1. Hawksmoor Bar, Spitalfields – Shortrib French Dip, £12

It took me over a month to actually get started on these top 100 dishes. I think I'm an ideas person - lots of grand ideas about self-improvement (or in this case, self-enlargement), not so much of the ol' plan execution. It doesn't help that I'm also a bit... not poor exactly but... "financially aware" and, despite the whole 'you can't take it with you' thing I mentioned last time, it'd be nice to have the option.

However, I do have a friend who is more of the doing kind and has a looser grip on their purse strings, who booked a table at the Hawksmoor Bar in Spitalfields and insisted I attend.

Now, I had ideas of maybe starting with a smaller (read cheaper) dish to ease myself into this project, maybe a £3 hot dog from Big Apple Hot Dogs, something like that, but a top ten-er?? Surely that has to be earned. Could I just dive right in like this?

Of course I could, I don't need telling twice to eat! And off I went.

Having sat down in the moodily-lit (dark), vintage-tiled bar, I made my order. For someone as indecisive as I am, it's pretty nice to relinquish all the responsibility of choosing to The List (capitalised to reflect it's impending importance in my life).



Oh my.

Oh my, oh my, oh my (it felt wrong to swear in writing but feel free to replace with your preferred expletive). I’m not normally one to over-exaggerate but put simply, this is possibly one of the tastiest things since tastebuds were invented. 

Seriously, I have inappropriately intense feelings towards this little meaty, cheesy slice of heaven. Top 10 in Time Out’s book, number 1 in my LIFE.

Melt-in-the-mouth braised shortrib with nommy (the technical term) melted cheese in a glazed roll with super-rich, marrow gravy for dipping. Just look at it:

Not my own photo I'm afraid, this was before I had the idea of inflicting my opinions on others. But Hummanah!

That first bite is followed by a narrowing of the vision and flashbacks to your happiest childhood memory. The second bite is spent in quiet contemplation, while the third is sprayed over your dining companion as you try to put into words just how delicious it is before grudgingly allowing them a taste.

Mine was accompanied with poutine; a Canadian dish of chips in that epic gravy, with cheese AND chicken AND an optional egg (rude not to). HOW have I never heard of this before?? The token nod towards vegetables came in the form of jalepeno coleslaw but, to be honest, that's now just a bit of a blur, distracted as I was by my gravy-induced euphoria.

While I'm here, I can’t not mention the Marmalade cocktail (of which there were multiple) – tangy, orangey sweetness; horribly easy to drink.

All-in-all a verging-on-religious experience and one I repeated within two weeks of the first visit, only this time with the addition of the peanut butter shortbread, which did not disappoint. Oh, and many, many more cocktails (a purse lightener, but totally worth it).

I now count myself as a very happy unofficial Hawksmoor spokesperson. As I have said to pretty much anyone I've crossed paths with since - GO HERE.

I think I might have made a mistake starting with this one - it's possible I'm spoilt for all other food now but I'm sure as hell looking forward to trying the rest!