i'm writing this at an internet cafe near leicester square in london, so this'll be short. london's been good so far, and i'm reminded of the simple fact that british guys are easily -way- hotter than american guys. the only drawback so far is that there are way too many !"£)^&*(! americans here. and all of them are embarassing andy and me and giving americans a bad name. i thought winnie would like to know about our dining experience at st. john bread & wine spitalfields (94-96 commercial st, the second of their two locations). winnie has yet to steer us wrong, and today was certainly no exception. it's too bad andy's not writing this, b/c he was incredibly enthusiastic, but here's the rundown: - andy started w/ a simple lettuce salad that was perfectly dressed and incredibly fresh. - i started w/ the parsnip soup. simple, but nice and hearty. - andy had the calves' kidneys w/ turnips, which he raved about. - i had the "swede cake", kind of like an au gratin potato pie, with a watercress and pickled walnuts salad. my salad was a bit overly dressed i think, but the swede cake was quite good, with a slight tang. - andy just about swooned over the spotted dick (note how i refrain from making any dumb remarks about the name), and he said it just about made the lunch the best meal he's ever had. - i had the chocolate pot which was excellent. the waitstaff was personable and attentive, and the space was just about perfect (although a tad chilly for me as all places here are apparently), and all in all i thoroughly enjoyed it, although not quite to the extent that andy did. we haven't decided yet if we're going to the other location for dinner, but i think the chances are high ... more to report in a few days.