40 B4 40-Dining Challenge

My brother in law has shocked his entire family by doing something interesting.  To explain, he is an IT geek, which normally means an active brain full of numbers and a limp body due to no creative bones.  Strangely though, he is prone to occasional bouts of fine humour.

Anyway, he has just turned 40 and decided to take on 40 challenges in his 40^th year. 

His list includes; Take part in an Adventure Race, Milk a cow/goat, Do a winter sport, Shoot a real gun, Walk coast-to-coast, Get a spray tan, Climb a mountain, Lose 1/2 stone, Run a 5k race, Get a tattoo etc. 

As you may expect few of these appeal to me, and I have already done the last one.

This got me thinking.  It is far too late for me to do the same age related challenge, also doing ‘55 things at 55’, sounds like far too many things to do!  However I have had an idea.  My wife is 40 in the middle of next year, so we are going to do a ‘40 B4 40’ Challenge.  As with most of my ideas she is not keen, however I plan to drag her along to see if she eventually enjoys it.  When considering what 40 challenges we would do, I soon dismissed anything that involved adrenaline or effort. 

The answer soon became clear.  Our ‘40 B4 40 Challenge’ will be: To dine in 40 restaurants before my wife is 40!  The gloves are now off, and knife and fork in hand!

It is going to be tough, and many will admire how we are facing such adversity, but hey, life is all about meeting challenges.  Fortunately Food Week should help notch a number off of the list.  As you may expect, as we eat our way through our challenge you will be able to follow our culinary adventure on these pages!

PS: I will let you know when my wife hits 14 stone!

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For the record:

 

FAVOURITE 15 RESTAURANTS VISITED BEFORE THE '40 B4 40 DINING CHALLENGE’.

*In no particular order, and excluding Milford on Sea eateries, they would of course all be in the list!

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, London (3 Michelin Star) - www.alainducasse-dorchester.com

Pied a Terre, London (1 Michelin Star) - www.pied-a-terre.co.uk

Georges V, Paris (2 Michelin Star) - www.fourseasons.com/paris

 

Café Veneto, Rome

 

Rules, London – www.rules.co.uk

 

Langans, London – www.langansrestaurants.co.uk

 

Verveine, Milford on Sea - www.verveine.co.uk 

 

The Jetty, Mudeford - www.thejetty.co.uk

 

The Montague Arms, Beaulieu (1 Michelin Star) - www.montaguarmshotel.co.uk/terrace_restaurant.html

 

Lime Wood, Lyndhurst - www.limewoodhotel.co.uk

 

The RAC Club, Pall Mall, London - www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk

 

Chutney Mary, London - www.chutneymary.com

 

Boxwood Café (Gordon Ramsey), London - www.gordonramsey.com/boxwoodcafe

 

The Criterion, London - www.criterionrestaurant.com

 

The Ivy, London - www.the-ivy.co.uk

 

Veeraswamy, London - www.veeraswamy.com

 

The OXO Tower, London - www.harveynicols.com/oxo-tower-london

 

Brasserie Roux, London

 

Simpsons in The Strand, London - www.simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk

 

La Flambée' , Deauville - www.laflambee-deauville.com

 

Café de la Mairie, Deauville

Whoops, couldn’t keep list to 15!

 

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 WISH LIST: ……One day!

 

Fat Duck, Bray (3 Michelin Star) - www.thefatduck.co.uk

 

The Waterside, Bray (3 Michelin Star) – www.waterside-inn.co.uk

  

La Gavrouche, London (2 Michelin Star) - www.le-gavroche.co.uk

 

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison, Oxford (2 Michelin Star) - www.manoir.com

 

Petrus, London (1 Michelin Star) - www.gordonramsay.com/petrus

 

Dinner, London (1 Michelin Star) - www.dinnerbyheston.com

 

Pollen Street Social, London (1 Michelin Star) - www.pollenstreetsocial.com

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To read my brother in law’s ‘40 at 40’ blog - please click here