vixens Christian Serratos from Twilight, Natasha Alam from True Blood and Diora Baird of this month’s 30 Days of Night: Dark Days. This “sexy vampire showdown” has me thinking about the whole “vampires are sexy” thing. Why? Vampires suck, right? Maybe that’s part of the sex appeal? And what’s more intimate than blood … which is red … the colour of passion.

Beyond the bevy of beautiful vamps, this latest FHM is as good an ish as any to snap off the shop shelves for a month’s load of entertainment for men: fitness, health, fashion, film, music and games. I’ve got a long flight with a layover scheduled for next week that (in addition to some DVDs and a couple of books) could do with some glossy mag distraction.

For more exclusive content on Diora Baird or to buy FHM magazine now, visit www.fhm.com/afterdark.

FHM – After Dark Special – out now
Buy FHM now
See exclusive content on Diora Baird

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London Daily Photo: Knit Wit

LDP 2010.10.21 - Knit Wit

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New Restaurant Review: Sushi Ga Ga (Londonist)

New Restaurant Review: Sushi Ga Ga
Londonist, October 20, 2010 4:45 PM

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… now for the “ga ga”. Ebi siu mai (prawn dumplings, £4 for six pieces) with a dab of mustard was yummy while wasabi prawns (£5) presented with a light tempura coat, a vibrant swab of wasabi mayo and dangling from sticks on a thick cutting board delighted our eyes as much as our palates. A whole lot better than we ever would have imagined, we’re almost embarrassed to admit how moreish we found our plate of Spaghetti Ga Ga (fresh ramen cooked with minced wagu beef tomato sauce, £7.50).

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New Restaurant Review: Sushi Ga Ga

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London Daily Photo: Welcome to Hell

LDP 2010.10.20 - Welcome to Hell

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New Menu Items at Tsuru Japanese Restaurants (Londonist)

New Menu Items at Tsuru Japanese Restaurants
Londonist, October 19, 2010 4:30 PM

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The London duo of Japanese restaurants that is Tsuru (Bankside and Bishopsgate) has updated its already yummy menu with a half dozen or so items priced between £4.50 and £7. After a sampling of the new dishes, Londonist is pleased to say we very much approve!

Highlights include …

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New Menu Items at Tsuru Japanese Restaurants

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London Daily Photo: Red Plastic Skull

LDP 2010.10.19 - Red Plastic Skull

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Polo, Steak and Wine, Wine, Wine! (Qype does London)

Polo, Steak and Wine, Wine, Wine!
Qype does London, October 18th 2010

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Held at Ham Polo Club in leafy Richmond (before the day, I had no idea there was a place to play polo in London, but Ham has been around since the 1920s), hosted by Nicolas Audebert (chief winemaker of Cheval des Andes, Terrazas de los Andes vineyard and a bit of a polo fanatic) and catered by the near ubiquitous upmarket steakhouse chain, Gaucho, we guests were wined and dined in fantastic Anglo-Argentine style. As fun as watching the horseback action on the field was – and as plentiful and tasty as the steaks and food were – the real highlight for me was the wine.

READ MY COMPLETE REVIEW:
Polo, Steak and Wine, Wine, Wine!

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Monday Sucks. Let’s Talk about Women’s Undergarments!

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Here’s some hubba hubba for your Monday morning: lace suspenders (or garters as they’re called Stateside).

Anachronistic marvels of sartorial engineering, these thin bands of fastened loveliness unite gravity defying elastic garter belts to the objects of their purpose: stretchy, dreamy, dainty stockings. Lace suspenders are at once chaste and seductive – with their ultimate function depending very much upon who’s wearing them and why. Whether upholding virtues or levelling the lustful, they fuse fashion with fetish and suggest as much as they conceal.

I’m rubbish talking about women’s undergarments, huh? Anyway, this is sponsored content, and I just thought it would be a hoot to see what I could come up with. Besides, it gave me an excuse (and permission) to publish that foxy photo at the top of this post. And to be sure, there are far worse ways to spend a Monday morning (which is now slipping closer and closer into Monday afternoon) than pondering the sheer and lacy accoutrements of womanly wearings … and it certainly beats the rest of the goofy stuff I intend to write about today.

