Spitalfields market | cheriecity.co.uk

Food, London

The Best Philly Cheesesteaks in London

July 16, 2016 by cheriecity

My one and only cheesesteak experience was at Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheesesteaks at Reading Terminal Market, where Obama famously stopped by to satisfy his craving while in Philadelphia. Cheesesteaks don’t come much more authentic than that and while I enjoyed every bite, there haven’t been many opportunities to indulge since.

Happily, Philly’s famous sandwich can be found at Liberty Cheesesteak Company (now named Passyunk Avenue) in east London’s Spitalfield Market every day of the week – and it’s the real deal.

Two years ago, Philly native JP Teti left London’s corporate world, got himself a street food van and and set about bringing a taste of home to Duke of York Square in Chelsea. 50,000 cheesesteaks later, Liberty Cheesesteak Company has a loyal following and is set to open its flagship Philadelphia experience store in Soho later this year.

Liberty Cheesesteak Company keeps the menu simple with the original Cheesesteak and two specials – Italian roast pork hoagie and Buffalo chicken cheesesteak. Of course, I just had to try the signature Cheesesteak, which comes with the famous American Cheez Wiz, ‘wit or widout’ grilled onions and can be ordered whole (£8) or half (£5).

The soft and chewy hoagie roll was filled with a generous amount of well-seasoned, tender beef and finished with a slick of that sticky, bright orange Wiz sauce that actually tasted really good. You can of course substitute the Wiz with Provolone or American cheese, but I recommend trying it here, Liberty’s own blend might surprise you.

The Cheesesteak may look like a humble hot sandwich, but there are a few elements that need to be spot on. The prime rib-eye Brazilian and Argentinian beef is sourced from London’s top butchers, the Italian hoagie roll is baked specially for Liberty at a London bakery and then there’s the Wiz…

Liberty develops and manufactures its own surprisingly natural Wiz with a base of locally sourced cheese and no artificial flavourings or colours (a world apart from the questionable Kraft Cheez Wizz, which may or may not even contain actual cheese).

Make sure you leave room for a taste of South Philadelphia’s Italian neighbourhood with a big ole’ cannoli. The crunchy cannoli pastry is freshly hand-piped to order with a smooth mixture of ricotta, icing sugar and chocolate chips. I personally prefer cannolis with a touch of orange blossom or citrus peel to cut through the creamy flavour, but they were still delicious and a nice way to end the meal.

Liberty Cheesesteak Company is a must if you love American comfort food at its very best. I can’t wait to see what they have planned for Soho!

Photos by Chérie City

Chérie City was invited by Liberty Cheesesteak Company

London, Restaurants

Pizza Union Opens at Spitalfields, London

May 16, 2014 by cheriecity

Pizza Union brings ‘Superveloce Italiana’ to Spitalfields, offering express Italian pizza at a refreshingly affordable price.

Tucked away on a cobbled street close to Spitalfields Market and Liverpool Street Station, Pizza Union may not be known to passersby, but it already has a loyal following. Open seven days a week, 11 to 11, it’s a great spot for a quick lunch, an easy after-work treat or a morning coffee and cannoli.

The casual restaurant has a lofty, industrial feel with exposed ceiling, communal wood tables and plenty of neon. The focus is solely on Roman-style pizza, but there are plenty of different options, plus the chance to add extra toppings and cheeses for £1.

The concept is simple – order at the counter, take your electronic buzzer and find a seat while your 12″ pizza is being cooked in the traditional stone oven. It only takes around three minutes for the pizzas to be fired up and they are cut into slices and served immediately.

Pizza Union has a good selection of Italian soft drinks, so we went for a San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa and a Santal Pear Juice. We grazed on some delicious, juicy marinated olives before our pizzas quickly arrived.

I ordered the Stagioni (£6.50) pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, cotto ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, artichoke and black olives. The dough was thin, light and soft with small grains of Neapolitan 00 flour, not overly crispy like some thin pizzas can be. The tomato sauce was simple with a natural sweetness while the creamy mozzarella was generously scattered.

Steven tried the Pollo (£5.95) pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, chicken, mixed peppers and black olives. The large pieces of proper roasted chicken breast were so tasty and the thin slivers of red and yellow pepper added a fresh, sweet flavour.

Following pizza with more pizza might seem like just a little too much, but it would be a big mistake not to leave some room for Pizza Union’s incredible Dolce (£2.95). A baked dough ring was filled with oozing, silky Nutella and mascarpone, topped with icing sugar and cocoa. It’s a heavenly, decadent dessert plus it’s rich and substantial enough to share.

We couldn’t resist also trying one Chocolate and one Vanilla Cannoli (£1 each). The crisp rolls of bubbly pastry were generously packed with a smooth chocolate filling – perfect for a light dessert or afternoon sugar rush.

Pizza Union is a great find if you’re looking for tasty, high quality food served quickly. It’s not the kind of place to linger past finishing your meal, but the staff are very friendly and welcoming, so you don’t feel rushed. With such wallet-friendly prices and delicious Italian food, Pizza Union is somewhere I can see myself gravitating back to again and again, particularly if there’s the promise of a Dolce to split.

Chérie City was invited by Pizza Union

All photos by Chérie City

Designers, Fashion, London, Shopping, Stores

Boxpark Shoreditch

December 11, 2011 by cheriecity

Shoreditch’s first pop up shopping mall, Boxpark, is now open, so we went down there yesterday to see what it’s all about.

Created by ex-owner of Boxfresh, Roger Wade, Boxpark is made entirely out of shipping containers, making it a low-cost, environmentally efficient retail concept. It also fits in with the regeneration of Shoreditch, filling that ‘no man’s land’ space between Shoreditch High Street overground station and the main road.

Boxpark is even more slick than expected and has a cool urban streetwear feel that is well-suited to east London. Brands include Lacoste Live, Dockers, DC Shoes, New Era, Farah Vintage, Original Penguin, Irregular Choice, Marimekko and Phaidon.

The stores are small enough to be showcases for each brand’s best pieces and the staff are good ambassadors, looking typically cool and stylish.

One of my favourite finds was Playful Promises, a vintage-style boudoir filled with gorgeous lingerie, nightwear, jewellery and burlesque accessories.

One of the more unusual stores is Onepiece, an American Apparel-style shop selling only a selection of cuddly preppy or alpine onesies!

The sales assistant rocked a navy alpine patterned jumpsuit with panache, but I can’t help thinking that anywhere other than the east end or up the mountains, they’d be a hard look to pull off!

The top tier of Boxpark is filled with restaurants and cafes including Bukowski, Foxcroft & Ginger, Mexway, Hôp Namô, Pie Minister, chop’d, and Frae.

Mexican food is always my first choice, so we went to Mexway for a burrito (£5.95). The Yucatan pork was slow-cooked for four hours and came with rice, black beans, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, sour cream, cheese and medium-hot salsa.

The burrito was huge, tightly packed and full of juicy sauce – one of the best I’ve tried in London. Most of the restaurants and cafes have indoor seating, but at Mexway, you have to rely on the heat from the fiery salsa and brave it on the benches outside (well worth the chill).

To warm up for the bus ride back home, we got a take-out chai latte and hot chocolate from Foxcroft & Ginger. Like their original cafe in Soho, hot drinks are served in china tea cups and there is a delectable selection of home-baked cakes, gourmet sandwiches and cooked brunch.

Boxpark is a great addition to Shoreditch and looks set to become part of the Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane shopping circuit. I’m looking forward to going back with a shopping list of Phaidon books and trying a Bukowski burger!

For more info and opening times, visit: www.boxpark.co.

All photos by Chérie City