Ed’s Easy Diner

Step back in time for classic American diner food

I was down in London a few weeks ago staying near Euston station. Anyone who’s been through Euston will have probably spotted Ed’s Easy Diner outside. Giving that 50’s rockin’ vibe to diners since 1985, Ed’s is a small chain with a good rep and good food, but on this particular occasion, I went for one dish. Ed’s All American Pancake Stack. I decided that if I was going for an American diner breakfast staple then it needed to be done properly, which is why I opted for the bacon on top.

The flavour was great. The fluffy, thick pancakes sucked up the maple syrup like no-one’s business and the strawberries and blueberries, while not the most flavourful, fitted in great. What I didn’t expect was for the bacon to work in there so well. I’ve had these salty/sugary breakfast combos in the US and not been won over, as an uneaten croque-monsieur covered in powdered sugar showed in San Diego. This one was perfect the crispy bacon giving the fluffy pancakes the crunch they needed to stop this dish becoming monotone. There was also the light smoke from the bacon that just made such perfect sense when mixed with the sweet syrup.

Bacon and syrup on pancakes. Naughty breakfast

I’m not saying much more. From a diner, you’re really looking for simple, no-nonsense and tasty plates of food. Ed’s is doing a pretty stand up job on this front.

For anyone in the Midlands, Ed’s has now opened up at the Selfridges in Birmingham and I’d I’ll keep an eye out for it in Manchester, but if you’re stopping in, try the pancakes, or at least let me know what else is good on the menu.

What’s with the bacon, Mr Black?

A short blog really to talk about a one of the best bacon sandwiches I’ve ever had. Hickson and Black in is one of the relative newcomers to the deli scene in Chorlton but made a good name for itself. The deli / cafe has all the classic deli ingredients: fine cheeses, cured meats and olives the size of your head.

On Friday night we had a friend staying who had come up from ‘that London’. We’d had a few at the Horse and Jockey’s beer festival followed by some 7 year Rum back at ours. All of this adds up to the need for a good hangover breakfast.

One of the secret weapons that Hickson & Black’s has in its arsenal is the bread. From the bloomers to the barms to the bagels, I have never managed to find a baked product here that I don’t enjoy.  However if you find yourself ordering a Bacon barm from here, you’ll come up against a killer combination of the beautifully crusted yet light bread coupled with bacon so finely cured you’d swear it had been cured in even more bacon.

I dare say as I get round more of the delis in Manchester, I will add to the list of great bacon sandwich providers, but for now this is on my recommend to visit list.

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