The Blackhouse Grill on the market restaurant is located right next to Smithfields market. As we enter the restaurant we are taken to the back and around a corner to a beautifully designed room hidden from the street. It feels exclusive and relaxed. A long way from the hustle and bustle of the London streets we have just left. Grill on the Market’s menu focuses on seafood and steaks.
The atmosphere was great, very calm and relaxed. The staff immediately put us at ease. They were very friendly and knowledgeable. The seats were really comfortable. This would be a perfect place to go with some friends and the Blackhouse actively encourages this with its unlimited Prosecco deal every Saturday if you go with friends. Full details below. Your Prosecco is unlimited for two hours as long as you bring two friends. This great deal seems to be working, despite it being lunch time in the middle of the week there are plenty of people in the restaurant. Everyone seem to be aged between 20 and 30. This seems to be a very trendy place hidden slightly away from the masses which makes it feel exclusive.
We start off with the Blackhouse sharing platter which gives us a chance to taste a lot of dishes in one. The platter includes honey, rosemary and lemon chicken skewer, fish cakes, duck spring roll and calamari.
It looked amazing and all the elements were absolutely delicious. Often when you order a big platter like this the food is rushed and average. This was certainly not the case here. The rosemary and lemon chicken was succulent and beautifully flavoured. The deep fried calamari was crunchy and tasty. I particularly liked the beautuiful duck spring rolls. The sauces which accompanied the dish were also particularly good. They were sweet chilli, honey mustard and sour cream. All were filled with flavour and went beautifully with the different assortments. A great starter it tasted as good as it looks and lived up to the Blackhouse ‘honest proper food’ mantra.
For our mains we had the sesame crusted tuna from the seafood menu and from their special premium beef menu we had a fillet of English Longhorn.
My sesame crusted tuna was a beautiful piece of fish perfectly cooked and superbly presented. Tuna is often overcooked but not here the fish was perfect and shone.
The soy sauce and sweet pickled vegetables were the perfect accompaniment. A really beautiful lunch. The sirloin steak was equally good if not better. The English Longhorn steak was really special. Perfectly cooked as you can see, it came with a superb peppercorn sauce and was probably the best steak I’ve ever had. The chunky chips were also excellent. To drink we were treated to unlimited Prosecco for two hours. The Prosecco was crisp and wonderful and it was great to have your glass constantly refilled. The whole meal was relaxed easy and fun.
Our puddings didn’t disappoint either. My trifle was again beautifully presented (as all our food was) and was delicious.
Trifles are not easy to get right, sometimes I find restaurants make them too heavy. But this was an excellent trifle. The portion size was perfect and the cream and jelly were light and delicious. I really enjoyed it and the creme brulee was also delicious
The Blackhouse grill claims to offer solid, honest and simple proper food. It delivers 100% on this promise. The food was first class as were the service and atmosphere. We will definitely be going back to take advantage of that free Prosecco!
The Grill on the Market
2-3 West Smithfield, City of London, EC1A 9JX
T: 020 7246 0900
Twitter: @GotmSmithfield
Put some sparkle into your Saturdays with unlimited bubbly when brunching at the recently opened steak and seafood restaurant and bar, The Grill on the Market in Smithfield.Starting this Saturday (2nd February) from noon – 6pm,
diners can indulge in deliciously restorative brunch dishes such as eggs ‘any way you like them’ – poached,
scrambled, fried or Royale with smoked salmon; a classic BLT; steak, egg and chips; and maple glaze gammon
with home cut chips and sweet pineapple as well as a the ‘full works’ cooked breakfast, all washed down with unlimited fizz.
Simply take along two or more friends, order anything off the brunch menu to be treated to unlimited Prosecco
for the duration of your meal (maximum of two hours). With brunch dishes starting at just £9, the Grill on the
Market’s bubbly brunch represents excellent value for money.
Booking is essential, please visit www.blackhouse.uk.com/bubblybrunch to put some sparkle into your Saturdays and kick start the weekend in style.
Accidents happen in a tenth of a second, and just like that, they can change your world forever. After an accident, you can count on being physically shaken up, mentally stressed, and perhaps in shock.
But what you do in these critical moments after the accident determines how fast (and how well) you recover financially, and physically. It can even save you from a nasty lawsuit. So, commit these steps to memory and you’ll be totally prepared when an accident happens!
