Bone Daddies - Peter St W1

I have eaten so much good food in the last week - on the high end it was at Hawksmoor, Air St (which by the way - rocks, so save up and go there people), on the rough 'n ready but freakin' delicious end was a Lucky Chip burger at the Feast street food thingy in Islington on Sunday evening but the meal that wins for me was a lunch I had (with some of the same disreputable work colleagues that accompanied me to Patty & Bun) at Bone Daddies in Peter St.  Peter St is that small, forgotten street that is the border of Berwick Street and "Porn Alley" and I struggle (up until recently) to remember anything that is or was there, other than a few doorways with the obligatory "Model" sign.  This area has definitely been snazzed up over the last few years (see my earlier Berwick St entry here on that topic) and whilst I often bemoan the relentless reality of gentrification I do love a lot about what has happened around this locale.  I am a big fan of Gosh! (call me a geek if you will) and Bone Daddies is a total winner so in my opinion, the gentrification of Peter St has been

 relentlessly positive.  I think there was maybe an Indonesian restaurant on the Bone Daddies site before, I really can't remember and to be honest I don't care - hooray for its demise, given the wonderful new tenant at No. 31 Peter St.  As with any place that is getting blogger buzz (and I must say it was Faerietale Foodie's tweet of her ramen bowl that got me there) Bone Daddies was packed by the time we got there for our Friday lunch but we managed to squeeze ourselves at the counter against the back wall.  Our waiter was a classic trippy, mellow Japanese hipster who was keen to get us to try some Japanese whiskey (we declined) but was totally cool man that we went for a juice instead.  We ordered what we found out is the standard order of all Bone Daddies newbies and no wonder - for starters we shared fried chicken and soft shell crabs - the latter came with an amazing green chilli ginger dipping sauce (seriously I am drooling remembering it).  These were two seriously good starters and set a high bar for the main event but oh boy did the Tonkotsu Ramen deliver.  The "20 hour pork bone broth" made all my problems disappear and filled me with an amazing sense of well-being - OK I know I sound like I ducked out the back for a doobie with our waiter

but seriously this was happiness in a bowl.  I know people swear by Jewish mama chicken soup as a fail-safe remedy for colds and flu but I reckon a bowl of this broth would do even better.  This bowl of joy also had spring onion,  pork and two halves of a perfectly boiled, dark yellow-yoked egg that looked like it had been soaked in soy.  I really can't come up with any more superlatives to describe this dish but I wish I could and I cannot wait to go back there - the issue for me will be ordering anything except exactly what I ate last week.  So next time you are browsing for stick mags in Walker's Court (Porn Alley's real name), clean up your act and go and get a revitalising bowl of tonkotsu at Bone Daddies instead, it's much better for the soul.

TAP Coffee - Wardour St W1

Firstly dear readers (if any of you are left), apologies for the woeful lack of blog posts over the last month.  Life, as it does, has been taking me in other directions lately and I have not been able to devote the time I would like to this l'il ol' blog o'mine.  Secondly, not sure if it is as a result of the afore-mentioned slackness but the volume of spam comments has gone up considerably.  I keep getting comments from "Anonymous" in the vein of "Hello dear, this blog is truly an amazing word and changed my life, please visit me here: cheap car insurance".  I feel like London Stuff has suddenly risen to the top of some cyber-traffic-scammy thing.  Anyway - enough about that and back to the business at hand - in particular the exciting news that the lovely folk from Tapped & Packed (or TAP Coffee as they now seem to be called) have opened a new gaff at 193 Wardour Street in Soho.  The TAP formula is a simple but effective one - stripped back decor, excellent, lovingly prepared coffee and great food with lots of gourmet sandwiches and tasty salads - and they have replicated that perfectly in Wardour Street.  The space feels bigger than either Rathbone Place or Tottenham Court Road and perhaps because of this bigger space, they have decided to separate the coffee machine from the food/cash register area, which is a little weird but kinda works.  If I had to level one criticism (and I am kinda jet-lagged and snippy today so feel the need to gripe) it would be that the combination of the high seating and low-hanging lights on the right hand group of tables put me in danger of either banging my head on the lamp or at least scorching the top of my head if I lent in too far.  But you know what, that is a small niggle in what is overall a really lovely cafe, with the usual top notch flatties being churned out and a selection of really yummy food.  The TAP guys know what they're doing so if you are already a fan of theirs, or if you are yet to experience the TAP way, get your arses down to 193 Wardour and check out this welcome new arrival on London's ever expanding coffee scene.

