The Peckish Café, Haywards Heath, East Sussex...

There's a whacky music shop next door to the Peckish Café in Haywards Heath in East Sussex and I simply had to take a look before checking out the culinary delights of the caff, of which more later. I didn't spend more than a minute in the music shop as a change of ownership was underway. I spoke to the man who had taken over, who hailed from a more well-known establishment in London's Denmark Street, and he explained how there were big plans afoot for the shop, but from what I could see there was nothing but a jumble of musical instruments of all shapes and sizes. I figured I might be able to get a decent Fender Precision bass guitar for a next-to-nothing price - not that I can play a note, but I'm good at working things out and have always fancied sitting around at home on a cold winter's night trying to work out the bass line of this or that tune. The man started talking about some obscure brand of instrument for just £299 and I figured that it wouldn't be up to much so I made my excuses and left (and I won't be returning despite exhibiting a level of crazed enthusiasm for what the man was planning to do with the place).

You can see it from the train!

I bowled into the Peckish Café next door with all the bravado of a seventies television game show host and was immediately taken aback by the general finish of the place; let's just say it was a little, well, down at heel is probably the kindest way to describe it. I don't know about you, but when a place looks a little rough there's a strong chance that the food might be equally rubbish, although there was a fair choice of breakfasts and omelettes, 'jacked potatoes', main courses, paninis, sandwiches and what have you all at the sort of prices you might expect to pay in a 'caff' these days. And when I say 'the sort of prices you might expect to pay', I mean 'extortionate'. That might be a little harsh, but then it is a criticism of caffs in general where simple menu items (like, say, a chicken baguette) will cost the earth. Take, for instance, a chicken and pesto panini (not on the menu, but I asked for one as I preferred not to eat the chicken and cheese panini which didn't really appeal). They gave me an initial strange look – 'he wants to veer off of the main menu!' – but they agreed and soon, along with a large mug of tea that set me back a reasonable but oddly priced £1.59 – I was given my lunch. To be honest (because I'm nothing but honest on this blog) it was a little disappointing mainly because of its size; it was small and I expected more for the money, even if they did offer salad and I refused it. I guess the salad would have made it look a little more value-for-money than it was, but it was £5.49 for the panini and £1.59 for tea (why £1.59?) and together that added up to £7.08. I suppose, judging by the prices in other caffs it's on a par, but I still felt a little resentful paying just over seven quid for a tiny chicken roll and a mug of tea. And guess what? No dessert menu. I was in the mood for an apple pie and custard, but was told they don't offer them anymore. Why the hell not? Surely an apple pie and custard is a caff staple, or it should be. Clearly not at the Peckish Café where those feeling peckish might question the very name of the establishment if they can't order a simple dish like an apple pie.

Chicken and pesto pannini and tea

The general grubby nature of the decor was a little off-putting, especially when there was a large Waitrose café just across the road where, dare I say it, slightly more well-heeled people were on their iPads and doing things Waitrose people like to do; but don't get me wrong, I'm a caff lover through and through and places like the Peckish Café are always high on my agenda. I just think it could do with a lick of paint and some decent tables and a dessert menu... and they need to take a long hard look at their portion sizes. To me, caffs are all about big portions (huge portions) and value for money and for some reason the down-at-heel decor didn't do the Peckish Café any favours. Not that I was longing for the Waitrose Café, I wasn't, but the meal was just not cricket I'm afraid, something was amiss and it had plenty to do with portion size and no desserts. That said, I'm glad they didn't have any desserts because I'm in the mood for comfort eating at the moment (I need the comfort, believe me, I need it) and it would have been something else to fret about on the bike ride home. Talking of which, I need to change into my cycling gear and get out on the road!

Flavours, Warlingham Green, Surrey, United Kingdom

Discovering a new 'caff' on my doorstep is always cause for celebration, even if the caff in question has been in place for some time. I've passed by many times, but I've never been inside, until recently. It's one of those long and narrow affairs with a servery counter on the left as you walk in, widening out at the rear, and my favourite seat is right at the back in the left hand corner.

One of the best aspects of Flavours, well, actually, there are many 'best' aspects so let's discuss them one-by-one: first the full English breakfast consisting of sausage, bacon, fried egg, toast and a choice of either baked beans or tomatoes (choose the former as the only thing I don't like about it is the tomatoes. Why? Because they're tinned plum tomatoes and for me, they're only good when used to make chilli con carne or spaghetti bolognaise, although, to be honest, my preference would be for tinned chopped tomatoes. How true this is I don't know, but somebody once told me that tinned tomatoes - be they plum or chopped - are better for you healthwise that actual tomatoes.