Check yourself for injury. Touch your face, arms, legs and body to see if anything hurts, and visually check yourself for signs of bruising, cuts, or even broken bones. Remember, if you’re in shock or if adrenaline is flowing, you may not feel pain right away.
Write down all your injuries, even if they seem minor. Some minor injuries (like back and neck pain) can intensify the next day, or over a matter of days. Immediately call for medical help if you need it. Do not wait to call an ambulance, and do not opt to call the police first. Your health and the health of the other person involved is the most important thing. And even if you don’t see a doctor immediately following the accident, make sure you visit one as soon as possible.
Secure the Accident Scene Right Away
Secure the scene so you don’t cause another accident. If you’re able and your car is driveable, move to the shoulder and away from traffic. If you can’t drive the car, turn on the emergency flashers or set out road flares to warn oncoming traffic.
Once the scene is secure, call the police and report the accident, even if it’s a minor fender bender. Call local city or town police if the accident is in the city or on a municipal road. Contact the state police if the accident is on the highway or interstate. Police will make an official report, and this will protect you from any false claims made by the other driver after the accident.
Document and Photograph the Wreck
Document the accident yourself. Note the time of day, traffic conditions, and describe how the accident happened from your point of view. Snap pictures using your cell phone or digital camera for your own records. This will help when you file your claim.
Next, write down the other driver’s license plate number, full name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, and vehicle registration. Make sure to copy the other driver’s insurance information from their insurance ID card. Keep all of this information together, so you have it handy when you contact your insurance company.
Hire a Lawyer if Necessary
If you have serious injuries and need medical treatment, find a lawyer. Insurance companies are notorious for offering cheap settlements, and refusing to pay for everything. Search for injury attorneys online and find a good in the area the accident occurred. For instance, if your wreck happened in Carrollton, search for Carrollton personal injury attorneys.
Always follow these steps after an accident, and you’ll get back on the road safely and securely in no time at all. Are there any other steps you would recommend taking immediately following an accident?
If you are one of the few people who have not heard of Kale Chips then you are in for a treat. Mix this healthy vegetable with a little decadence and you get a delicious snack.
Just take some Kale, cover it in olive oil and add some salt. Then put in the oven for 15 minutes at gas mark 6. Cook for longer if you feel they need it. There you have it: delicious, crispy kale chips. Yum.
What happens when the government opts to tax sex? ‘Love Freely But Pay For Sex’ follows a group of rogue filmmakers as they attempt to discover how the controversial legislation affects Londoners.
For those who have, the credits reveal the government policy, the rogue film production company and the film itself is a concept created entirely by Hackney-based Phoenix James.
The multi-talented James is recognised as an actor, poet and spoken-word recording artist, but ‘Love Freely But Pay For Sex’ is his first foray behind the camera. Not someone to do things by halves, James wrote, cast, produced, directed, edited and sound-recorded the entire film.
“I had written down the concept in a series of bullet points back in 2007, and after having filed it away for some years, I came across it again in 2011,” says James.
“I began to see what I’d written as more of a visual concept and then started to develop those points into dialogue segments. This later became a film script and from that point on, I was driven to make the film.
“Shooting began in April 2012 and by the end of July, I had everything I needed. Working on some other film-related projects gave me some time away from ‘Love Freely’ and I was able to return for the post-production process with fresh eyes and fresh ears. It also helped me to focus it all in my mind and allowed me to remain true to what I initially intended the finished product to be.
“I chose the documentary angle for the film because I wanted to create and display a type of lingering realism that I felt would only come from shooting and presenting it as a real-life, documentary-style film. All of the actors I cast did an amazing job. They each took the dialogue and made it their own.
“I had a call from one local newspaper asking where my statistic quoting 89% of people in Great Britain pay for sex came from because they couldn’t find any information on it. That may be a reflection on the state of journalism in the UK, but I’d say it’s a good measure of how effective the documentary angle has been.
“The reception I’ve received so far has gone beyond anything that I anticipated or had hoped for. When you’re creating, you have an idea of how you feel that creation might be received or how you might want it to be received, but you never really know how it will be until it happens.
“When I set out, I initially hoped a lot of people would watch it and talk about it, but it’s gone beyond that. I knew what I was making was important and would have an effect, but I’m only just beginning to realise just how much.
“Making a film on such a major scale has been a huge learning curve. I was working from scratch for almost the entire filmmaking process. But I definitely felt energized and excited throughout. Any moments where I may have felt slightly overwhelmed just added to my determination to complete something I knew would not only be groundbreaking, but a great achievement for me as well as for everyone involved.
