What shops do we NEED in ED then? (Lounged)

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ahem. . He seems like a nice guy but as the original sean can we refer to sean2 by his full name?

i thank you

as for m and s. Reasonable prices? I presume you are referring to the meat and being able to buy on school nights ? Everything else is readily available

[Nero]

A sushi place, Strada/Zizzi, a bookshop like they have in Washington DC. Nero

[Frisco]

"I don't think that Yo sushi is that great, however an independant place would be fantastic."

Agreed. It's a pity that sushi van that operated in North Cross Road for a while wasn't in a unit. Hopefully places seeing stuff like that will open up in the new retail warehouse at the back of Cafe Nero. I'm happy for ED to be a place for new innovators, but accommodation needs to be affordable for that to happen.

[Domitianus]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ahem. . He seems like a nice guy but as the

> original sean can we refer to sean2 by his full

> name?

>

> i thank you

>

> as for m and s. Reasonable prices? I presume you

> are referring to the meat and being able to buy on

> school nights ? Everything else is readily

> available

I am referring to the fact that they do ready meals for example that actually taste reasonably nice and appear to have the real ingredients in them that they should have. The selection in so many other places in dire - absolutely dire. When I pop into a M&S I at least know that I can walk out with something tasty, appealing, quick to prepare and not too lethal. Many a time I have gone into Somerfield or Sainsbury's, spent half an hour wandering around and still come out empty handed as there was just nothing that seemed to grab me. Maybe it's just personal taste but there you go.

[lozzyloz]

With you there Dom

[Ganapati]

Nero--Are you talking about Kramerbooks in Dupont Circle with the great cafe underneath it? If so I completely agree.

[Domitianus]

I think we should have an aquatic, tropical and exotic species shop. They could sell all manner of tropical fish and also large spider and various species of lizards. That way we could all stand gazing at the fish in their aquariums when we get stressed or, if we are in a homicidal mood, we could watch live crickets being fed to the lizards and get things of our chest that way.

[Catalyst]

This thread is hilarious.

Anyway while I too would like a record shop it'd never survive. The bloke who sells CDs from the stall on Saturdays has some very good stuff. Particularly if you like reggae.

The sandwich shop (the blue fronted one) on LL is alright for bread but agree a proper bakery would be good.

[Nero]

Ganapati,

I do indeed mean that one. Went there just yesterday, in fact, less than 24 hours ago! Had a great, sardonic but lovable server called Josh, who would roll his eyes and say 'Can I take your plate? I just love taking plates.' Nero

[Domitianus]

rob Wrote:

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> We need:

> a proper, wood-fired pizza place

> a record shop

> a big old pub that's still quite pub-like

> a vietnamese place

> an M&S Food Hall

What, then, constitutes a "pub-like" pub as opposed to a non-pub-like pub?

[Spangles30]

Domitianus, rob possibly means a pub that hasn't been trendified or turned into a gastro place.

[Ganapati]

Nero--And it would be good if the Kramer Books ED transplant could include the food.

[Cassius]

A record shop

A second hand book shop (with decent 1st editions etc - I can dream)

An Italian (not pizza) restaurant

A Halifax (need mini statements - sorry)

[Asset]

peckhamboy Wrote:

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> Home furnishings:

>

> Heals

> Habitat

> Laura Ashley

>

> What, no John Lewis for the poor, Alan?

Why do you think JL is for the poor?

[Spangles30]

Who knows. If Foxtons manages to make some of the existing estate agents defunct, then we may get our wishes for some of the shops mentioned.

However, as has been said on another thread, the new shop in LL 'Sugar' is another trinket shop. Tsk.

[Frisco]

"By the way Frisco. "horrific suburban high streets" do not have Space NKs and Jones the Bootmakers on them!"

I think that depends where the horrific suburban high street is. Perhaps not Peckham, Streatham or Lewisham, but probably Hampstead, Esher, Guildford, Kensington, Kingston, etc.

[Frisco]

"What, no John Lewis for the poor, Alan?"

John Lewis shop on Steatham High Road - those were the days! *Sigh*

[mattham]

Where did M&S acquire its reputation for great food? All it sells is ready meals. What fresh stuff they have is always overpackaged, overprepared and overpriced. To say there's NOWHERE on LL to to buy decent grub to cook at home is a nonsense. Get a recipe book, buy your ingredients at the butcher, fishmonger, SMBS and the greengrocer (Northcross Rd admittedly), et voila ? dinner. There aren't many high streets with such a good selection.

