TABLE TALK #59
December is here, and we are back in your inboxes this week with a Table Talk inspired by the life of much-loved chef and food writer, Anthony Bourdain. Among his many legacies, his finest lesson was surely about the rewards of travelling and opening ourselves up to new cultures. We take a lesson out of his book as we look ahead to a new year.
š” AMUSE-BOUCHESĀ š”
Kew Gardens: the annual festive lights are shining and waiting for you to enjoy.
Columbia Road Carols: Every Wednesday in December, Columbia Road comes alive with Christmas carols, with plenty of night shopping and mulled wine on offer.
Treat Yoāself: for a truly unforgettable experience, the bar at The Connaught is a magical place to sip on something delicious and say cheers to the festive season.
š MAIN COURSE š
Rebel, trailblazer and inspiration, Anthony Bourdain was a giant in the culinary world who is sorely missed. Following his tell-all memoir about his early career as a chef titled Kitchen Confidential, he became the poster boy for the rock and roll underbelly of the restaurant scene. But Anthony was more than that. He was an avid traveller and lover of new cultures and people, and one of his many cooking shows, āParts Unknownā, offered sensitive and poignant insights into oft-overlooked developing nations.Ā His trip to Beirut was unthinkable to most after Lebanonās 15-year-long civil war, but it humanised the war-scarred city and elevated its culture and cuisine around the world. In Vietnam, he sat down with Barack Obama in Hanoi enjoying a meal that cost less than 6 USD. They discussed all the usual Big Topics: their children, the joys of travel, and whether it is acceptable to put tomato sauce on a hot dog. You can even order the same meal alongside their original lunch table, now enshrined forever behind glass.
For Bourdain, travel was the best means of meeting the world and humbling ourselves. He famously said, ātravel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life ā and travel ā leaves marks on you." It is this legacy of wonder and enchantment with the world that he leaves behind him. Something far more important than an indulgent glimpse into the hectic lifestyles of a 1990s kitchen.
With a fresh year around the corner, you might very well be toying with dreams of faraway places and ideas of taking a long-awaited holiday. Weāre drawing inspiration from Tony and saying, if you can, do it. He says it best in his own words:Ā
"If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move."
Dusting off our passports as we speak.
Dusting off our passports as we speak.
š® SWEET ENDINGSĀ š®
Kick off the silly season with the first additions to our newest playlist. Featuring unexpected seasonal bangers you didnāt know you loved.Ā Link here.
š· WHAT'S NEW
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WEDNESDAY'S DOMAINE? š·
This past week has been a whirlwind, fuelled largely by Christmas cheer, alcohol-free wine and sandwiches eaten on the move. We spent most of it serving and sampling our wines around the capital, and the fun continues this week and next as we pop up at various Soho Works locations.Weāre so excited to have our wines in so many peopleās hands this year and would urge you to get your orders in sooner rather than later with postal strikes causing disruption in the build up to Christmas. Whether for you, a friend or family member, letās raise a glass to our first Christmas here at Wednesdayās Domaine.
Until next week!
The Wednesday's Domaine Team x
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