Honest Burgers - Meard St W1

 It's always cool when two previous blog posts come together.  I have written before about the absolute kick-ass burger deliciousness of Honest Burgers in Brixton Village Market and I have also waxed lyrical about Meard St, the jewel in the crown of Georgian Soho.  Well blow me down if Honest Burgers hasn't gone and opened a snazzy new joint on Meard St.  Praise be.  I went with some colleagues today and sat outside in the sun, eating one of the best burgers I have ever eaten (see pic below) - a special, with a beef and black pudding patty, apple tempura (how brilliant an idea is that??) and tarragon & caper mayonnaise.  It was awesome...just friggin' awesome.  Accompanied by the usual Honest Burger rosemary salted chips, this was the lunch of champions.  These guys know what they are doing and this new outpost is really lovely.  Top it all off with great service and what is there not to love?  What are you waiting for burger lovers?  Get down to Honest Burger, soak up the Georgian vibe of Meard St and take a moment to appreciate that sometimes two great things come together and make the world a little better.

Pizza Pilgrims - Berwick Street Market W1

I was first alerted to the existence of Pizza Pilgrims by a tweet from the lovely Chloe, otherwise known as The Faerietale Foodie.  The thought of authentic Neopolitan pizza being produced in a bespoke converted Robin Reliant van sounded really cool to me so I was keen to check it out.  The back-story is that two brothers and a friend, inspired by Italian pizza decided to buy the afore-mentioned Robin Reliant, pick it up in southern Italy and drive it back to the UK, sampling pizza along the way.  The Pilgrims have set up their van in one of my favourite streets in Soho, Berwick St (alongside BahnMi11) and are concentrating on selling a small number of quality pizzas - on my first visit today I had a delicious "Nduja" which had spicy tomato sauce, chorizo and broccoli

added.  I have been bemoaning the lack of decent pizza in London recently so the Pilgrims version I had today made me really happy - if I had one criticism it is that, to me, truly great pizza always has a really thin base and the Pizza Pilgrims' version is quite doughy round the edges.  But hey, it's a small gripe and overall this was definitely the best pizza I'd had for a long while.  So check out the Pizza Pilgrims (you can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter).  I am loving the street food vibe that is coming to London, loving Berwick Street more every day and loving the fact I now know where to go when that pizza craving comes on.

More Georgian Soho W1

Readers of this blog know my obsession with Georgian Soho - wandering down Broadwick, Dean, Meard, Greek, Frith or Wardour Streets I am always struck at how well preserved the buildings of that period are.  As well as the typical flat fronted houses, there are some other fantastic decorative reminders of times past - this original shop-front is right on my doorstep and has just recently been  restored.  Operating now as a newsagent - I would love to know more about this building and what sort of shop it was when it was built - so if anyone knows the history please fill me in.

BanhMi11 stall - Berwick St Soho W1

I am one happy luncher - finally I can get banh-mi in Soho again!  For those of you who have not experienced the deliciousness of banh-mi - they are Vietnamese sandwiches, served in crusty French baguettes but filled with all manner of spicy, tasty Vietnamese ingredients like pork belly, herbs, chilli and pickled vegetables.  One of the things I love about banh-mi is the contrast between the outside and inside of the sandwich - taste and texture.  Broadway market regulars may have sampled Banhmi11 sanwiches at the CapheVn stall (which I have written about before) and if you get the banh-mi bug like me I would also suggest a visit to the sublime City Caphe near Bank tube.  The Berwick Street market and in fact Berwick St itself is one of my favourite Soho places so the fact that I can now buy delicious bahn-mi there makes me very happy.  So check out Banhmi11 - I promise you'll be hooked.