“I think what I’ve learned overall during the making of the film is that we can all truly do anything we put our minds towards achieving. I’m very excited about exploring different avenues, new ground and uncharted waters, discovering new ways of working and writing and filming – and expanding upon what I’ve already learned in creating this film.
“I’ve been infected with the joy of filmmaking,” smiles James. “Love Freely But Pay For Sex’ is the template by which I can judge my future film projects and growth. There’s certainly lots more to come.”
1) Have an antivirus. You will need antivirus software. This is the best thing you can do for your computer. It will block viruses and stop you losing all of your data, or having your identity stolen through your data on your computer. Make sure your antivirus is scheduled to download updates and does a daily scan of your computer.
2) Keep your hard drive clean. There is software you can download to do this. Check out Cleaner. Also try and keep your digital life tidy. Go through your computer and delete things you do not need anymore. You can run a disk cleanup to remove temporary, unnecessary files. You can also run disk defragment about once a month. You do not need to overdo it. Remember to empty the trash too.
3) Be careful what you download. If you are unsure then do not download anything. If someone sends you a link with nothing else in the body of the email, or just a link on Twitter or Facebook, then do not click on it. They have probably been hacked and the link will not be genuine. Be aware that the link will be designed to get you to click on it. For example it might say ‘check out this funny picture of you’. Don’t believe it and don’t click.
4) Use a secure website brower. I am a Mac person and use Firefox (you can also use Firefox on a PC) or Safari. For windows Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.
5) Set up a Firewall. Firewalls control the information that goes in and out of your computer. This is essential for keeping out hackers. They also prevent Malware. PCs and Macs come with a basic Firewall installed so make sure it is turned on.
And finally….
Have a good, strong password.
What do you do to protect your computer and make it secure?
Coca-Cola has brought recycling fun to Scotland this month, introducing its Happiness Recycled initiative at two festivals; RockNess and the Royal Highland Show. I love Coca Cola but I always make sure I recycle my old bottles.
The campaign engaged people to recycle by bringing fun to the process, disposing of empty Coca Cola bottles at the two events in a variety of interesting ways. Including interactive bins, games and performers. These included a a giant flower pot and the chance to test their shooting skills in a game of basketball.
Recyclegoers also got to watch fun ‘Flash mob’ performances from the Coca Cola Enterprise cheerleaders. 20,000 people attending the Rockness festival with several thousand receiving photos and recycling themed tattoo. Sounds like lots of fun.
Another music profile from Frost Magazine. Let us know what you think.
Band: Beijing
Location: New Haven, CT USA
Styles: Indie Rock, Alt Rock, Garage Rock
Similar to: Sunny Day Real Estate, Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat World, The Breeders, Jeff Buckley
CD: Night (May 7, 2013)
Members/Instruments:
Bill Pruchnicki – drums
Eric Thornberg – vocals, guitar
Jack Hoppingarner – bass, vocals
Thom Smith – guitar, synth, vocals
Bio:
Beijing is an American alternative rock band from New Haven, CT. The band is comprised of Eric Thornberg (vocals/guitar), Thom Smith (guitar/synths), Bill Pruchnicki (drums) and Jack Hoopingarner (bass). Their style has elements of a dark, melancholy, alternative rock sound made famous in the 90’s by bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Smashing Pumpkins, fused with big choruses and spacey guitar reminiscent of modern bands like Jimmy Eat World and Kings of Leon.
The band formed in the Spring of 2011 and released their debut EP, ‘It’s Not So Simple’. The four song EP consisted of simple and unique grunge rock inspired pop songs characterized by Thornberg’s unique vocal style set to a soundtrack of layered fuzz and amplifier feedback. The EP quickly catapulted Beijing to a national level with countless bloggers reporting on the EP and culminating the year by being named the underground band of the year by Beatcrave.com.
After spending most of late 2011 and early 2012 maturing together as a band and writing a massive amount of new material, Beijing headed into the studio to record their full length debut, ‘Night’. The album was released on May 7th, 2013. Inspired by feelings of love, loss and hope, ‘Night’ showcases the sound that Beijing has become. Dark and spacey melodies collide with huge distorted guitars, provoking emotion and thought inside of a dark and dense, yet beautiful atmosphere.
