Foodie Friday - Novel Cafe

Lots of fun meals this week - two of them took place at Novel Cafe in Westwood. This has been something of a home-away-from-home for me throughout my time in UCLA. It's never particularly noisy (mainly because there isn't enough room in there for it to get too bad) - and they have good, hearty food and a really friendly staff. To cap it off, however - their main wall is covered in bookshelves full of totally random books FOR SALE!

So of course I love it.

Today's meal was a pretty great carbonara with Daniel Mahler (yes, he's related to the composer) in advance of Carmelites opening night. I think I'm going to have to try to cook a carbonara at home one of these days. Maybe with capers.

While Novel's coffees aren't exactly inspiring, their food is often just right. Particularly, their pastas, sandwiches and burgers! But in 30 months or so I've seen or tried just about everything on the menu, and really you can't go wrong.

Another one bites the dust

I heard this week that Waterstones are closing their Irish branches - well, at least, the two that are in Dublin's city centre. The short-lived Borders in Blanchardstown was disappointing enough - but this is truly dreadful! I spent so many happy hours browsing their store in Dawson Street during my life in Trinity. Despite being owned by the same company as Hodges Figgis across the street, they always seemed to have more of what I wanted. And their coffee shop - while no gourmet heaven, by any means - was always quiet and reliably empty, so great for the chats, some cake, or a cup of their curiously delicious almond tea.

Obviously I'm a huge fan of amazon and their services, but it's a sharp shock to realise that the price of such conveniences may well mean the continued and mounting future closures of such cherished physical locations. Sign o' the times, perhaps, but it's disappointing. Thank heavens James Joyce mentioned HF in Ulysses - one can only hope that such references might keep their doors open a little longer!