Meard St, Soho W1

I love Soho in general but I particularly love the relatively untouched Georgian facade and street-scapes that are still quite prevalent (I have previously written about Broadwick St).  It's unbelievable to think that in the early 70s the majority of Soho was earmarked for demolition and redevelopment (read about it here) - the recent Crossrail activities are a bitter taste of what could have been much larger scale destruction of one of London's most interesting neighbourhoods.  In terms of Georgian Soho, Meard St (yes - like anyone else with a smattering of French, it makes me snigger, despite the different spelling) is one of the best examples.  Running between Dean St and Wardour St, Meard St is an absolute gem.  Famous more recently as the address of Soho

dandy Sebastian Horsley, Meard St began its life in the early 18th century and much of it was built by John Meard Junior and his father (and as such was originally called Meard's Street).  I have always hankered to live in one of the flat fronted, wooden-shuttered Georgian terraces but these days you probably need a cool £2m+ (maybe I should start putting ads on the blog....).  So in your wanderings around Soho, make sure you take a stroll down Meard St - as well as a great east to west shortcut it's a truly lovely reminder of the Soho of old.

Ducksoup - Dean St W1

Dean Street is fast becoming one of my favourite Soho food streets - I have written before about Dean St Townhouse and the wonderful Cay Tre and now I can add Ducksoup to the list.  Stripped back, pared down almost to the point of shabbiness, Ducksoup reminds me of places I liked in Melbourne in the 90s, maybe along Brunswick Street or in St Kilda (as they were then).  A turn-table and a stack of records greet you as you enter and they are more than happy for you to bring something from your own vinyl collection to play.  A simple hand-written menu has limited but delicious sounding options - I went for the lamb chops, which were cooked to perfection, salty and with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over.  Accompanying the incredibly delicious chops we shared pumpkin, spinach and goats curd, as well as courgettes cooked with mint & chilli - all top notch also.  I loved the fact that there were no standard soft drinks available (Coke etc) but only ginger beer and Sicilian lemonade.  Also loved the fact that booze was front and centre - and on any other day I would have partaken.  I loved this place and definitely plan to come and prop up the bar one evening - plus I need to get me some more of those spectacular lamb chops!

Lina Stores - Brewer St W1

There are some great Italian delis scattered around London but the best, in my humble opinion, is Lina Stores on Brewer St in Soho.  Looking mighty fine after a 2010 refurb - the green tiling and old fashioned typography are spot on.  I love just staring at the produce on display in the window but it's hard to resist going inside and I always end up coming out with something that I didn't realise I needed.  Yesterday it was some top quality tuna in olive oil and a can of chopped tomatoes (I'm a sucker for Italian canned tomatoes - I usually go by how cool the can is, kinda silly I know...)  There is so much deliciousness on offer in this wonderful shop - fresh (daily) pasta, amazing meats and cheeses, olives, canned goods, fresh herbs, basically every Italian staple you could ever want.  This place has been in business for over 50 years (with a location change at one point I believe) and really has the feel of a family run store, with owners and staff who have lots of passion and commitment for what they do.  I absolutely love this deli - long may it thrive.

Berwick Street Market - Soho W1

Over the 12 years I have lived in London I have watched the gradual gentrification of the southern end of Berwick Street.  [As a contrast, the northern end of Berwick Street, which used to be heaving with record shops makes me sad - the decline of the music industry can be seen right here in these few Soho blocks.  Anyway, we will leave that part of the street (immortalised by Oasis on the cover of "What's the Story Morning Glory") and focus on the narrower, market-end.]  Given its proximity to "Porn Alley" (otherwise known as Walker's Court) this part of Berwick Street always had that same whiff (literally sometimes) of seediness, with several dodgy looking doorways with hand-written signs or neon lights in upper windows promising a "Model".  There was the herbal-high/smoke shop and the vegetarian food shop (Beatroot) which I would patronise on my health-kick days, plus there were fabric shops and a pretty dodgy pub.  All in all Berwick Street felt a bit sketchy and I looked on it more as a shortcut through to further Soho adventures (back in those days it was probably too many vodka tonics and the rest at the Alphabet Bar...).  Then things started changing - the dodgy pub, The Endurance, got a face-lift, the pioneering and incredibly welcome Flat White opened in 2005 plus the street market, which although it had great heritage (a market having been in situ since the 18th century) had always been a bit rag-tag, started to get a bit more interesting.  Over the last couple of years the dodgy, porny-bit of the street has seen the construction of new retail space (ousting the "models") with these new shops housing Foxcroft & Ginger (whose ham and cheese French toast with maple syrup is one of my favourite heart-threatening breakfasts) and (I noticed yesterday) the super cool graphic-novel shop Gosh. On top of the improvement in the retail/food/drinking establishments lining the street, I love the fact that there is an outdoor street market bang in the middle of Soho that operates daily and has some really great stalls on top of the fruit and veg staples.  My personal favourite (pictured) is the bread/cake stall (surprise, surprise) - usually situated just near Flat White, these guys sell amazing bread, including a fruit loaf that has whole dried apricots studded through it and is basically the perfect weekend breakfast fare.  They also do great filled bagels and most importantly amazing cakes - this is not the place to visit if you on the Atkins diet.  I heard a rumour that the wonderful Gelupo has set up a stall in the Berwick St market - how cool is that?  Of course if you are in the mood for posh (and delicious) dim sum you can visit perennial favourite Yauatcha, another sign of the improving fortunes of Berwick Street when it opened in 2004.  So if you haven't visited Berwick Street or perhaps you haven't been there for a while, make sure you check it out - in my book this is one of the coolest streets in Soho.

