Top Ten and SubGrub

I was reminded after my meal at the old Buttery that I hadn't updated my top ten for quite some time. I also had the idea of a subway eating trail, based on the 'Subcrawl' which sees students riding Glasgow's circular underground train, getting off at each stop and downing a drink in each pub. I would hope to be a bit more discerning than this though - so I hope to pick my favourite restaurants or cafes within a ten minute walk of each stop at some point!

My overall top ten at the moment are:
1. Two Fat Ladies (any of them, they are all fantastic)
2. Gandolfi Fish
3. Battlefield Rest
4. The Wee Curry Shop
5. Cafe Gandolfi
6. The Sisters Kelvingrove
7. An Lochan
8. Sarti's (Bath Street)
9. Thai Siam
10. Blas

I have to confess that I've only eaten in the List's Top Restaurant for 09, Stravaigin, once - and it was so long ago I feel I can't judge it properly. As well as a few others (particularly Banana Leaf and Crabshakk) I will hopefully try it out soon.

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!

An Lochan

Spent the afternoon having a lovely lunch with Mama Gastro at An Lochan on the Crow Road. I had a HUGE plate of langoustines with lemon mayo, followed by the absolutely amazing scallops wrapped in bacon with black pudding. Regular readers will know my scallop fetish and these were so big and juicy I can hardly describe them! We finished with a Scottish cheese platter - a nice touch is that they have a cheese menu, where you select your choices for your plate. We feasted on Aiket, Ayrshire Bonnet goats' cheese, Lanark Blue, Smoked Mull Brie and Smoked Applewood Cheddar, which came with apple, celery, chutney and gorgeous homemade oatcakes, beautifully presented on a slate tile. Just wonderful. Going straight in my top ten, which badly needs an update! I may even have to start doing top fives in different categories...

There has been a bit of a gap in my posts - I'm now all set up with LifeCast on my iPhone so I can blog on the go! Hopefully this means more snappy restaurant reviews.

Eating out at old favourites...

This week I have lived the life of a proper GastroGirl in Glasgow, and I've been eating out... but no new reviews, sadly, as I was out at Fratelli Sarti's (Mama G's favourite), and Battlefield Rest with Mr G (probably my absolute favourite if pushed...)

Sarti's (the Bath Street one) is now on my top ten, given the sad demise of the Urban Grill in Shawlands.


I am hoping to try and recreate the Penne Deliziose I had at Sarti's at some point... will post on my success (or lack thereof!) Here is the website for the new deli on Pollokshaws Road I mentioned, Gusto and Relish, they seem to have sorted out the gremlins now. I bought some pancetta and Ayrshire Bonnet goat's cheese there today as a weekend treat... looks smashing. I took this photo with my iPhone's HOLGA (lomography) application as I ate a poached egg for breakfast at Mulberry Street across the road. (The eggs were just lovely).

Lunch at Sarti's

Yesterday Mama G and I went for lunch at Fratelli Sarti's on Bath Street. The atmosphere is wonderful, you feel like you could be in a trattoria somewhere in Italy. The smells coming from the open kitchen tease and tantalise the senses while you browse the menu and the specials board.

We ordered a bottle of Sangiovese, which came with two balloon glasses and was dangerously drinkable. Then came some garlic bread and two bowls of spaghetti loaded with mussels, with a white wine and parsley broth clinging to the pasta and resting in the shells, spiked with cherry tomatoes. We could barely finish the meal as the portions were huge, and we couldn't believe the amount of mussels in the bowl.

Absolutely delicious, and for a city centre lunch it is really difficult to think of a better option. Fratelli Sarti (Bath Street) is now on my Top Ten - I will have to decide which restaurant is losing out!

Picture from Flickr, user crichton2007.

Dinner with Mr Gastro, lunch with Mama Gastro

Not much food excitement this week on the home front as things have been a bit chaotic! Bought a tub of sun dried tomatoes, some antipasti, crackers, bread and cheese and have been grazing most nights.

But, on Thursday night, Mr Gastro treated me with a trip to one of my Top 10 restaurants in Glasgow, the Battlefield Rest. It was such a joy - as usual. I have honestly never been disappointed with a meal here. After my failed attempt a week or so ago, I started with their crostini bonco (just wonderful), continued with panfried duck, with figs anda mustard, honey and port sauce; which was so lovely and sweet, and then a Roy's Cup sundae. All of this washed down with Prosecco and it was just divine. Mr Gastro had the smoked fish crepe and the Chicken Montenara, and couldn't resist the Roy's Cup... all in all another wonderful night at a Glasgow jewel.

On Saturday, Mama Gastro and I had macaroni (as you can tell, I'm a fan of macaroni cheese in a pub lunch context!) at Sloans', the pub down the lane between Argyle St and Buchanan Street. They were run off their feet, and the menu was huge - but the macaroni was hot, gooey and filling - just exactly what the doctor ordered. So much so, that there was no room for a sweet. 