The Full English at Flavours, Warlingham

The second plus point of Flavours is the fact that they make their own millionaires shortbread. The 'lady of house' is in charge of these and I think the man (who I'm guessing is her other half) makes the breakfasts, although there is help in the kitchen so who knows who does what, I'm just guessing.

A third plus point is that the people working there: they're friendly, they like a chat, they put you at ease and that's all you want at all times, to be put at ease, to feel relaxed and in safe hands.

I've only ever had the full English breakfast plus a mug of tea, everything else seems to pale into insignificance, if that's the right phrase; it's the place to go when you're in the mood for a full English, a good old nosh up, and for two people it will cost you around £20 if you indulge a little and order a millionaire's shortbread.

I mentioned tea, and for good reason: it's excellent and it comes in a decent-sized white mug. It's been a few months since I last visited and now that I'm writing this I feel I ought to go again and soon. Well, to be honest, since that last sentence was written I have been there again. I was there just the other day, last Saturday to be precise, and every time I visit I order the same thing, the Full English.

There is outdoor seating for hotter, drier days when customers can take in the fresh air and watch the hustle and bustle of Warlingham Green.

But there is a problem. They only accept cash and it doesn't matter how many times I go there, I always forget. Fortunately, there's a cashpoint virtually next door and a Co-op across the green that cashes money so I doubt you'll be caught out. Personally I think people who don't accept debit and credit cards are behind the times, but each to their own. All I know is that the food is good and it's always worth a visit. You can always assess the quality of a caff by the quality of its sausages and Flavours offers brilliant sausages with their full English breakfast, so I have no real complaints and will, no doubt, return again soon.

Skylight Diner, 402 West 34th St, New York, USA

It's been four months since I last found myself in New York City. The last time was because the hotel I was staying in stole my passport. I was in Pittsburgh, but had to travel to New York to get hold of an emergency passport in order to fly home. This time I was in New York for a better reason: I was on holiday.

Inside the Skylight Diner in New York...

There was (and is) plenty to do and see: the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Macy's, the 9/11 memorial and, of course, a traditional American diner.

I was staying in the NewYorker Hotel on 34th Street, a great place, it has to be said, and an even greater concierge who knew just the place to visit for breakfast.

The Skylight Diner was just across the road and I couldn't wait to have a big breakfast. And by 'big' I only really needed a bowl of porridge and fresh fruit, just like what I eat at home. Here in the USA, they call porridge oatmeal and I ordered a huge bowl of it along with strawberries, blueberries and sliced banana (see photo below). That and a cup of Lipton's English Breakfast tea (decaff) was very English, but it was all I wanted. I could have eaten much more; there was, for example, a whole section devoted to omelettes hovering around the $9 to $12 mark. How about an avocado omelette ($10.95) or an egg white low cholesterol omelette ($12.45) and containing peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomato and basil. There's a classic Denver omelette containing ham, peppers and onions ($10.95) or an Anthony Quinn omelette with tomato and feta cheese ($12.45).

Oatmeal with fresh fruit - wonderful!

There's pancakes and French toast (I love French toast) and there's steak too, like an NY boneless strip steak and two eggs ($19.95). There are breads and pastries, egg white breakfast wraps, variations on an egg sandwich, yoghurts, cereals, tea, coffee, soda, it's all here at the Skylight and it's retro, just like I'd expected it to be and I would have gone back for more, but it all adds up and there's a Pret on 8th Avenue that sells oatmeal, a large cup of English Breakfast tea, and an almond croissant for far less than I paid for breakfast at the Skylight, but that's not what it's about. Yes, you can pay less for your breakfast at a Pret, but the Skylight is the real deal and that's all that matters. 

The Morning Star Cafe, Second Avenue, New York, USA

Mooching around New York on a Friday can get a bit boring as wherever I go, I find throngs of people milling about, not mooching, but milling. I don't know the difference - between mooching and milling -  but I think mooching is more meaningful, more inquiring, more subversive, perhaps. Anyway, I'm mooching around, walking along Lexington heading nowhere in particular, although I was heading in the direction of Times Square, but eventually realised that it would be good to stop for lunch. Perhaps the mint tea and a cookie earlier made finding a lunch spot less urgent than it might have been, I'm not sure, and I need to put a stop to cookies, I really do, but lunch is always an absolute necessity.

If you find yourself on Second Avenue in New York, visit this place!