Beijing is currently supporting ‘Night’ and have begun writing a follow-up album to be released in early 2014.
Buying the perfect diamond engagement ring is not easy. There are serious hurdles to navigate and hopefully this article will help you with some of them. You’re about to spend a serious amount of money you need to keep her happy, remember she’s going to be wearing this thing for the rest of her life but you also don’t want to get ripped off!
How much should you spend?
The first thing to remember with this is that everyone will try and bully you into spending as much money as possible. No matter how much your actually planning to spend you will be made to feel like its not enough. Walk into a jewelers planning to spend £5000 and they will gently make you feel as though your budget is inadequate and encourage you to spend more. Magazines will insist that you spend a minimum of three months salary. The industry is very cleverly set up to make you spend as much as possible. Don’t feel pressured. Set a budget on what your happy to spend and stick with it. Remember you’ve got a wedding to pay for! If she loves you she will love the ring no matter what. If she’s the sort of women who checks the size of the ring before saying yes or no shes not worth marrying in the first place. That all being said know one likes a cheap skate so a £10 ring from Tesco is not going to cut it so keep reading.
Online or Not Online?
I love to make savings buying stuff online but diamond engagement rings are a definite exception. Every stone looks different and you must see it in person before you buy it, no picture will ever tell the story so forget about buying online. It also will sound very unromantic when your fiancee asks where you bought the ring and your forced to tell her it’s from online.
With Her or Without Her?
If your worried about making a mistake you can buy a plain band for when you propose and then buy the ring with her so you can be sure you get one she likes. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The advantage is you can be sure she gets what she wants.
The disadvantage is that your going to have to fork out if she falls in love with a ring. It also makes it much harder to negotiate when the jeweler knows you really want something. Proposing with a plain ring is also not as special and may detract from the moment.
Research
Doing your research is vital of you don’t want to make a mistake. It will mean you get the right ring and it could save you a fortune. The more you know the easier its going to be to negotiate and the more a jeweler will respect you.
Understanding the Four Cs
The look and value of a diamond is determined by four factors. Cut, Clarity, Carat and Colour
Cut
The cut is the only characteristic not determined by nature. A poorly cut diamond may have a compromised sparkle. The most common type of cut is the ’round cut’. In my opinion the traditional round cut or variations of it are by far the best cut because they sparkle the most, a lot more for example than the princess cut. However you should see all the cuts before making a decision. Types of cut include the the emerald, the pear, the marquise, the princess, the oval and the heart shape.
Clarity
The clarity is how perfectly the diamond has been formed in nature. Yes very few diamonds are perfectly flawless most will have little flaws which you can see under a magnifying glass. These flaws are called inclusions. Inclusions have a big impact on the value of a diamond
The grading of clarity according to the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America)
IF – Internally Flawless
VVS1 and VVS2 Very very slightly included inculsions which are very difficult to see even under 10x magnification
VS1 and VS2 – Very Slighty Included – Difficult to see under 10x magnification
SI1 and SI2 – Slightly Included – Easy for a trained grader to see under 10x magnification
I1, I2 – Included obvious inclusions usually visible to the naked eye
I3 – Large inclusions that typically impact the fire of the diamond and potentially threaten the structure of the stone
Inclusions are a big part of why you need to see a diamond in person. Inclusions can affect the sparkle or fire of a diamond. Sometimes a diamond which has a higher grade may actually have a bigger impact on sparkle than a lower grade. People can make to bigger deal about inclusions. Remember a diamonds inclusion make it unique. Personally I think the money you would spend to buy a VS diamond would be better spent on carat or colour. You should however try to avoid severe inclusions which might compromise a stones sparkle or structure. Again this a personal choice and you must find for yourself what you want but I think the SI categories often offers the best value. Remember though that two diamonds from the same category might look completely different. You must judge how the stone looks.
Colour
The most valuable and rare diamonds are colourless and are graded D. The colour scale runs from D to Z. Diamonds with a very distinct colour are rare and are called fancies. Diamonds typically get more yellowish as you move down the scale. Colour is important but again it is not something I would obsess over as long as you get a reasonable grade. You or your fiancee are not going to tell the difference between an F and an H. In my opinion I would suggest you can probably go up to a J without really having much idea that your diamond was slightly yellow. For me an I or H rating represent the best value but again these are all personal opinions you might find that for you only a D or E grade will do. Remember every stone is different trust your eyes don’t just focus on the grades.