Hoping to cook a bit more in the coming fortnight! 

Picture from Flickr user juliebee.

Tinto Tapas

One of my top ten Glasgow Restaurants is a wee, unassuming place on Battlefield Road, spitting distance from the hospital, called Tinto. It is still in my top ten after my lunch there today with Mr Gastro, before he headed off for work.

We shared seven plates of glorious tapas. Mr G had two beers and I had an orange and lemonade. If I tell you that including tip, we paid £30, hopefully you can see that this is a bit of a bargain. We ate deep fried whitebait with smoked bacon and paprika, tabla imberico (the meat and cheese plate with olives), gambas pil pil (chilli and garlic king prawn), patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy tomato dip that tasted like harissa), morcilla (Spanish black pudding), aubergine fritters, and lamb kebabs. A plethora of tastes and treats. I can't wait to go back. And if you get the chance, do try the whitebait.

Restaurant Reviews

I will be posting restaurant reviews whenever I visit a new restaurant (not just in Glasgow!), and hopefully keeping up to date my Top 10 Glasgow Restaurants.

Based on previous visits, I will post my Top 10 now, and hopefully they will move and change when I visit somewhere new and exciting.

GastroGirl's Top 10, as of 7th September, 2008 (in alphabetical order):

Battlefield Rest (Battlefield Road) , pictured on the left by weejames on Flickr. Wonderful, family run neighbourhood restaurant. Setting is spectacular, but the star is the food - packed full of flavour. The specials board never disappoints. Leave room for one of their amazing sundaes for dessert!
Blas (Argyle Street) Scottish produce, Scottish food. The new trend for locally sourced produce doesn't feel trendy here; it feels traditional - the practices our grandmothers would have had before the dawn of the supermarket. The courgette rolls with Ayrshire bonnet goats' cheese are to die for. They have also opened a new deli on Hyndland Street where you can buy the produce.
Cafe Gandolfi (Albion Street) A Glaswegian institution. The gravadlax is so good, you could close your eyes and be in Gothenburg. Try the pastrami and sourdough plate. Poilane is not just for toast! Have yet to sample the much-praised Gandolfi Fish - hope to get there soon!
Ichiban (Dumbarton Road) Their lunch menu is such good value it is almost ridiculous. The bento boxes allow you to try little pieces of everything, along with an avocado-green blob of choking hot wasabi. The Miller Street branch is just as good.
No. Sixteen (Byres Road) Tiny, poky wee place that oozes character, and the food is brilliant. In an area where restaurants seem to change every two weeks, this wee gem has stayed put. Their fish dishes are particularly good.
The Sisters Kelvingrove (Kelvingrove Street) Unassuming place above a noisy pub, which on first glance makes you wish you'd gone to the superb Mother India across the road. But once inside, the room is glamorous and comfortable. The food is simply but beautifully cooked, with mint infused summer greens not detracting from a well-rested, beautifully pink piece of lamb resting on top.
Tinto (Battlefield Road) Not the most glamorous of surroundings this, but what a find. The sangria is wonderful, the tapas varied and fresh, and the little liqueur before the journey home is always welcome. They don't accept credit cards yet, so be warned, but do go - and try the whitebait!
Two Fat Ladies (Dumbarton Road) Another perennial favourite. I've picked the Dumbarton Road branch over the newer incarnations of this chain because of its charm, the kitchen in the window tempting passers-by. The seafood is out of this world, and on the occasions where there are lobster specials - don't pass them up!
Urban Grill (Kilmarnock Road) Part of the chain that owns Urban on St Vincent Street and Gamba on West George, this Southside star is a really beautiful place for a special meal. The cocktails are beautifully mixed, the service is impeccable, and the food at its best can defy description. (It's hard work to make a prawn cocktail taste special, but they managed it).
Wee Curry Shop (Buccleuch Street) One of three Wee Shops dotted round Glasgow, these places are out of this world. My favourite (yes, I'm a regular!) is the Chicken Mahkni Masala, which is so bursting full of sweet almond tastes that you don't mind that it's mild. The aloo saag is rather wonderful too. Don't pass over the pakoras, either - they are wonderfully crisp, not even barely resembling those on-the-way home treats we've all enjoyed at one time or another.

I've noticed that in putting this list together that I have gone to the West End, Southside, City Centre and Merchant City, all in the Top 10. That can only say something about the decent quality of restaurants in Glasgow! I want this list to change, though, and I have a few recommendations from pals for places I should try - Nanakusa, the Japanese place near Charing Cross; Mise en Place in Pollokshields, amongst others. No doubt I will eventually give you my cafes list and maybe even a pub list, I certainly feel qualified to discuss the latter.

GGx