Jamie Oliver opens 'pop-up' American diner in London
Jamie Oliver has opened an American-style pop-up diner in London that will serve gourmet hot dogs, milkshakes, sliders and pancakes for the next three years in the heart of the city’s Theatre District.
Announced in a blog post this month, Jamie’s Diner is strategically positioned on Shaftesbury Avenue in an area of high foot traffic and will cater both to daytime crowds and peckish after-theater-goers as it will be open late into the night.
On offer will be sliders -- mini hamburgers that are typical Americana, Cobb salads, brunch classics like cornbread with fruit compote, pancakes and steak and porter pie.
Jamie Oliver's Diner is Oliver’s first restaurant brand since the opening of Union Jacks in 2011, and will be helmed by Arthur Potts Dawson who will enforce a zero-waste policy, reports trade publication BigHospitality.co.uk. That means foods will either be composted, recycled or upcycled.
The launch of an American-inspired greasy spoon diner, meanwhile, has raised eyebrows in the food world, particularly as Oliver is well-known for leading high-profile campaigns that wage war on the fast food industry, and junk food for kids.
On May 17, for example, Oliver will hold a party outside his newly refurbished Fifteen restaurant in London to celebrate the second edition of his international Food Revolution Day, started to encourage families to return to the kitchen and stay away from the frozen food aisles.
The gourmet hot dog menu, meanwhile, hops on a trans-Atlantic trend that has turned the humble ballpark staple into a serious meal option.
Bubbledogs, in London for instance, pairs haute dogs with glasses of bubbly. Dogs include the K-Dawg, topped with kimchi, fermented red bean paste and lettuce, and the José, topped with salsa, avocado, sour cream and pickled jalapenos.
Likewise, at Crif Dogs in New York, franks are deep-fried, wrapped in bacon, topped with teriyaki, pineapple and green onions, and can be washed down with sophisticated cocktails next door at an underground speakeasy PDT -– short for Please Don’t Tell.
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