We could however, do with a really good baker: fresh bread of every description, and loads of cakes. That would complete the selection pretty well.

[Frisco]

"An Italian (not pizza) restaurant"

Yes, that would be really good. It's sad how many kids just think that Italian food means pizza.

A few years ago someone I know (who I believe now holds a very exalted position in Southwark Council) took a group of unemployed teenagers to Rome. Lets just say that they were very disappointed with the pizzas there, and wanted to order the proper ones like the ones from Pizza Hut. Oh how we laughed! ;-)

[Domitianus]

mattham Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Where did M&S acquire its reputation for great

> food? All it sells is ready meals. What fresh

> stuff they have is always overpackaged,

> overprepared and overpriced. To say there's

> NOWHERE on LL to to buy decent grub to cook at

> home is a nonsense. Get a recipe book, buy your

> ingredients at the butcher, fishmonger, SMBS and

> the greengrocer (Northcross Rd admittedly), et

> voila ? dinner. There aren't many high streets

> with such a good selection.

>

> We could however, do with a really good baker:

> fresh bread of every description, and loads of

> cakes. That would complete the selection pretty

> well.

Some of us don't have the time or perhaps the facilities to make a round trip to the grocer, butcher etc like mama used to do in order to then go home, look out our little recipe book and cook something special. For such as those the availability of tasty, fairly nutritious and varied pre-packed meals is extremely useful. M&S are extremely good at doing them. Nowhere else on LL or in the general locale offers anything that comes close. That is the point I was making. The ability to pop in somewhere, grab something that requires minimal preparation, is tasty, fairly fresh and doesn't completely clog up the arteries is invaluable. I imagine that many people in ED would welcome that speed and convenience without having to sacrifice their taste-buds or health.

[Domitianus]

mattham Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Where did M&S acquire its reputation for great

> food? All it sells is ready meals. What fresh

> stuff they have is always overpackaged,

> overprepared and overpriced. To say there's

> NOWHERE on LL to to buy decent grub to cook at

> home is a nonsense. Get a recipe book, buy your

> ingredients at the butcher, fishmonger, SMBS and

> the greengrocer (Northcross Rd admittedly), et

> voila ? dinner. There aren't many high streets

> with such a good selection.

>

> We could however, do with a really good baker:

> fresh bread of every description, and loads of

> cakes. That would complete the selection pretty

> well.

Also "overpackaged and over-prepared" fresh food? You mean like the salads that are nothing more than the raw ingredients (with perhaps a small sachet of sauce or dressing), in one layer of packaging? Just wondering what excess packaging there is on those and what extravagant over-preparation has gone into them?

[Frisco]

"Where did M&S acquire its reputation for great food?"

M&S food has been known for it's quality for many years, and probaly from a time when homogeneous quality was hard to find in food shops. My mother used to shop there for that reason, and even in their recent difficulties the food sales always remained very strong. While it's true that they've become a bit reliant on ready meals in recent years, I think their ready meals are generally of a higher quality than their competitors. I still have a soft spot for M&S salmon en croute. ;-)

[Domitianus]

They also do a range of things that you just wouldn't see elsewhere (although some of my favourites have been discontinued - sob!) They did this absolutely beautiful chicken goujons which you stir-fried in a wok and then added a white-wine sauce with halved grapes in it. It was absolutely glorious on a bed of rice - there was no way you would have believed it was a ready meal! Now gone, I am afraid. I still think their crab salad, layered with shredded egg is tops as a little starter.

Ironically, Somerfield used to do a range of beautiful chicken, ready meals - one with lemon sauce, the other was lime and coriander. They were the only thing that would have made me go out of my way to visit Somerfield. Of course they discontinued them!

[Spangles30]

Domitianus, I can see what you're saying about an M&S, although they pack a lot of E numbers into many of their foods, which surprises me.

I would love the area to have:-

1: a fantastic quirky 'vintage' shop - the kind of thing you'd find in Brighton

2: I've already said a Fresh n Wild aka Wholefoods

3: a really super bakery selling great quality, though not exorbitantly prices, breads and cakes.

One thing that we don't have is homogeny on the High Street, which is a good thing. However, we DO (I think) have an abundance of pointless trinket and kitchen shops and estate agents. There are some chain shops which I think are OK, and I would not be dismayed at an M&S or a Wagamama opening up.

[lozzyloz]

Isn't Fresh n' Wild becoming a bit High St now? I don't rate them that much and I think if you look at shops like SMB, Pretty Traditional, Health Matters, William Rose and Moxoms you've got shops that can do it better.