EZ & Moss, Islington

183 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LX, England
https://www.ezmoss.co.uk

Breaking tradition always feels somewhat traumatic, whether intentional, necessary or unavoidable. For some time my father and I had always ventured to Piebury Corner before match days, a tiny, tiled pie and mash shop that would spin reggae records on a sound system outside as you cajoled, elbows out, for one of the limited seats or found yourself standing outside, balancing a paper plate of gravy and peas in one hand. Arsenal memorabilia on the walls and each dish named after a legendary player. There was something right and proper about a pie before football, and it was good food too! Alas, covid and business rates did for it what the Ides of March did for Caesar, so now we search for somewhere new for match day fare.

Holloway Road is the shopping centre of the world, and you can get all sorts of cuisine, covering half the globe, on this one stretch of  road so, in theory, finding somewhere suitable should be no challenge. Some light research uncovers EZ & Moss, a cafe specialising in vegetarian and vegan food but we’re unable to contact them beforehand and so roll the dice on chancing upon a table on the premises. Arriving shortly after 9am, we’re the first in there and so easily settle in the back amongst the bric-a-brac of Victorian era posters and plant life. The coffee is Allpress, the sort of strong, earthy coffee that goes great with sweet treats and pastries but I circumnavigate these to go for the vegan breakfast of scrambled tofu and onion on rye sourdough toast, with avocado, vegan smoked salmon, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and a homemade alternative to labneh cheese. It’s not got the stodgy delight of a pie or burger on a cold day for football but it’s immeasurably good and sets me up well for freezing on the terraces. 

My oat latte is silky yet, dark - the sort of coffee that you know has caffeine in and that you can feel oozing its magic through you. I have one with my meal and then follow up again to make sure I’m warmed through and ready to sit through a few hours of potential pain or great pleasure. It buzzes on the tongue with sweet but balanced complexity of apple acidity and a spiced aftertaste. Whether it becomes a regular spot for when we go to games (not that our attendance could be called regular) is yet to be seen but I’d certainly have no qualms about it being a haunt for food and frothy lattes anytime I venture into Islington.