Cay Tre - Dean St W1

I finally got to Cay Tre last week for lunch and came out of there a very happy man.  I also stank of garlic for the next 3 days, but it was worth it I tell you (the other half may not agree...)  Although I have not been to the original restaurant in Kingsland Road, I had read glowing reports from Greedy Diva so I knew I was in a for a treat.  I can't remember what was on this site before but the fit out is lovely and my colleagues and I were greeted with lots of smiles when we came in.  We shared starters and they were an indication of the deliciousness to come.  Fresh, herby, wonderful summer rolls were stuffed with juicy prawns and were a delight.  The Cha La Lot was probably my favourite dish of the day - spicy ground pork wrapped in wild betel leaves with roasted peanuts and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).  These little parcels of joy were so moreish, I could have finished off the whole plate myself (and definitely took more than my share).  Choosing a main was tricky but I think I hit on a winner - I went the Bun Sa vermicelli bowl - wonderful noodles with herbs and Vietnamese salad, flavoured with nuoc cham and chock full of juicy wild red sea prawns.  This was a bowl of pure happiness and I slurped, munched and generally chowed my way through it in record time.  I can't wait to go back to Cay Tre and work my way through the menu - I just wish they did a bahn-mi take away service, then my happiness would know no bounds!

Nude Espresso - Soho Square W1

Hurrah - Nude Espresso has opened a new branch in Soho Square.  These guys roast their own (excellent) beans and turn out top notch caffeinated beverages.  My flat white this morning was so good it actually brought tears to my eyes (OK I am being a tad over-dramatic, as is my wont, but it was bloody good).  I only made it over to their Spitalfields cafe once and loved it and also loved their pop-up collaboration with Rapha in Clerkenwell last year so I am super excited about having a Nude branch right on my doorstep.  Although it does present me with a dilemma - I already feel guilty that I have pretty much forsaken my beloved Milk Bar for Tapped & Packed over the last 6 months (given I work on the north side of Oxford St it's just easier to go to Rathbone Place than Bateman St...) but now I will have Nude to hijack me when I am heading through Soho Square.  As I write this though, I realise how wrong this is so let me use this blog to make a pledge, that I will endeavour to make at least one visit to Milk Bar per fortnight.  Anyway not sure how this entry about Nude became a way for me to assuage my guilt at abandoning Milk Bar... Back to Nude Espresso - situated in the "forgotten corner" of Soho Square the cafe has the familiar stripped back, banquette, wooden seated decor that instantly makes me want to mainline coffee and hoover up cakes.  Speaking of cakes I was persuaded to have a rather gorgeous orange friand-y thing this morning.  Everything on offer looked good - it says something about my psyche that whilst I mentally rejected an amazing looking brownie as being unhealthy, I rationalised having the cake because it contained orange and had a raspberry perched on top.  Anyway this is a lovely little cafe on one of my favourite London squares, serving amazing coffee and delicious cakes.  Plus they're open all weekend - life is good people, get excited!

