Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery

I haven't kept my Top Ten updated for a while - I must try and get back to that at some point. I do have a few perennial favourites though; Sarti's on Bath Street for hearty city centre Italian fare, Battlefield Rest which is my 'go-to' restaurant, having never had a bad meal there, and Two Fat Ladies on Dumbarton Road.

I recently ate at the Blythswood Street branch of this Glasgow chain and wasn't disappointed. Everything I loved about the Dumbarton Road branch was there, with a few flourishes to make the restaurants distinct.

So, last night, I decided to whisk Mr Gastro to the only one I haven't visited - Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery. The owners have also opened a 'little sister' restaurant, The Shandon Belles, round the corner. Everything about the Buttery exudes class and warmth. We were greeted at the door by the friendly waitress, who took a drinks order and we sat in the front bar perusing the menu and enjoying a drink before being shown to our table.

The bread we were given was so fresh, it was either cooked in-house or from Tapa, there are so few places in Glasgow that make such good bread. Mr Gastro ordered the scallop and black pudding starter, served with some smoked haddock and a chive veloute.

I started with the confit duck ravioli, which had a madeira jus, and little cubes of tomato. Absolutely delicious, and just the right start to my wonderful main - scallops again, but this time served with a velvety cauliflower puree, asparagus and parma ham.



Mr Gastro had the venison saddle with braised red cabbage and juniper - looked lovely but a wee bit autumnal for me at this time of year - and we both had honeycomb ice cream with chocolate and pistachio wafers and milk gelato (think Mini Milk ice creams from when you were a kid!) which were lovely.

I would definitely recommend this place, along with the other two TFL restaurants, this one is a wee bit grander, for that special occasion! It will be on my mind when I draw up my top ten!

Deli shopping

I mentioned in my last post, 'Credit Crunch Cook', that I do deli shopping if I happen to be passing. In Glasgow, there are so many lovely individual food shops I'm spoiled for choice. I mentioned Tapa yesterday, and I love their bread and cakes. Other favourites, though, include:

Kember and Jones, pictured, on Byres Road. They sell everything for a goumet picnic or deli dinner; olives, sundried tomatoes, wonderful cheeses and freshly prepared sauces. They have a good range of cookbooks too, and some kitchen 'gadgets'. Their meringues are really special.

Heart Buchanan, also on Byres Road. Their great service, where they will cook your dinner party food for you, in your own pots, is a lifesaver for the West End social set. But the deli food is a treat in itself - wonderful shelves crammed with jars from all around the world, smells emanating from the kitchen, meats and cheeses laid out under the counter. Marvellous.

Lupe Pinto's, on Great Western Road. Specialist deli selling American, Mexican and Spanish ingredients, including the legendary Bisquick. They've branched out into Japanese and Thai ingredients too, but this isn't their strength. Try the American sweets and Mexican spices. 

Other food shopping places that I love that aren't 'delicatessens' as such, are:

The Fish People, at Shields Road Underground. The best fishmonger in Glasgow, by a country mile. I have it on good authority that they supply to all the best seafood restaurants in the city. Remember not to visit on a Monday - but do go, every other day of the week, for beautiful, glistening fish, and the freshest shellfish you can find away from the coast. 

Roots and Fruits, Byres Road, Great Western Road. Brilliant vegetable shops, with a small selection of deli ingredients. 

Allison Street, Govanhill. Should really be Glasgow's Brick Lane, but the amount of fresh vegetable shops on this street, home to a varied mix of communities, makes it a foodie target. Citrus Green, at the Victoria Road end, is great for all sorts of veg, including many you won't have heard of! 

Lim's Chinese Supermarket on Cambridge Street. They sell everything for Japanese and Chinese cooking, including every kind of noodle you can imagine. They also sell woks and tea sets.

Mulberry Street, Tapa Coffeehouse

The title may have you fooled in thinking I nipped off to New York; but no, I went for lunch today to Mulberry St., the smart bistro and bar at the corner of Regent Park Square and Pollokshaws Road. I was really tired and hungry, in need of some serious carbs, and I had their macaroni cheese which was packed full of cheese and served with a piping hot bowl of crispy fries. Mr Gastro had a pork roast special, which looked (and smelt!) absolutely wonderful. This is one of my favourite pubs, and the food is really decent too. The lovely Sunday breakfasts on offer are a firm favourite, you can just chill out with a paper and listen to some great, relaxing music (in the space of an hour we were treated to Sinatra, The Blue Nile and Ella Fitzgerald. Bliss). While I was there, I nipped across to the new branch of Tapa (the Dennistoun bakery), on Pollokshaws Road. I had bought one of their loaves at the Queens Park Farmers Market a few weeks ago and was not disappointed - it was their Struan loaf, made with milk and honey. Gorgeous with butter and nice jam. I'm looking forward to breakfast tomorrow...!