Mezcal
Wow you guys really love to thrash on Fergie! Good for you.
So I've gone and done a foolish thing. I'm sure almost all bloggers do this post at some time: the I-put-a-reader-counter-on-my-blog post. It's particularly addicting for me, as I am a statistics whore (yea, Freakanomics was like porn for me.)
Now I can tell how people get to my blog and where they come from. I get more American readers than Brits (I always wondered about that) with Switzerland and France next. (Lots of exotic countries too, like Brazil, Peru, and Malta!) You guys are 8 times as likely to use Windows over Macs, and most of you have me bookmarked rather than search engine'd yourselves here.
But the searches are killing me! Absolutely hilarious. The vast majority are "Monica/London/American/blog" or some combination thereof (most of which bring me up first in Google! I'm shocked!) But my random favorites are:
oh fluffy sheep are wonderful
the side of the hallway British people walk on
the 9 scones of henry the arse
robbie williams mohawk
How these people came to me I have no idea.
One thing in particular that draws readers here is the search for certain types of food. The biggest is definitely Mexican food. People are searching for the best, most authentic Mexican food in London, which is notoriously difficult to find here. I haven't been to many places (I am a poor, starving student after all) but joint I haunt is Cafe Pacifico in Covent Garden. It came recommended to by a Californian, it's a 15 minute walk from my flat, and they serve the best house margaritas I've ever had: tart, not too sweet, perfectly salty, and extra strong.
So, let's have other Londoners recommend their favorite Mexican as well. Previously people have mentioned the Texas Embassy, Texas Lone Star, Tex-Mex Tapas, and El Panzon (who seems to have taken up to unauthorized advertising on my blog!) Let's not deprive these poor, hungry Americans of proper salsa and burritos any longer!
Update #1:
So I went to Crazy Homies on Westbourne Park Rd last month. Totally delicious! Amazing corn chips, baked fresh, warm and salty. Great salsas, lovely soft tortillas, appropriate beans and cheese, the whole nine.
The only thing, and this was seriously bizarre, was that one of the salsas and my wet burro smacked of cinnamon! Loads and loads of cinnamon. It was the strangest thing. Not bad actually, but I definitely wasn't used to it so I dubbed it inauthentic.
crazyhomies.co.uk
Update #2:
Went to Taqueria in Notting Hill the other weekend, amazing! Not very traditional, I'd say "dressed up" Mexican food, fancy little plates you know, kind of like Mexican tapas. I wasn't over the moon with their house margaritas, but I had enough to get drunk off them, so can't complain. Very good, very fresh, really wonderful place.
coolchiletaqueria.co.uk/
Interestingly enough, I guess they are related to Cool Chili, who I am well accustomed with from my days of living next door to Borough Market. They have a stall there, which was the only place for ages that I could find black beans. They always have good stuff.
coolchile.co.uk/
So I've gone and done a foolish thing. I'm sure almost all bloggers do this post at some time: the I-put-a-reader-counter-on-my-blog post. It's particularly addicting for me, as I am a statistics whore (yea, Freakanomics was like porn for me.)
Now I can tell how people get to my blog and where they come from. I get more American readers than Brits (I always wondered about that) with Switzerland and France next. (Lots of exotic countries too, like Brazil, Peru, and Malta!) You guys are 8 times as likely to use Windows over Macs, and most of you have me bookmarked rather than search engine'd yourselves here.
But the searches are killing me! Absolutely hilarious. The vast majority are "Monica/London/American/blog" or some combination thereof (most of which bring me up first in Google! I'm shocked!) But my random favorites are:
oh fluffy sheep are wonderful
the side of the hallway British people walk on
the 9 scones of henry the arse
robbie williams mohawk
How these people came to me I have no idea.
One thing in particular that draws readers here is the search for certain types of food. The biggest is definitely Mexican food. People are searching for the best, most authentic Mexican food in London, which is notoriously difficult to find here. I haven't been to many places (I am a poor, starving student after all) but joint I haunt is Cafe Pacifico in Covent Garden. It came recommended to by a Californian, it's a 15 minute walk from my flat, and they serve the best house margaritas I've ever had: tart, not too sweet, perfectly salty, and extra strong.
So, let's have other Londoners recommend their favorite Mexican as well. Previously people have mentioned the Texas Embassy, Texas Lone Star, Tex-Mex Tapas, and El Panzon (who seems to have taken up to unauthorized advertising on my blog!) Let's not deprive these poor, hungry Americans of proper salsa and burritos any longer!