Usually, when I’m blogging about legs, they’ve been cooked and seasoned and placed on a plate. Perhaps, I’ve found a new vocation. The world could use an enthusiastic (if occasionally cranky) reviewer of lady’s leg wear, right? You’d regularly read such musings (especially if accompanied by some relevant photos), wouldn’t you?

Maybe the next time I find myself with some free time on a Monday morning, I could share some babble about another wonderful topic, nipple tassels!

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London Daily Photo: Mood Lighting

LDP 2010.10.18 - Mood Lighting

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FREE Cups of Coffee, 18-22 October, 8am-10am @ 108 Marylebone Lane (Londonist)

FREE Cups of Coffee, 18-22 October, 8am-10am @ 108 Marylebone Lane
Londonist, October 17, 2010 10:28 PM

Coffee

Photography by AndyKirby79

From Monday 18 until Friday 22 October 2010, 108 Marylebone Lane Restaurant & Bar (a very nice restaurant indeed we reckon) will be giving away one free illycaffè coffee, from 8am and 10am, to any and all dropping in.

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FREE Cups of Coffee, 18-22 October, 8am-10am @ 108 Marylebone Lane

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London Daily Photo: The Pipe Organist

LDP 2010.10.17 - The Pipe Organist

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London Daily Photo: Creepsville, N1

LDP 2010.10.16 - Creepsville, N1

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Review: Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works @ Hauser & Wirth London, Savile Row (Londonist)

Review: Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works @ Hauser & Wirth London, Savile Row
Londonist, October 15, 2010 11:59 AM

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“The Fabric Works” marks the opening of contemporary art behemoth Hauser & Wirth‘s new space at 23 Savile Row. With 15,000 square feet of exhibition space, it’s a dandy of a setting for viewing art and promises plenty of “larger exhibitions and more expansive installations” to come.

READ MY COMPLETE REVIEW:
Review: Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works @ Hauser & Wirth London, Savile Row

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Reminder: Free Cocktails for Every Early Christmas Booking at Lucky Voice (Londonist)

Reminder: Free Cocktails for Every Early Christmas Booking at Lucky Voice
Londonist, October 15, 2010 10:48 AM

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Today’s the last day to take advantage of this Londonist Exclusive!

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Reminder: Free Cocktails for Every Early Christmas Booking at Lucky Voice

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What’s Going On at this Year’s Frieze Art Fair (Juxtapoz)

What’s Going On at this Year’s Frieze Art Fair
Juxtapoz, Thursday, 14 October 2010 15:10

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“This year’s Frieze seems much more tempered and scaled back compared to the past couple of years,” comments Chris Osburn. “But on the upside there seems to be lots more raunchy and in-your-face stuff.”

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What’s Going On at this Year’s Frieze Art Fair

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London Daily Photo: Union Chapel

LDP 2010.10.15 - Union Chapel

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Review: Frieze Art Fair 2010 (Londonist)

Review: Frieze Art Fair 2010
Londonist, October 14, 2010 4:40 PM

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A more subdued fair than in recent years but nonetheless an invigorating opportunity to view what’s what in contemporary art, this year’s Frieze Art Fair ultimately does not fail to inspire.

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Review: Frieze Art Fair 2010

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El Cantara Opens on Frith Street (Londonist)

El Cantara Opens on Frith Street
Londonist, October 14, 2010 1:30 PM

El Cantara

Think: a downmarket Moro spread across three floors with a lovely Shisha terrace smack dab in the meaty bit of Soho. Not a bad idea really.

