Eat & Drink
Originally published on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
Bricks and Mortar
Pitt Cue leads the next round of food trucks to go permanent
Is it just us, or are tapas apparently contagious? Not addictive, but properly contagious. Like measles, imploding economies and gossip.
If 2011 was defined by the food truck (for London at least), then 2012 is already setting itself as the year in which wheels grow walls.
A trend for impermanent restaurants going permanent? Crazy days.
But mark our words: the next 12 months will see a continued rise in investment in real eateries. Bricks, mortar, bathrooms, seats, the whole shebang. Some people will call it selling out. Some trading in. Others still, growing up. We call it about time.
Yianni Papoutsis’ MeatLiquor obviously started this particular ball rolling with its progression from South London meat truck to grease-loving Marylebone queue-former. And with Pitt Cue Co. at last opening its much-anticipated Soho restaurant to the public, the shift is snowballing.
Hackney’s Lucky Chip is currently hosting a food residency at the Sebright Arms, and we suspect it’s only a matter of time before someone offers them something more permanent. Our grapevine even heard tell of investors approaching certain unnamed mobile pizza craftsmen with an eye to backing a ‘proper’ set-up.
Of course, if this move to bricks and mortar marks the death of culinary experimentation, progress and honest to goodness fun, then we’ll be the first to mourn the passing of the humble truck. But there’s something just so comforting about a restaurant with real seats, hours of service and an actual postcode (especially if it’s in Zone 1).
Now if we could just book a bloody table in advance, that would be really something.
Info
Pitt Cue Co. is open for business
1 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RB
