Free Republic

LONDON (Reuters Life!) – British health officials said on Friday they were investigating 400 potential cases of food poisoning linked to top-rated Fat Duck restaurant, run by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. The award-winning restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, is known for its chemistry-inspired dishes such as bacon and egg ice cream and snail porridge, with many courses frozen in liquid nitrogen. Blumenthal voluntarily closed the restaurant last month after around 40 diners complained of diarrhea and vomiting. The Health Protection Agency said the number had risen to 400 after media coverage of its investigation. "This is a very complex outbreak," said...

LONDON (AFP) - A British restaurant emerged as the best in the world in an annual list that also revealed Britain -- a country often laughed at for its poor food -- is home to the largest number of top eateries. The Fat Duck, in a village in Berkshire, west of London, won the coveted title of top dining spot at The World's 50 Best Restaurant's 2005 awards on Monday night, which also featured 13 other restaurants in Britain alone. Critics, however, argued that the annual list -- compiled by the magazine Restaurant and chosen by more than 500 chefs...