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El Cantara Opens on Frith Street

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London Daily Photo: Trampy the Spider

LDP 2010.10.14 - Trampy the Spider

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Exhibition Review: In Gods We Trust by Nick Walker @ Art Sensus (Londonist)

Exhibition Review: In Gods We Trust by Nick Walker @ Art Sensus
Londonist, October 13, 2010 1:30 PM

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“In Gods We Trust”, his first major solo show in two years, is no exception. Sticking to what he does best (the stencils) while incorporating concept pieces, it’s a ballsy exhibition. At last night’s private view, Londonist was pleased to see his latest offering of bitingly satyrical visualized observations. A centrepiece crucified chocolate Jesus (no that’s not the name of a religiously overtoned Blaxplotation flick) being chiselled at by a pair of giddy little curly haired blonde girls gave the PV an especially fun-through-iconoclasm tone. Star spangled burqas, the Pope as Bond villian and much more await the curious in search of refreshingly anti-social art.

READ MY COMPLETE REVIEW:
Exhibition Review: In Gods We Trust by Nick Walker @ Art Sensus

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London Daily Photo: Applesauce & Stuffing

LDP 2010.10.13 - Applesauce & Stuffing

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Review: Ultimate Chocolate Menu @ Clos Maggiore (Londonist)

Review: Ultimate Chocolate Menu @ Clos Maggiore
Londonist, October 12, 2010 3:30 PM

Ultimate Chocolate Menu at Clos Maggiore: Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Griottine Cherry Sorbet. All gone!

Lauded as one of London’s most romantic restaurants, Clos Maggiore has pulled out all the mushy stops with an “ultimate chocolate menu” to coincide with Chocolate Week. The six course tasting menu is as intriguing as it is luxuriant – more a gourmet dining experience than merely a nice meal – and, when paired with their specially selected wines, yields a delicious flight of flavour for contemplative foodies with sophisticated palates and a sheer delight for any palate otherwise.

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Review: Ultimate Chocolate Menu @ Clos Maggiore

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56 Sage Street

56 Sage Street image 2

How does someone with nothing end up with everything? Well, Barclays reckons a great way to find out is through playing 56 Sage Street, their newly launched free game.  56 Sage Street is a point and click game set in a vast city, where players are free to explore and click on hundreds of destinations. With each click players find work, places to stay, new challenges and potentially helpful contacts. If only it were that easy!

Anyway, here’s the story behind the game:

A teenager is given one chance to make it in the city …

Two weeks ago a fresh-faced kid arrived in the city with £4 and a headful of dreams. What they found was a tough, uncompromising place and one night a wrong turntook them into trouble. The dream of making it looked like it was over. But someone had seen what had happened. His name is Mr C. the self-made, millionaire owner of the 56 Sage Street Empire. With only weeks to live, he’s searching for a successor. If our hero can prove their worth to him, their dream of making it might just become a reality.

I took a look at the 56 Sage Street site. The graphics are sharp and the story line’s pretty good too. The “vast city” is very London-y and that’s fun to view. I could see how kids keen to learn a bit about managing their finances and just what it takes to thrive could get a lot out of this game. Heck, I could probably learn a thing or two!

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London Daily Photo: Bobbing

LDP 2010.10.12 - Bobbing

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Review: Blind by Stardom by Word to Mother @ StolenSpace (Londonist)

Review: Blind by Stardom by Word to Mother @ StolenSpace
Londonist, October 11, 2010 3:45 PM

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… the culprits and victims in his paintings are exposed as loathsome, pitiful and sometimes sinister through WTM’s earthy style, toned down colours and use of found objects.

His fourth solo exhibition at StolenSpace, “Blind by Stardom” brings with it a promise of even better executed and more provocative art to come.

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Review: Blind by Stardom by Word to Mother @ StolenSpace

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Londonist Exclusive: Free Cocktails for Every Early Christmas Booking at Lucky Voice

Londonist Exclusive: Free Cocktails for Every Early Christmas Booking at Lucky Voice
Londonist, October 11, 2010 11:00 AM

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Lucky Voice, London and Brighton’s number one chain of luxury karaoke bars, are offering a special exclusive to all Londonist readers.

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Londonist Exclusive: Free Cocktails for Every Early Christmas Booking at Lucky Voice

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London Daily Photo: October Plenty

LDP 2010.10.11 - October Plenty

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London Daily Photo: Harvest Goon

LDP 2010.10.10 - Harvest Goon

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