I Love Your Blog: Connie Consumes

I have been reading Connie's blog for a couple of years now, and more recently have become friends with her through the most wonderful of mediums...as members of PIZZA CLUB (the other two members, Vicky and Emma, have also been interviewed for this series!). Connie writes about her foodie and travel adventures over at Connie Consumes, and I'm forever getting great restaurant tips and major food envy from her shares!

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How long have you been blogging?

I've been blogging at Connie Consumes for around three years and still love every minute of it!

What do you blog about?  Do you have a specific goal with your blog, or is it more a record of your life?

I blog about food and travel which are two huge parts of my life in London and the main reasons I moved here! I like to think of the blog as a diary and portfolio - it's a reminder of all the incredible adventures we've had and also a place for me to indulge in my love of story telling and writing.

All pictures in this post are courtesy of the lovely Connie!

What is your favourite thing about blogging?

It's a cliche but definitely the people I've met through blogging in London - as an expat, it can be hard to make new friends in a new city, but the blogging community has made this pretty easy!

What is your least favourite thing about blogging?

All the boring technical, behind the scenes stuff which I still don't understand! I'm just a girl who wants to tell everyone what she had for dinner...

Do you have any favourite posts on your blog – pieces you’re really proud of, which document something special, or which seemed to strike a chord with your readers?

I've got an old post and a recent post which I really love... The recent one is about our experience at Gaggan, Asia's Best Restaurant according to World's 50 Best Awards; I'm really happy with the way I captured our overall disappointing experience in what I hope is a balanced and informative post. The old one is my recipe for a fancy sausage roll which despite my amateur photography skills is still one of the most popular posts on my blog!


Whose blogs do you love?  I’m always looking for recommendations :)

I love Dalton Banks because Vicky and I share a very similar food and travel style, Hand Luggage Only because their photography is to die for, and Woks Of Life for cooking inspiration!

You are the queen of finding amazing places to dine! Where are your go-to sites for inspiration and ideas?

I use instagram a lot... some might even say I'm a little obsessed with it, but I also love reading reviews from Marina O'Laughlin and Jay Rayner, and the Eater Hot Lists. I'm not someone who swears by a critic's review, as I believe people should try things for themselves and form their own opinions, but I do enjoy reading their commentaries!

What would be your perfect meal?

I think I've spent more time thinking about this one than a current issue I'm trying to resolve at work - such a tricky question! I would start with a selection of nigiri and a beef tartare, then follow that up with a stonkingly spicy laksa, before finishing with a gelato - and if anyone knows of a restaurant who can do all that in one meal, please for the love of god, let me know!

Which ingredients or dishes do you loathe?

Aubergine, pumpkin, sweet potato, and mint!

What tips do you have for bloggers growing and nurturing their blogs?

I truly believe the most successful and engaging blogs are the ones where the blogger is not only passionate, but also knowledgeable about their content - I value their opinions so much more and actually get excited about what they have to share.

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Thank you so much for visiting today, Connie!

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Pizza Magic at Firezza Dean Street

One thing London is not short of is places to eat. The city is crowded with cuisines from every corner of the world, at a multitude of price points, with about a thousand different service styles.

I always think the best places, however, are those that are conveniently placed, well-priced, serving delicious food with a little flair. So imagine my delight when I turned up to Firezza on Dean Street on Wednesday evening and found a brilliant little location (smack dab in Soho, a few steps from Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road), serving tasty food at a nice price point (£7.95 or less for a pizza? Yes please, purse-friendly dining) efficiently and with a smile.

Matthew and I rocked up over half an hour early but the team were very happy to seat us straightaway and get down to business. The menu is a simple sheet of brown paper, and you make your selections then head up to the counter to order. I love to see a short, well thought-out menu - tomes with page upon page of frippery can give me the fear! Always best to pick a few key things you do well and excel than try to cram six dozen options in.

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Pizza Club at Firebrand Pizza

One of the true delights of blogging has been the many wonderful people I've met. Inspiring people, clever people, funny people; amazing writers, photographers and wits; dear friends and kind souls. I'm always amazed at how fortunate I've been in the people I am lucky enough to call my blog-friends and the many joys they bring to my life.

Three such wonders are my Pizza Club buddies, Emma, Connie and Vicky. From a series of throwaway tweets in the middle of 2016, Pizza Club was spawned, and now every month or two we get together to eat pizza, try new flavours, and catch up on the goings on in our lives. On this occasion we were kindly invited by Firebrand Pizza, a sweet little pizzeria a hop, skip and jump from Marylebone station.

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London, Food: Pizza Club at Pizza Buzz

I've been so lucky to meet so many amazing people through blogging. Through enjoying what is after all a hobby, I've been able to meet dozens and dozens of talented folk, funny folk, inspiring folk, clever folk. The things I get to do and the people I get to spend time with through my writing are truly an amazing bonus to the whole blog thang!

This year blogging threw another fun element into my lap, as this year saw the advent of Pizza Club. One day Vicky, Connie and Emma were chatting all things pizza on twitter, I joined in, and in a matter of moments, Pizza Club was born. We've met up three times now at different pizza spots in town (and the club may well be expanding before long - and not just in a waistlines-post-pizza way) and I love our candid, laughter filled get-togethers over a yummy meal!

Last week we were kindly invited to try out the menu at Pizza Buzz, the new pizza spot in Shoreditch. With great, fresh ingredients, an interesting and innovative menu, and a build-your-own twist to proceedings, I was excited to get involved and enjoy some pizza!

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Food: Zia Lucia (Pizza Club Rides Again!)

Last week, on a sultry, warm Tuesday evening, I met up with two of the other Pizza Club lovelies (Connie and Vicky) for a review of Zia Lucia, a cute little spot in Islington which opened back in June. 

With a sweet little restaurant and seats outside (where we happily sat), this is a great little place, and is definitely popular - people were happily queueing for fifteen or thirty minutes or more to pull up a chair and share a slice.

We started proceedings with generous Aperol spritzes, which were mixed to perfection! I find being too heavy-handed either way can leave you with a very bitter or an overly sweet drink, but these were great while we perused the menu, caught up on each other's news, and felt a little sad that the lovely Emma couldn't make this outing (we missed you, lovely!).

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