When London Isn't Sweet...

...it's fresh, and ripe, and bountiful, and meaty, and hearty. Or so I found when enjoying various pub meals and browsing an open-air market. Let's leave the desserts behind for a moment and focus on some savory delights.

First of all, I was eager to try a traditional Sunday Roast. A Roast usually includes one's choice of roasted meat, roasted potatoes and other veg, Yorkshire pudding, and gravy; all in all, it promised to be a satisfying meal that would fortify me for the busy days ahead. We repaired to The Holly Bush, tucked up a hilly side street in the gorgeous neighborhood of Hampstead, and settled in among the friendliest-imaginable set of fellow-diners, -drinkers, bartenders, and waitstaff. (Remind me to tell you, in detail, just how wonderful British pub culture is sometime...) The scene was set for enjoying the perfect Roast, but I couldn't go through with it. No upstanding comfort-food lover could settle for mere meat and veg when those things could be presented to them in...

...

...a POT PIE.

Behold, The Holly Bush's jaw-droppingly-good fish pie! It was filled with salmon, whitefish, and spinach, and topped with spring onion mashed potatoes. The fish was fresh and flavorful, and the mashed potatoes were so thick and creamy and pungent and just browned enough that my taste buds could barely process it all, it was so tasty. Mixed greens served on the side in a light dressing balanced out the heaviness nicely, and a pint of Aspall cider washed it all down. I loved this meal so much that I had it a few days later, after exploring the nearby Heath.

Later in the trip, I went to Borough Market for their baked goods. Surprisingly enough, I left equally impressed with their produce. I don't usually wax rhapsodic about veg, but I couldn't get over this colorful bounty!

Just looking at these makes me want to eat a salad! (No, I'm not referring to the shredded lettuce that Brits put on sandwiches...) And here, an assortment of mushrooms, some of which I had never seen before.

Wandering among the different stalls made me think back to my 2010 Revels show, which opened with Orlando Gibbons' Cries of London. Each cast member was assigned a different "cry"; mine was a line or two about turnips. Here are Borough Market's turnips, photographed in homage to Revels. Aren't they pretty, so cheerfully white and purple? If only a chorus had been on hand to sing of the Market's other delights... 

Look at all this Turkish delight! I'm not a fan, but anyone who is should check out this unmatched variety of flavors.

Lastly, what is a trip to London without fish 'n' chips? Rock & Sole Plaice's fantastic rock, fried in plenty of seasoned batter, was a standout. Rock is a thick and chewy, yet light and fluffy, whitefish. It tastes like cod, but it has the most unique texture I have encountered in fish; if the prior description doesn't make sense, try imagining an airy...steak...of fish. Toothsome and tasty! The accompanying chips were a bit overwhelming, just massive hunks of taters that had been fried with minimal salt and no seasoning. Fortunately, plenty of ketchup and tartar sauce were on hand to add flavor and moisture. A true standout situated near Covent Garden, but away from the tourist crowds.

So, what should be on my my next London trip's eating list, in addition to repeats of the above?