Carat
The Carat or the weight and therefore size of the diamond. Not to be confused with karats the purity measure for gold. The carat has a big effect on value and is the first thing everyone will notice. As the size of the carat increases the price grows exponentially. Most diamonds for engagement rings fall between 0.25-2 carats. You will want to get as bigger carat as you can within your budget without compromising too much on the other Cs. Don’t believe everything your told by jewelers when it comes to carat. For example they may say to you on that budget you won’t be able to buy a carat bigger than X. I was initially shown much smaller diamonds than the one I was eventually able to buy.
Certified or Uncertified
A certified stone is – a diamond that has been assessed, graded and coded with a laser by an independent gemological laboratory. The most well known and recognised is GIA. Other popular certificates include HRD, IGL, EGL and AGS. The disadvantage of an uncertified stone is that you are trusting the jeweler. However a cert stone is usually a few hundred pounds more expensive. A cert stone will also ensure you have not been sold a fake. If you are buying a very expensive stone having a cert stone is probably worth it. If you have a smaller budget you may prefer to risk going without a cert stone. The decision must be yours. Diamonds can be artificially treated or fracture filled and sold legally although you must be told. Avoid these and avoid anything which is ‘clarity enhanced’.
Looking Out for Fakes
The ring itself
The most common rings today seem to be from white gold and platinum which both look quite similar. You can also go for a yellow gold or a white and yellow gold mix although personally i prefer the platinum or white gold look. Platinum is slightly more expensive than 18 karat white gold. Try and go for at at least 18 karats if you can, no one wants 9 karat gold for an engagement ring. Remember 9 karat gold is just 37.5% pure compared to 75% for 18 karat. If they can keep a secret try and glean information from your fiances family and friends as to what her taste is. You can differentiate your ring by choosing a variety of different settings although the diamond solitaire seen in the pictures above is the most common. If you can try and find out what size ring she takes from her friends or family. If you can’t, don’t worry too much any reputable jeweler will allow you to get it refitted although this may cost extra.
Buying the Diamond Ring
Where to Buy?
First of all set aside at least half a day don’t buy a ring in a rush. Do not buy from a high street jeweler you will almost certainly get ripped off and you will have limited choice. If you can try and go to an area where there are a lot of jewelers in one place. Hatton Gardens in London is the best place to go to. There are at least 30 jewelers next to each other. You can be assured of competition and a wide choice. Most of the jewelers also have good reputations.
Don’t Get Sucked In
First go around every store and check the windows to get an idea. People will probably come out and try and get you to come inside. Talk to them to get more information if you want but don’t go inside yet. Try and work out which shops are offering the best deals. Bear in mind that jewelers will display their best and usually most expensive wares. They will usually have more inside the store. Take pictures of any rings which catch your eye and move on.
When you’re ready choose a ring which you liked and go into the store and ask to have a look at it. Here’s where you can make use of all that research you’ve done. Ask the jeweler about the cut carat etc. Ask to see the ring under 10x jewelers loupe and on a white background (a black background can hinder the eyes perception of a diamonds colour). Ask if the ring is certified and who did the grading. Remember that an uncertified ring is not necessarily a bad thing and will usually mean a cheaper ring but is something you need to be aware of. Ask the jeweler what guarantees and warranties they offer.
Then ask if the jeweler has any similar rings to compare it to. All this will make it clear to the jeweler that you know what your talking about and it will make it easier to negotiate later. Don’t be afraid to take your time. Choose the ring which you like the most and ask the jeweler for his best price on that ring. Thank the jeweler make a note of the details of the ring and tell him/her you’ll be back if you don’t find anything better. Also remember to ask the jeweler about re-sizing costs, the setting and the material of the actual ring.
Go into the next shop and repeat until you have a really good picture of whats available and you know what you want.
How to Negotiate
Negotiating can be uncomfortable but you absolutely must do it. Remember they are the ones profiting from you and you have the power to go elsewhere. A general rule is to get at least 15%-20% off the list price at a minimum. Don’t seem too keen if you really want a particular ring.
A good first move is to ask the jeweler what his or her best price is. That should be your starting point for negotiations. Use your budget as a negotiating tool. When you’ve clinched the deal remember to get a receipt and remember to ask about fittings.Try and get one for free if you can.
The portion size was perfect and the cream and jelly were light and delicious. I really enjoyed it and the creme brulee was also delicious
