Eat Well with Sitwell
Needs must when it comes to motivational, can-do spirit, look to the food and wine sector for inspiration
By William Sitwell
February 14 2023
A clinic in Zurich recently confirmed what a homeopath told me 20 years ago: I have allergies to grains, dairy, chilli, mustard, and alcohol. This is a serious impediment to being both a human and a restaurant critic. Cheese and biscuits and a glass of wine? Forget it. Sunday night curry? No chance. Moreover, they told me, I shouldn’t eat carbohydrates at night, so green-chilli chicken masala with rice and naan is now a tortuous dream. What’s worse, I’m a little addicted to chilli – an affliction shared, joyously, by many people, including our esteemed patron, Ranald, and Joe Warwick. A terrific trougher, Joe’s a man with a colossal appetite whose unkempt locks express the feverish love of food that feeds the mind beneath that hair. Chefs shudder at the sight of him entering a restaurant, that mop on top being the first thing they see. But lockdown saw the gamekeeper turn poacher as, seeking further funds to enrich his family, he got a job managing a Michelin-starred restaurant in Soho, Sola. He now waits tables impeccably, his mane tied back in a tight ponytail. He agreed to pen a few lines between shifts and you can read his investigation into chilli addictions on page 52.
Damien McCrystal pivoted mid-pandemic too. Refusing to have all the fun taken out of his life, he recreated some of our national “past times” in his garden (p54). He enjoyed his own Ascot so much, he may have one every year – no hideous journey, no jostling in the paddock with the hoi polloi, and no dress-code violations (he enforced it as strictly as the stewards do).
When it comes to irrepressible spirit, refusal to surrender to adversity, and perseverance, this year nobody can take that crown away from Stephen Tonk, founder of the sensational rosé, Mirabeau, who saw his beloved vineyard in the South of France go up in smoke in a wildfire in August (p58). Despite the scorched earth and barbecued grapes, some of the older vines survived unscathed. We know he will devise an ingenious solution to the crisis.
Because we can, let’s wine and dine, drink and dance, all of it so much sweeter now. The conviviality of the terrace at Boisdale embodies the joy that we missed and now we are free, I’m going to entertain those allergies. Consuming those evils won’t kill me, just cause discomfort. But to sate my love of chilli, of cheese or Dijon mustard, I’m happy to suffer. I think that’s why I enjoy hangovers – they remind me of all the fun I had the night before. Bottoms up!
WHAT'S ON
Discover what's going on across our famous venues
Loose Ends
Canary Wharf
9 May 2024-10 May 2024
One of the most innovative and influential R&B outfits this country has ever produced
The Temptations | Masterpiece
Canary Wharf
11 May 2024
Masterpiece recreate the magic of the Detroit sound with unforgettable lyrics, melodies, and harmonies, along with breathtaking choreography.
Jazz & Swing | Martin John McCafferty
Canary Wharf
15 May 2024
A night of Old School Hollywood Swagger and timeless classics.
Damian Lewis
Canary Wharf
22 May 2024
Thoughtful collection of rootsy, rock and jazz-tinged songs
Amy Winehouse | Lucy Randell
Canary Wharf
23 May 2024
Together with her first-rate band, Lucy effortlessly steps into Amy Winehouse’s shoes, performing classic songs including "Valerie", "Tears Dry On Their Own", "Back to Black" and many more with uncanny accuracy.
Wayne Hernandez | Soul & RnB
Canary Wharf
24 May 2024
Experience the unrivalled magic of Motown in a night that will have you singing along to the greatest hits of the iconic era.