Curzon Soho - Shaftesbury Ave W1

I have considered (and may still do) a post on the great small cinemas of London - obviously including The Ritzy, The Renoir, The Electric and others - but if I had to name a favourite it would be the Curzon Soho on Shaftesbury Avenue.  I think it's partly to do with the great films I have seen there (including "Howl" on the weekend) but it's also to do with the cool little Konditor & Cook cafe on the ground floor, the equally cool bar downstairs, even the movie posters in the toilets.  Every now and again I like going to a big fuck-off Multiplex, buying a giant sized bag of pick 'n mix and a bucket of Coke (the drink) and watching some Harry Potter-esque blockbuster but the majority of the time I want to watch a cool movie in a funky little cinema, surrounded by true cinephiles, buzzing on good espresso and nibbling on wasabi peas and I can't think of any better place to do it than the Curzon Soho.

Broadwick Street - Soho W1

I have several Soho streets that I love and Broadwick Street is right up there.  I love the cobbles (although it's a killer in flip flops), I love the row of perfectly preserved early 1700's terrace at Nos 48 to 58 (pictured), one of my favourite pubs is there, the John Snow - site of many a boozy evening over the last decade, buzzing on the cheap Sam Smith's Ayingerbrau lager (oh the hangover from that stuff).  The pub is named (ironically given he was a teetotaller) after the man who fought against the cholera epidemic and chained the water pump on Broadwick St to stop its spread - I also love the memorial water pump in the middle of the street, put there as a tribute to the great man.  Yauatcha is also on Broadwick St (love some posh dim sum) plus two of my other favourite streets run off Broadwick Street - Berwick Street (Flat White, Foxcroft & Ginger, the market and more) and Lexington Street (Andrew Edmunds, Mildreds, Fernandez & Wells to name a few). I've been meaning to do a blog post on the few remaining great independent record shops in London and one of the coolest ones is right here on Broadwick Street, up the Wardour St end - Sounds of the Universe, the place for all your reggae, disco, funk, soul and world beat needs and linked to the Soul Jazz label.  There's also a really cool art supply shop from which, over the years, I have bought many a handsome sketchbook, most of which are still in their pristine, un-sketched in state...sigh.  At the western end of Broadwick Street you can sashay right into Marshall Street (I love the enclave of Newburgh and Marshall Streets) or you can continue on and check out Carnaby St and Kingly Court.  So really, when you think about it, Broadwick Street rocks - in fact I may even venture to say Broadwick Street is the centre of Soho, at least in my book.

Flat Planet - Great Marlborough St W1

I had walked past this place a few times and thought it was called "Fat Planet" and thought it was a weird name for a cafe, although perhaps quite honest...  Anyway silly me - it's Flat Planet and I think it could be a winner.  I finally went in today and wasn't really super hungry but luckily the lovely woman behind the counter offered me bite size samples of two of their flat breads.  Maybe I should take a step back before I start describing them - this place specialises in wheat free spelt flatbreads with a variety of toppings (so very much not Fat Planet actually).  Got it?  Good.  So the two I tried were both friggin' delicious - I can't wait to go back and try the full size versions.  One was called El Diablo and was amazing - spicy chorizo, rocket and parmesan among other things.  Yum.  The other was called a Moroccan and was also super tasty - with sour cream, hummus and tabouleh.  The one I am hanging out to try is their all day breakfast - pancetta & egg - sounds like hangover cure potential.  I ordered a coffee and whilst they didn't have flat white size cups the very friendly barista made me one in a latte cup and just poured less milk.  My coffee expectations were low but you know what, it was pretty good - too hot (as most places are) but really well steamed milk and pretty decent beans.  If all "non-coffee expert" cafes/sandwich joints in London could make coffee like this it would be a wondrous thing.  Even though I wasn't hungry I couldn't resist the chocolate brownies sitting on the counter (I mean I'm only human - stop judging me) so I had one - pretty darn fine.  Also they were just so nice in there - I really want them to succeed, so get on down there and get chomping on a delicious flat bread, you know you want to.

Mooli's - Frith St W1

I had been to Mooli's several times but hadn't gotten around to writing about it.  As today marked my first sampling of the goat mooli (on the advice of trusty Greedy Diva) I felt like it was time to give a shout out to these guys.  Mooli's (they should remove the apostrophe...) unsurprisingly specialises in moolis - which I discovered on my first visit are basically hot Indian wraps made with roti bread.  The fillings vary - chicken, beef, pork, chickpeas but the top tip from me is go goat.  I have always had an ambiguous relationship with goat meat - some bad travel experiences, some misguided impressions that it is always tough as old boots, general Anglo-Saxon fear of the unknown (as much as I fight against it) but one bite of the goat mooli and I am an evangelist for the stuff.  The meat was tender and slow-cooked and full of flvaour, the soft spicy potato gave it an extra zing, balanced perfectly by the tangy, fresh salsa.  Man this was GOOD - and perfect for the frozen London day.  The nice man at Mooli's informed me of the "bonus side dish" week that I had unwittingly become part of so I got a free super-food salad which was crunchy and sprouty and delicious and went perfectly with the sublime goat mooli.  You seriously need to get down to this place - and fast.

