When Charlie Porter launched Tat London, her content and e-commerce platform, design lovers around the world discovered a new obsession. Her curatorial eye, honed while working at House & Garden, is drawn towards interiors that are full of personality, provenance, and patina. She invited her mother Liz Elliot, who is an editor-at-large at House & Garden, to join her at The Park for a Long Lunch—in addition to their usual weekly breakfast date. A woman after our own hearts!
Is the Long Lunch a habit or aberration for you?
Currently, having just had a baby, they are as rare as they come. But before a baby and the time constraints that come with one, I was evangelical about them.
What makes a Long Lunch enjoyable, versus a chore?
Good food, a perfect glass of Chardonnay, and a jolly companion.
What are the qualities endemic to a lunch companion?
I am terrible at telling stories, so if there is a prime storyteller at the table I will be as happy as a clam.
Who was your companion at The Park, and why were they selected?
My mother, the wonderful Liz Elliot. As soon as The Park opened, we selected it as our new breakfast spot and we meet there once a week. So it only felt right to have the dream lady as my companion.
What did you eat and drink, and why?
Monkey Bread, Crab Linguine, Dirty Vodka Martini, Ice Cream & Chocolate Sauce. A Perfect meal.
What will you order on your next Long Lunch at the Park?
I am partial to the hot dog.
Tell us about your favourite Long Lunch of all time.
Well, it does feel slightly plonky, but my sister and I talk about it often. We were in Italy in our early twenties, staying with great family friends who had rented a house near Ruthie Rogers, who kindly invited us for lunch. The chefs from The River Café were trying out different dishes of gnocchi. We sat under a tree at a long trestle table and, I think, ate around eight plates of gnocchi, drinking some of the finest red wine known to man. It’s a shame it happened so early in my life, but even then I knew it was going to be one to remember.
If you could Long-Lunch with absolutely anyone on the planet—no offence to your companion—who would it be?
Well, it would be with the rest of our family: my sister Miranda, her husband Benjii, my husband Charlie, and my father Henry. If I had God’s omnipotence, I would bring our dear friend Gilbert Adair back, as he was always the greatest of lunch companions. A really great storyteller.
And would you like to review your mother’s lunch order?
She had a lovely meal but I am never jealous of anyone else’s food. I am always definite about what I want and rarely look to others for their choice.
On the days that you are Long-Lunching, do you dress differently?
I will say I was smarter than usual, though, while I am still in recovery (eight months ago) from the toll that pregnancy takes on your body. I have one smarter outfit which is on rotation, it is all black and hides a multitude of sins.
What is your favourite time of year (or weather) in which to enjoy a Long Lunch?
I very much enjoy June before the solstice; those lunches can happily roll into the evening. I have a wonderful group of girlfriends who are experts at long summer lunches.
The best day of the week for a Long Lunch is….?
On Friday or Saturday, I usually drink, so I take the requisite precautions so as to not ruin work.
Do you have any other thoughts about Long Lunches that you’d like to share?
Very much so. I feel brunch is a rotten waste of everyone’s time, and we should concentrate our time on Slunch. I feel very strongly about it and may well start a petition.
CHARLIE’S DOSSIER
Birthplace: London.
Neighborhood: Notting Hill.
“Short” lunch strategy: Deli on Golborne Road.
Cocktail: Dirty Martini.
Workout: Reformer Pilates under duress.
Bookstore: Well, it is hard not to pick up something from Foster Bookshop in Chiswick.
Favourite park: Ah, you have got me there. I’m head over heels for the Italian Gardens in Hyde Park, but if I had to choose another, it would be Holland Park, but I never have as much fun there.
Current projects: Well, the thing I am most excited about is a podcast in the mix. We are discussing it at the moment, but my two counterparts are just the bee’s knees, so I am hopeful.
Any cultural recommendations for us? I haven’t been a little out of the loop of late, but this weekend we finally made it to Eltham Palace, and I would highly recommend a trip. Even though it is quite the journey.