Rita’s Bar & Dining in Dalston

So I finally made it to Rita’s Bar & Dining … without my camera. Duh! So I just want to tell you about the food really quickly.

Not sure what you call it. US fast food but posh? Whatever you coin it though, it was awesome and I’m plotting my return, to work my way through the specials.

Damn Tasty Food at Rita’s Pop-Up in Dalston

*Green Chilli Mac & Cheese – was the tastiest I have experienced in a while. Fat, soft pasta tubes, zingy and spicy from the green chilli, made with strong mature cheese and orangey in colour so I think there was a hint of tomato in there too.

*Fried Chicken Roll – Gorgeous.  Just fried chicken in a bun but crispy, and topped with a garlicky, delicious burger type sauce and thin strands of lettuce.

*Patty Melt – the grilled rye bread works so well with the juicy rare and soft beef in the middle. Another moreish snack-worthy winner.

*Soy & Ginger Hot Wings - And finally the piece de resistance. Oh mamma, check out a plate of those when stoned/ hungover/ starving (delete as appropriate). Let’s just say they were finger-lickin’.

We washed all of this down with a few Frozen Rita’s. Standard.

What’s Wrong with Rita’s in Dalston?

The negatives? No bookings and the unfortunate placing slap bang in the middle of Dalston, which one of my friends aptly named as the new Kavos.

Therefore if you want to ensure a seat on arrival, arrive early and the get the hell out before the trendies besiege in the evening ready to party at the downstairs live music bar Birthdays.

Why is Rita’s Rita’s in Dalston?

I’m not actually sure why it’s called Rita’s but the pop-up is a collaboration between Jackson Boxer (Brunswick House Café), REAL GOLD, Gabriel Pryce & Missy Flynn.

Visit Rita’s Bar & Dining Website

Franco Manca – Probably The Best Pizza In The UK

I’m embarrassed to say that despite calling myself a Foodie in London, it has taken me until this week to visit Brixton’s Franco Manca pizzeria!

Franco Manca has been constantly hailed as the best pizza in London since it opened in Brixton market in 2008 and today its popularity has borne three further branches across London. But only the original Brixton branch would do if I was finally going to sink my teeth into a piece of this supposedly heavenly dough.

Brixton’s indoor Market Row has a charming array of little eateries including Rosie’s Deli Café, Casa Morita, and Seven at Brixton, where I nervously perched at an outdoor table opposite Franco Manca, to spy on the busyness of the restaurant while I waited for my (very late) husband to arrive.

I’d heard that Franco Manca was so popular that it drew long queues at lunchtimes and as the clock approached midday I was eyeing up the booth seats under the awning of the double sided restaurant, (the indoor market path runs through the middle), to be sure we didn’t lose out on the best seats.

When my hubby finally turned up with baby in toe, he was hot, stressed and grumpy – hung-over and trying to get a small person across town is never a good combo. In the end we sat inside at the back by the pizza oven where it was warm and cosy.

We wasted no time and ordered from the paper menus on the tables. I didn’t even see a whole separate board of specials until it was too late. We chose two classics:

1) Gloucester Old Spot ham (home-cured), wild mushrooms, buffalo ricotta and mozzarella

 2) Tomato, cured organic chorizo (dry & semi-dry) and mozzarella

The large sourdough oven-baked pizzas arrived in minutes and were devoured even sooner and then a fight broke out about who had had more of the ‘only four’ pieces of semi dry chorizo – an indication of just how good this pizza was.

At the end of the meal I even found myself chewing on the empty crust of sourdough it was so tasty.

Franco Manca – Why Do You Taste So Good?

So why is it so good? These are the elements that I reckon make it such a winner.

Dough – clearly it’s all about a tangy, doughy Sourdough base. Franco Manca’s bread is left to rise for 20 hours and then baked in an artisan wood fire brick oven. The website says the oven uses ‘a blast cooking process that locks in the flour’s natural aroma and moisture’ – so true.

Mozzarella – the mozzarella was rubbery and delicious and generously topped across the pizzas, holding together all the other tasty ingredients, doing it’s job. Franco Manca’s cheese comes from the award-winning Alham Wood Organics Buffalo Farm in Somerset.

Tomato – Taking it back to the motherland, Franco Manca’s tomatoes are hand picked in Salerno, Italy in the summertime and never canned or frozen.

And there you have it, Franco Manca – probably the best pizza in the UK. Now when can I get my next fix?

Visit the Franco Manca Website