There are plenty of restaurants in New York, some pricey, some not, but I didn't want a pretentious establishment, I wanted something that offered a proper lunch. Remember, I gave up alcohol 18 months ago so I don't need the ponce-a-rama of a licensed eaterie, anything (within reason) would do, although a takeaway was out of the question.

I've passed the Morning Star Cafe once or twice since I've been in the Big Apple and as I pass it again I think that destiny, fate, call it what you will, has decided that I must go in. It looks promising from the outside: a caff that is open 24 hours (that could be good or bad), a place that sells good, wholesome food at reasonable prices and a place that is just what the doctor ordered in terms of being the sort of place you can get comfort food. After hesitating I go in and peruse the extensive menu and eventually I choose a pasta dish: penne with brocolli and sliced chicken, lots of garlic. It was fantastic and I began to wish I'd had dinner here last night instead of the ridiculously expensive Montebelo's, a recommendation of Danny, my hotel's concierge.

There's diner-style seating and friendly staff and there's even online ordering of food, with 10% off on your first order.

Penne with brocolli, chicken and garlic

The Morning Star serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is really a classic American diner. The menu is extensive, too big to cover here, but let's just take a few items: pastries and bread, fresh eggs (any style) - and that includes corned beef hash and eggs for $14.95. Bagels and Lox. Fine, I know what a bagel is, but what does Lox mean? It appears a lot on the menu and I'll have to investigate. There's a few variations on an egg sandwich including the Western Sandwich (with peppers, onion and ham, $8.95). Let's not forget omelettes ranging from $9.95 (plain) to $16.95, the latter being Lox and Onions. What is Lox? But forget Lox for a minute, check out the extensive range of omelettes. There's loads of them! I've never seen such a wide selection.

There's a 'healthy corner' where you can find all the usual suspects (fruit, porridge and yoghurt) and then there's the less healthy stuff (pancakes, French toast and Belgian waffles). I love French toast, by the way. Sandwiches are another 'big' part of the menu and again there's a few of the usual suspects on parade (tuna, cheese and BLT) but what about a veal cutlet parmigiana for $14.95? Sounds good to me. And if that's not right, there's carved sandwiches (beef, ham, turkey, brisket and meatloaf). And then there are triple decker, 'specialty' and hot open sandwiches, plus wraps.

Home-made soups, side orders, salads, 'diet delights', 'Greek Corner', burgers, sautes, seafood, pasta, entrees, desserts, roasted or broiled chicken dishes, beverages, juices, smoothies and alcoholic drinks too. The Morning Star Cafe is the place to be in my opinion.

The New York subway we know and love...

I chose penne with chicken, brocolli and garlic olive oil. It was amazing. Perfectly cooked, although the brocolli could have been tenderer. I added a couple of mint teas and the bill came to something around $28.00. Perfect. Better than the $70 I spent in Montebelo's the previous night.

They've got wifi here too and I wish I hadn't visited that coffee shop for the tea and cookie earlier as I could have come straight here and chilled out for longer. Unfortunately, the trip to the airport and a flight home was playing on my mind.

The Morning Star Cafe can be found on 2nd Avenue. The web address, where you'll find out more about the extensive menu, is www.morningstaronsecond.com

Poppins Restaurants, Redhill - at last it's open and it looks very promising!

The big dilemma in my life at present is hardly a matter of life or death. In truth, it's pretty unimportant in the general scheme of things, but I'll admit that it's bugging me slightly, hence my desire to get something down on paper, as I'm doing now. The dilemma in question is this: is the Pop Inn cafe in Redhill better than Poppins? The latter has recently opened. And let's face it, it's been a long time coming. For months, possibly years, Poppins has covered its windows with newspaper and I was beginning to think it would never open in Redhill. I started to wonder if the potential operators, the franchisees no less, had had second thoughts, leaving the franchisor (Poppins Restaurants) to find somebody else, but no, it's now open and I've been there twice. The first time was for a cup of tea and a toasted teacake, allowing me to make my first comparison between the two restaurants: a cup of tea in the Pop Inn (which on the A23 on the outskirts of town heading south) is £1, but it's £1.60 in Poppins (although it's a larger cup). I'm not sure if they sell toasted tea cakes in the Pop Inn.

On Friday (12 April) it was time to visit Poppins for a full-blown meal, although, in the end, I settled for baked beans on toast, a cup of tea and apple pie with custard. Unfortunately, I opted for cold custard, which was a mistake on my part. Next time it'll be warm apple pie and ice cream.

Mug of tea, £1.60, but a big mug!

And let me add now that beans on toast doesn't really count as a proper meal, which means I'll be back for something more substantial.

