Is innate conservatism a bad thing when it comes to food?

This was a question I posed myself after a working lunch at what has become my no.1 London lunch spot: El Vergel. The attentive amongst you - 3/3 I imagine - will have noticed that almost all of my food posts lately have been about regular haunts and, as a consequence, I don't have all that much new stuff to write about. Now this is almost certainly a poor way to hold the attention of your blog audience, but is it also a bit too conservative an approach to eating out? After all, part of the purpose of this blog was to try new things and to go to new places, so what I think I'll do is set myself some food challenges for the rest of the year today, which my readership are most welcome to join me on. Before that I should say that EV was as good as ever: the tacos with refried beans, guacamole, salsa and spring onions are just one of the most interesting combinations of the earthy with the zingy/light that's out there, and I should also say that another super appealing feature of the place is its space, which is tiny and rather cavernous, but it feels quite like you're eating in a magical world when you're in there. Like Pho, this is somewhere where I've never had anything other than my preferred dish, and also along with Smiths of Smithfield, I think it forms a part of my current holy trinity of reliably great food at decent prices in Londinium.

So, now onto the more difficult task of wrenching myself away from the tried and trusted, so as to think of adventures with which to close the year. I had a post rather like this in January, which generally turned out to be too full of places in which I can't afford to eat, but it did encourage me to visit (or to be invited to) places like Tibilisi, Masters Superfish, Monmouth Coffee Company and Neal's Yard, so here comes my autumn list:

1. Camino: a newish tapas place in the so-called Regent's Quarter, which is a flash little development near King's X station: i.e. I have no excuse for not going, especially after it got a good review from P and E.
2. Tooting's south Indian restaurants: very high up on my list, because I keep hearing good things, but can I find a travelling companion to the Deep South/
3. Wahaca: new Mexican in Covent Garden which is supposed to be rather good and pretty good value.
4. The famous toasted cheese sandwich guy at Borough - if he still exists.
5. St John: word is that you can eat puddings at the bar, which sounds pretty good.
6. The place where you can get felafel sandwiches by Camden tube - I will go there!
7. New Malden, for th e whole Korean experience.
8. I also want to learn to cook some new things. Suggestions?
9. More cup cake outlets: London's hippest cake option at present!
10. Somewhere new in Exeter, but not in Princesshay!