Update #1:
So I went to Crazy Homies on Westbourne Park Rd last month. Totally delicious! Amazing corn chips, baked fresh, warm and salty. Great salsas, lovely soft tortillas, appropriate beans and cheese, the whole nine.
The only thing, and this was seriously bizarre, was that one of the salsas and my wet burro smacked of cinnamon! Loads and loads of cinnamon. It was the strangest thing. Not bad actually, but I definitely wasn't used to it so I dubbed it inauthentic.
crazyhomies.co.uk
Update #2:
Went to Taqueria in Notting Hill the other weekend, amazing! Not very traditional, I'd say "dressed up" Mexican food, fancy little plates you know, kind of like Mexican tapas. I wasn't over the moon with their house margaritas, but I had enough to get drunk off them, so can't complain. Very good, very fresh, really wonderful place.
coolchiletaqueria.co.uk/
Interestingly enough, I guess they are related to Cool Chili, who I am well accustomed with from my days of living next door to Borough Market. They have a stall there, which was the only place for ages that I could find black beans. They always have good stuff.
coolchile.co.uk/
London has Mexican food? Are you sure it isn't Indian dressed up in some salsa and cheese?
Okay, just kidding, I love the Indian food in London, but I have yet to find any good Mexican, so I am ready to be enlightened. And if you could ask readers perhaps for some Persian restaurants that would be great too.
I lived in DC for 10 years during college and after, where are you from in DC?
Posted by
andrea |
5:19 am, August 26, 2006
The Texan Embassy is awful. Try Red and Green (or is it Green and Red? can never remember) on Bethnal Green Road for brilliant Mexican.
Posted by
Anonymous |
12:05 pm, August 26, 2006
I went to American and then stayed and lived over at 13th and T, U Street area, for the rest of the time. This was before it became the "hip area" to live in, pre-Starbucks and high rise condos of course!
And you have to try Persian food, it is so so so good. I am back in the States now and trying to get my fill of it before I return to London in two weeks!
Posted by
andrea |
4:43 pm, August 26, 2006
There used to be an okish tex mex palce on Leicester square, but I've nort been for years since they decided to say that they had not recieved our booking - sods.
It can be a disconcerting experience when you see how people got to your blog, I'm having at least 8 hits a day at the moment from the continet from people looking for a Anglo Spanish Burlesque performer.
Posted by
Gareth |
9:48 pm, August 27, 2006
Anything with the word "Texas" in it isn't really "Mexican" food.
Posted by
Anonymous |
5:31 am, August 30, 2006
If you are craving some tacos and good chips and guacamole, try El Vergel near the Borough tube station. It's a small place, only open on weekdays for breakfast and lunch, but their tacos are amazing and decently priced. Once I found this place, I ate there 2-3 times a week. (Sad, I know...but I was a poor Californian desperate for anything that remotely resembled Mexican food)
Posted by
Lindsay |
8:51 pm, August 30, 2006
Taqueria in Notting Hill is the closest my husband and I (both SoCal natives) have come to Mexican food in London. It's owned by Mexico City expats and they also have a thriving Mexican spices import business. They sell the spices and their tortillas at the restaurant. The food is mostly soft tacos with a variety of different fillings, plus various tamales.
Crazy Homies, also in Notting Hill/Westbourne Grove, is not really Mexican (it's owned by Tom Conran) but has decent salsa and margaritas.
Posted by
LondonWriting |
5:36 pm, August 31, 2006
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Posted by
LondonWriting |
5:37 pm, August 31, 2006
One-of-the-Americans-who-has-you-bookmarked checking in. (Just so you know we aren't all crazy stalkers.)
I'm a female scientist, doing molecular biology, with a son in college. Far too old and settled to do what you are doing, but I'm fascinated!
Reading your blog makes me feel I have gained some understanding of what it might have been like to have done that myself. Good luck with your thesis!
Posted by
Anonymous |
3:49 pm, September 07, 2006
My favorite is La Perla. We go to the one in Fulham but I hear there's one in Covent Garden...
Posted by
Heather |
9:34 am, September 12, 2006
Staying in is the new going out for me, With a 2 week old baby at home. My wife and I have found a great site that delivers Mexican Food to your home. The great thing is all the food is actually made in Mexico and imported over so we've had Pozole, Mole, Tortillas and even Cactus. Finally some real Mexican Food in England oh and the address is http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk
Posted by
Sol Flamberg |
11:16 am, July 26, 2007