Poppins, it has to be said, is much more comfortable than the Pop Inn, not as basic. There's padded banquette seating, American diner style, and the decor is slightly better, although that might be because it's new and the Pop Inn has been around for a few years.

Both establishments offer good service. Faultless service, in fact. It might have something to do with the familial connection between the two restaurants. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but there definitely is a familial link between the operators of both restaurants.

I guess it would be fair to say that Poppins is a tad more upmarket than the Pop Inn, and that might be the reason behind the slightly higher prices. Perhaps the rents are higher in the centre of town. In terms of menu variety, they are about the same. I've already reviewed the Pop Inn restaurant on these pages, so here's a little bit of information about the Poppins menu.

Breakfasts range in price from £5.50 for a Late Breakfast Special consisting of griddled bacon, fried egg, sausage, fried bread, tomatoes and mushroom; and for £7.80 there's the Inclusive Breakfast (two bacon, sausage, tomatoes, beans and hash browns, two slices of toast, butter and preserves, tea and coffee).

There are jacket potatoes (ranging from £4.80 to £5.80); burgers (from £3.60 to £6.70); omelettes (£5.20 to £7.20); salads (£3.50 to £6.40); main meals (everything from chicken nuggets to pies and, at the top of the pile, a sirloin steak); fish dishes, 'world favourites' – like curry and chips – and a wide range of 'sweet treats' and pancakes, including apple pie and ice cream or custard. There's also a children's menu and a takeaway menu.

And if you think that's more than enough, there's a wide range of snacks – and they look pretty substantial too – plus a range of hot and cold drinks.

There are Poppins outlets all over the UK (including one in my home town of Sutton, Surrey) and I'm sure they're all on a par with the Redhill outlet, which will provide healthy competition for other operators in town, including the M&S cafe and others, although the Piazza in the Belfry has gone, sadly.

I like the Poppins Restaurant in Redhill – I'm back in on Wednesday 17th April. The staff are very good, the portions ample and the general decor is good. It's a cosy place AND there's free WiFi.

And guess what? It's open from 0800hrs to 1700hrs six days a week and from 0900hrs to 1600hrs on Sunday.

Postscript, 20 August 2019: I went to Poppins for lunch today and I must put it on record that the Pop Inn café on the A23 offers far better value. The Pop Inn offers the most amazing chicken fillet baguette for just £3.30 whereas Poppins offers a chicken baguette with mayonnaise for £4.00 – they're chalk and cheese. My advice? Go to the Pop Inn on the A23, it's simply better.

Majorca Café, Fenwick's, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK...

Inside the Majorca restaurant in Fenwick's Newcastle

Newcastle-upon-Tyne is an interesting place and I've always loved it. When it comes to caffs and teashops, there's plenty to choose from, but one of the best places I've experienced is the in-store caff at Fenwick's. You can't beat a decent in-store caff and the one in Fenwick's, Newcastle, is fantastic. And there's plenty of choice as there are effectively three restaurants next door to one another, the first a kind of coffee shop, then the Majorca café and then Tivoli – they go up in quality from the coffee shop to the cafe to the restaurant and I'm guessing they're all good.

I visited the Majorca café with two companions. There's a servery, cafeteria style, so you'll need to remember your tray. My dad once told me a good joke about cafeterias and it went something like this: "I took my mother-in-law to a really posh restaurant and she let me down – she dropped her tray." I know.

Anyway, back to the Majorca café. It might have been spelt 'Mallorca', can't remember, but either way it was top dollar. The servery starts off with cakes and then there's a hot servery selling excellent meals, like mince with dumplings or a gammon joint and an array of vegetables, such as carrots, green beans and cabbage. Seriously, this is what a caff is all about and I found myself at the Majorca on two occasions: day one I had the mince with dumplings and day two the gammon. This is what you might call 'wholesome food', comfort food, all that was missing was a decent apple pie and custard. There was another occasion when I went back for a scone and tea.

Mince, dumplings and vegetables – amazing food!

Question: why can't all restaurants be like this? A day or two earlier I went to Jamie's Italian (yes, there's one in Newcastle). Well, first, he's not Italian and my advice to anybody considering an Italian meal is simple: go to an Italian restaurant, they're miles better, believe me.

Gammon and vegetables – also amazing!!!

What the UK needs is less of the Jamie's Italians – as I said, he's not Italian and nor is the food, go to an Italian trattoria instead – and more of the Majorca restaurant in Fenwick's, which offers good, solid, enjoyable, tasty, filling food that is unmistakably British. I loved this place so much and if ever I find myself in Newcastle again, I'll be going there for sure.