Kati Roll Company - Poland St W1

Sauntering (actually it was probably more like "walking briskly to keep warm") down Poland Street last week I noticed a new (at least to me) addition to the eateries thereon - "The Kati Roll Company" which intrigued me with it's old-fashioned, faux-serious Indian vibe.  This is continued inside (just check out the Matrix poster in the photo - love it) and on their website and all adds to what is a really cool place.  They have branches in both London and New York - and they claim that the kati roll craze has taken over the latter city.  I can see why - these things are super tasty and a perfect lunch-time option.  Basically the kati rolls are wraps made of warm paratha bread around various combos of meat, egg, vegetables and cheese.  I had the Shami Kabab roll which contained spicy, herby, wonderful minced lamb.  You can order one for £3.75 or two for £7 and after I had got back to my desk and scoffed my single I really wished I'd gone the double option (not that I wasn't full - it was just SO good).  I can't wait to go back and try the other varieties - especially the Unda (egg) rolls - the Unda Shami (egg and lamb) sounds amazing.

Maison Bertaux - Greek St W1

There are a number of places that define Soho - pubs like the French House and the Coach and Horses, restaurants like Vasco and Piero's Pavilion, streets like Old Compton Street and of course the wonderful Maison Bertaux cake shop.  I can never walk down Greek St without drooling at the cakes in the window and there is something about the jaunty blue and white stripes that make you feel like a kid again.  Of course the delights in the window are chock full of whipped cream, custard, pastry and all that other stuff that we're meant to stay away from these days but screw it, sometimes the only thing that will do is a strong cup of tea and a whopping great piece of cream-cake at Maison Bertaux.  What sets MB apart from somewhere like Patisserie Valerie round the corner is that it has a louche edge to it - the art gallery upstairs helps (currently show-casing really cool stuff from wonderfully nutty Noel Fielding...which sort of makes him sound like a cake, most appropriate) plus the clientele often looks like they are either lining their stomachs for, or recovering from, a binge session at the Coach next door.  This place is an institution and rightly so.

Polpo - Beak St W1

So I finally got to Polpo after having wanted to go for months - I had a lovely birthday lunch with some work buds, who also paid so it was doubly good!  Polpo did not disappoint - I loved the look of the place (as supposedly did Cannaletto), the staff were super friendly and the food was a perfect comfort-foil to the growing chill in the air outside.  Every dish was delicious - I won't bother detailing them (mainly because I've forgotten) but just go, take an appetite and order big here.  The only thing I was mildly disappointed in was the dessert but I think that's because the waitress said it was "just like homemade Toblerone" and it really wasn't.  So next time I go I will eschew the sweetness and concentrate on stuffing my face with "cicheti" and "small plates", scoffing some fine Italian red and day-dreaming about being in Venice.

Crossrail and the end of a Soho block (or two)

I have ranted about Crossrail before - I mourn the passing of the Centrepoint fountain, don't even get me started on the Astoria and now I am faced daily with the destruction and complete removal of a whole block of Soho, specifically the block bordered by Oxford St, Dean St, Great Chapel St and Carlisle St.  Gone forever is the Bath House pub that used to be on the corner of Fareham St, the cool old building that housed the Black Gardenia bar just opposite and the amazing red brick warehouse on Fareham St with the arched windows (if you look closely at the photo above you can see the arches coming down).  You know what's kinda cool about Google Street View is that it's all still there - obviously their cameras went around Soho some time ago so you can actually see what it used to look like, which is sad...but cool.  And what will we get in return for losing this chunk of W1?  From the looks of the drawing a Canary-Wharf style station entrance for the new Tottenham Court Road tube and Crossrail station.  Is that worth the loss of a piece of "real" Soho?  I dunno - for me it's a definite no, but perhaps I am just being resistant to change/evolution.  What do you think?