Present-ation is everything
As you get older, the holiday season becomes filled with extra stuff that is unnecessary; random gifts you get from acquaintances, unnecessary stress caused by rushing around to do christmas shopping in a sea of people all shoving under hot store lights, spending lots of money and more. This is the stuff that is not necessary, not appreciated and the stuff that is bought gets opened in 10 seconds and then forgotten about in ten minutes (especially in the case of toys for the little ones).

One of the best gifts I got this year was this box of cookies from the gorgeous P. His chef-lawyer lover made all the cookies and then the box was carefully wrapped by P with two beautiful bows, one inside and one out in a simple white box. The card was hand made, as he is an artiste extraordinaire, with a beautiful note. The box came hand delivered and was opened and shared over a coffee, chat and a laugh. The best gift of all. Mille grazie!

p.s. not to say that I wouldn't like two tickets to Tahiti next Christmas!

Windows to Christmas
(Fortnum and Mason Christmas windows, 2007)

Food styling can be so interesting. Fortnum and Mason, fine food retailers to the Queen and general public have the sweetest window displays this year. How do you promote your fine caviar, champagne, sweets and more??

As my old boss said, 'it is all about creating theatre my dear' (said with a posh British accent).(Nine Ladies Dancing & Ten Lords a Leaping, from The 12 days of Christmas)

People love going to the theatre to be entertained and awed. And when they are looking to buy stuff, especially luxury goods - a product sold with a little theatre does better than those that don't. We all want to feel spoiled a little sometime, non?

The boss also said, every time saw me eat something fattening, 'a minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!' he was a weird bugger.(Eight Maids a Milking, from The 12 days of Christmas)

Established in 1705 and still operating today Fortnum and Mason is always great to wander around in - their online site is very classy and you can browse through all the amazing foods they sell. It is also the place to buy a luxurious hamper for someone. They even have children's Christmas story telling in their restaurants but you need tickets as after 300years of doing it - it is very popular!

This holiday season, get down to the retailers who know how to do window theatre; Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols in the UK and Holt Renfrew in Canada. Smaller shops like Ralph Lauren are also great for their window theatre. Paolo used to be the creative genius behind the one in London. The whole NY team of Ralph Lauren squealed over and over 'I love those eggs!' when he hand painted some wonderful Faberge-esque eggs for last Easter's window display. Magnicifco il Paolo di Milano!

x

Bored housewives make great businessesSo back on my Dell to post this...need to go for a course on Mac for dummies...
On Sunday, Paolo my wonderfully creative friend and Rob who is also swimmingly lovely and I went to Raoul's Deli in Little Venice, just a short stroll from the Vale. We tried to go to The Waterway for a coffee but it was jam packed so decided to stroll along a little more and ended up at Raoul's.

Raoul's is an example of a great deli with a few seats outside to enjoy your coffee or any treats you picked up inside. I used to see Ben there many mornings sipping his coffee when he was erm... 'working from home.'

Luckily we were able to find a table outside to people watch and enjoy our coffees, brownies (which were choco-liscious) and some of the great juices they stock e.g. Guarana juice and other organic apple juices.

There is a cafe/restaurant across the road and both establishments along with their location in Notting Hill are very welcoming and designed so well that they are a pleasure to be in. The restaurant for Sunday brunch has a long queue outside the door so you know they must be doing something right when there are two other breakfast places nearby where you can get a table.

At the deli the fresh cheeses, breads and produce displayed in the open and in wicker baskets is welcoming and warm, it is like entering a little shop in France or Italy although much more modern. It is a place for looking at all the various types of cheeses, pastes, olives, candies, sweets, breads, sauces, pastas and other delicacies you wouldn't find in your bog standard supermarket. They also have a nice cold buffet selection for those days when you can't be asked to cook after a day at work. It is a little pricey but as are all food shops in London not serving you stale bread and bagels that would break your newly whitened teeth.

Geraldine, the owner was kind enough to let me take photographs so enjoy! From their website, 'Located in the heart of Maida Vale in Little Venice, Raoul's was established in December 1985 through the drive and determination of a self-proclaimed "bored housewife" Geraldine Leventis. Geraldine was used to entertaining large numbers of guests over the years, one of whom was the painter Francis Bacon, and it was he who pressed her into opening her own restaurant.

She also looked fab working in the shop that day.

Rob is a fan of deli/cafes and is also a bored city worker so perhaps this will be his next venture. Look out for his work in collaboration with Il Paolo and perhaps there will be a Roberto's opening sometime soon in the Richmond-y neighbourhoods. An Italian-Brit combo which would be a welcome addition to some neighbourhoods who's only pastry/bread is from that awful Greggs chain.

Another post will be 'why are there not more good Italian bakeries in London?'