The bill for three on both occasions was something like £28, so under £30 for a decent, wholesome meal. My companions ordered broccoli soup with bread. All amazing!!!

Pop Inn Café, Redhill, Surrey

The Pop Inn Café – perfect in every way!

I won't beat around the bush: I've passed this café on many occasions, but I haven't crossed the threshold for two reasons. First, it's always packed, and second there's a 'fast food' air about the place. The tables and chairs, for example, are secured to the floor, which, in my book, means that the clientele are inclined towards stealing the furniture – or the restaurant simply doesn't trust its customers. Who knows and who cares?

Last week, on a short walk – known by myself and the international man of mystery as the 'caff combo' – I passed the Pop Inn Café, noticed it was empty, which might have been because it was market day, and decided to give it try. Inside I found that I was one of eight customers.

I thought the format was the usual 'caff affair': you order your food at the counter and pay up front and then take a seat and wait to be served. It's the same deal in the M&S café, Café Piazza and the recently opened Sainsbury's Café. But I was mistaken. While you can simply walk to the counter and order your food, the Pop Inn offers table service, giving the place an out-of-character air of superiority as customers can peruse the extensive menu and then exclaim, "Garcon!" and await the scuttling waiter or waitress who will then take their order. While the menu is displayed over the counter in true fast food restaurant style, it's even possible to choose your food without picking up the menu.

I perused the extensive menu and opted for home-made chicken curry and a mug of tea – the whole lot set me back just £6.50. The mug of tea was £1, arguably the cheapest in Redhill (unless anybody knows better). Sainsbury's charges £1.20 (the mug is much larger) if my memory serves me right.

Anyway, I took a seat and awaited the meal. I must say that I was impressed with the menu selection; there was everything under the sun: breakfasts, set breakfasts, sandwiches, roast meals, paninis, jacket potatoes, burgers, grills and lunches, omelettes, pies, kids' meals, salads and rice dishes. My chicken curry was categorised as a rice dish – understandably so as it was served with rice.

Apple pie and custard and a mug of tea!

There was also some notable dishes, like the Belly Buster Special Breakfast (basically a lot of food) for £9.90. A sirloin steak costs the same. And let's not forget shepherd's pie, chips and peas (£6.50). I must also point out the selection of 'sides' – meaning I could have ordered a shepherd's pie with a side of mashed potato, which would be akin to simply ordering two shepherd's pies, or it might be if there was also a side order of minced lamb. But enough of the jokes.

While the tables and chairs were screwed to the floor, the chair was comfortable and padded (not the usual hard, loudly coloured plastic shell seat (like the ones in nearby Merstham's Quality Café).

When my food arrived I was over the moon. The quality (and quantity) were well beyond my expectations. First, the portion size (I got as much curry as rice) but then the quality was good too – it was all perfect! And let's not forget the word 'home-made'. In a nutshell, it was a great curry, so great that I got carried away and, after finishing every last bit I perused the menu and found desserts. For me, the mark of a good caff is the dessert menu and the Pop Inn Café didn't disappoint. It offered what should be a caff staple: apple pie with custard (£2.80); so I ordered it and another mug of tea and enjoyed the experience.

Those chairs are padded and comfortable.

Overall, I'd say this: never judge a book by it's cover. While the Pop Inn Café does have that 'fast food' air about it and the furniture is screwed to the floor, the reality is an amazing restaurant offering decent food at very reasonable prices. You can bet one thing: I'll be back, along with the international man of mystery. This place is a serious rival to other Redhill establishments. It's only drawback is its location: outside of town on the A23, so it takes around 10 minutes on foot from the centre of the town, but don't let that bother you and make sure you're not tempted to visit The Garland (a Harveys of Lewes pub) as you'll get better value in the caff and you won't have to worry about drink-driving (the caff ain't licenced).

Lastly, the Pop Inn Café is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a takeaway service.

Top tips for what to choose: outside of the above-mentioned chicken curry, I've been bowled over by other dishes, notably the jacket potato and chilli and, most recently (and arguably the best value for money) the chicken fillet sandwich, which, at just £3.30 is truly amazing. Have it with nothing added (no salad, no sauce) and go for the baguette (not the roll or bread options) and you will be in seventh heaven, literally. It's so tasty.

It's worth pointing out that: the chilli is also home-made and is seriously tasty.

Also good is the Spanish omelette and, if you're in the mood, the shepherds pie with chips and gravy.

Steer clear of: the pies, they're not that good.