The Cod

On Tuesday, W and I headed out the The Admiral Codrington in Chelsea (aka “The Cod) which was named after a Edward Codrington the captain of the HMS Orion at the Battle of Trafalgar – a very pivotal event in European History. When you enter, there is the original pub and then there is an outdoor area on the side with tables and then, towards the back of the bar, is a refurbished dining room. All along the center ceiling retractable glass contraption that opens when it’s nice out. I picked it because I drove past it on my way to dinner at Daphne’s last week and liked the looks of it and, when I looked into it, the food was reviewed well and looked pretty traditional so I thought W would like it.

It’s also popular with the “Sloane Rangers” which is a term applied to young, upper class men and woman living in West London. The word came about by combining Sloane Square – a very fashionable/wealthy area in London and then the Lone Ranger (how this was combined, I will never understand, but so be it). There was actually a book written in 1982 and Princess Diana was on the cover as an example of what a Sloane Ranger would be. Basically, the equivalent of a Yuppie/Preppy in the US. (Remember the Preppy Handbook?)

The pub had a mix of people, but I definitely saw some of the wealthier inhabitants of Chelsea in there along with a few regular types. W and I headed over there with a few friends of mine from work for some drinks and ate dinner in the restaurant. W went all the way with fois gras and fish and chips which he said were delicious. Mine was good too but entirely to rich. And there were some very young boys in there drinking a pint – I am talking 15 years old if they were a day. And they reminded me of the boys I went to Hinsdale Central with freshman year at the height of turned up collars and lavender.

Last night, W and I headed over to Harrods for a couple of reasons a) because they have a new Pet Emporium which is HUGE and b) to check out the historic food halls. They also sell pets – they had some very cute Papillon puppies, kittens and bunnies there and they were incredibly expensive – I am talking £1500. Their screening process for adoption is pretty elaborate – someone had inquired and was getting grilled about his background.

The department is much larger than the one I visited last year and I guess the reasoning behind expanding it is because of the “..huge demand for pet fashion.” You would see the requisite Puppia and Juicy stuff but they also had some Swarovski crystal collars that ran upwards £300.I walked away with a wind-up hamster in a ball to torture the girls along with a couple of leashes – wouldn’t really make much sense to buy them stuff I can get in the US for half the price. I liked the Harrods small igloo dog bed, and the price isn’t too far off the US. And they event have pet fitting rooms. I am the first person to admit that I spoil my dogs but fitting rooms are beyond my scope…along with dog prams.

Harrods itself can be a bit of a nightmare – it’s packed, not completely horrible but it’s not really worth shopping for clothes if you are from the US. However the multiple departments are really worth a look if you have the time. There just isn’t anything like it in the US. The toy department is really cute and you can find toys very unique to London without breaking the bank. The Diana/Dodi memorial bronze statue is pretty big and kind of sad – but the strangest thing there is the wax figure of Mohamed Al Fayed in the store. Seeing that put me off a visit to Madam Tussdaud’s – it’s just a little too “Twilight Zone” for me.

The Harrods food halls are absolutely amazing and a must see for anyone visiting London. They are huge, opulent and contain just about everything you could ever need. For example, one large hall has sections of prepared foods for takeaway that can be reheated at home – everything from chicken tikka to sandwiches to lamp kebabs. Huge selection of cheese, wines and then there is the meat/poulty/fish area – not only can you buy pigeon but you can also sit at the oyster bar and have a meal. We picked up some snacks to take over to Hyde Park and sat along the Serpentine and enjoyed a bottle of wine and some great people watching. There really is something to be said for some of the various cultures and the trends in fashion, just inexplicable.