Glasgow Gorge-Fest

I've been very slack in updating my blog on a regular basis - sorry! I can't quite believe it has been a whole month since coming back from Glasgow, and that I've only just managed to find the time to write about what I've been stuffing my face with. So let's not beat about the bush..

We stayed at 15 Glasgow; a luxury boutique bed and breakfast hotel situated in the West End. With just 5 suites, this listed Victorian townhouse was the perfect location for venturing out dinner and drinks (which is literally all we had planned to do). Booking through Mr & Mrs Smith got us a bottle of wine in our room upon arrival too. That, a lovely bunch of flowers, and a foil wrapped Tunnock's Tea Cake made a great start to our break.

Luckily the owner, Laura, is a big foodie too, and she was able to make a list of all her favourite places to try out; the majority of which were in the Finnieston/Kelvingrove area. So on her recommendation, we booked a table at the new Ox & Finch restaurant, and headed to Argyle Street to work our way through some of the gin cocktails at The Finnieston. We were only going to stay for one, but ended up having two because they slipped down so easily. I kept it Scottish with Caorunn Gin in mine, whilst The Chap fell madly in love with a take on an Old Fashioned that used tequila and mezcal instead of bourbon.

Across the road and up on Sauchiehall Street is Ox & Finch, which boasts 'contemporary, relaxed, sharing dining'. Its big and bright, thanks to it's corner site with generous windows and high ceilings; even the kitchen's open, so it feels very approachable. The inside has been stripped back to brick, and the decor plays with a number of textures - steel, tiles, concrete - keeping your eyes entertained as you admire it's beauty.

It's all about the food here though. It has a tapas-vibe with a menu full of small dishes designed to share, pretty similar to London's Duck & Waffle actually. The menu is split into snacks (£3-4), raw, cured & cold (up to £6.50), seafood (£7-9), meat (£5-8) and vegetables (mostly £3.50). Desserts are a fiver if you can fit them in too.. We could not - poor form.

Orders come out as they're ready, so if you're like us and order as much as possible, then you end up having a continuous stream of food brought to the table. AMAZING. We had crispy fried squid, chilli and orange salad with saffron aioli; tartare of roe deer, egg yolk, hazelnuts and mustard; roast asparagus, poached egg and pancetta; seared scallops, lardo di colonnata and cauliflower puree; grilled baby gem, parmesan crackling, anchovies and caesar dressing; and braised ox cheek, roast cauliflower puree, thyme & bacon gremolata.

With such a range of dishes, your tastebuds are kept constantly excited; hot, cold, salty, sweet, spicy, sharp, creamy, crunchy, rich, fresh.. You get the picture. It was incredible and I wish Ox & Finch was on my doorstep.

The following day we'd booked lunch at Cail Bruich thanks to a tip from Girl Around Glasgow. It was voted Scotland's best restaurant for the 2nd year in a row, and they had a crazily good offer on during our visit; three courses with three matching wines for just £15! Certainly not to be sniffed at.

Only one other couple were in the restaurant the whole time we were there, which I'd normally hate when going out to eat, but it was different here; it felt like we'd been let in on a secret. First course was the juiciest piece of chicken with barley, topped with delicate onion rings and served with a light, fruity red wine. Next was pork belly with tenderstem brocolli, peas, and a tangy vinegary sauce. A fulled bodied red with much more spice accompanied this one. Dessert, which came with quite a sweet white, was the standout dish for me, mainly because it was a bit unusual; strawberries, a biscuity crumble, mallow-y meringues, and WHITE ASPARAGUS ice cream. So unexpected and so so good.

That night, a bit unsure where to go, we headed for The Gannet. They only had a table available quite late in the evening, but that was fine considering our 3 course lunch - haha. When we arrived, the people at our allotted table hadn't finished eating, but again, no big deal; a drink at the bar is always fine with me. However, by the time we sat down, we were probably halfway through our bottle of wine, which seemed a little ridiculous. Sure, dinner was nice, but by that point I was a bit too boozy to enjoy it properly. To be honest I can't even remember what I ate, and it was too dark to take any snaps to jog my memory. Although we got a 'free liqueur' at the end to apologise, I thought it could have been handled better, and we ended up being the last ones in there, feeling a bit miffed.

Ilustration by Adrian B McMurchie

On our numerous visits to Finnieston, we spied a lunchtime special at Old Salty's - a traditional chippy and cafe. For a fiver we bagged ourselves a mammoth fish goujon buttie with a mound of chips; all freshly fried to order, and served with some tangy homemade tartare sauce on the side. Unsurprisingly, The Chap had to help me finish mine; there are never any lonely chips left abandoned on a plate when he's around.

On our last night we ventured off in a different direction, where we found Stravaigin, the sister to Glasgow's famous Ubiquitous Chip. Stravaigin means 'to wander'; it's a Scottish restaurant, which dabbles in different cuisines from around the globe. Not so much a fusion, but more of a culinary trip. It's been awarded Michelin's Bib Gourmand in 2012 and 2013 and also has 2 AA Rosettes, not to mention it's highly praised wine list.

Whilst checking out the menu, we both had a cocktail made using Pincer; a Scottish vodka flavoured with extracts of milk thistle and wild elderflower - yum. I plumped for a middle eastern veggie dish and The Chap went for a mega steak. As for our wine selection, we chose the 2011 Chateau Viella Madiran purely based on it's description: Fancy a drink outisde the box? Charming, youthful but gutsy red from, Southern France. Fruity and moreish, this new bag in the box will change the way you think about wine. I'm not sure it changed the way I think about wine, but it was bloody good, as was the food.. Another place that I'd love to be my local.

Our flight home wasn't until the evening, so we planned on having a big lunch to keep us going. I'd asked some Glasgow foodies on Twitter what their fave cheap eats were, and a couple mentioned Bread Meats Bread, slap bang in the city centre. There's never any question about whether or not to go for a burger with me - as long as it isn't anything to do with those golden arches or the crowned variety. I do LOVE the trend of fancy burger joints popping up, but it has made it impossible to decide where does THE best, so being told where to go by someone else made the whole ordeal much easier.

They operate a no bookings system, a no brainer when there's such a quick turn around - it doesn't take long to wolf the goods down - but it did mean we had to queue for a bit. Handed a menu, and having a clear view of the open kitchen resulted in us firstly, having food envy, secondly, knowing exactly what we wanted to order, and thirdly, drooling at the thought of it.

We both went for the premium 'Black Label' beefy blend; I stuck traditional with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and sauce, whereas The Chap had added smoked brisket in a Sriracha and BBQ sauce, with cheese and pickles. This was our first encounter of Poutines too; triple cooked chips topped with fresh cheese curds and house gravy. Phwoar. We went for the sweet potato version, which balanced out the salty cheese and gravy perfectly. It. Was. Epic.

There are still a number of places that were on my list of recommended eats/drinks, but there's only so much two greedy people can fit in before beginning to resemble a hippo.. "I'll be back."



London Lunching

It's become apparent that London brings out the greed in me. This is by no means a bad thing; I love reading up on all the latest places to eat and drink in preparation for my visit, but it leaves me with a lengthy list that I have to somehow schedule in to fit with my other plans. More often than not, things don't quite work in my favour and I go home dreaming of the stuff I've missed out on.

My latest venture to the capital took a more laid back approach. Arriving early, we were able to go for breakfast - it was 11, so could probably be classed as brunch - and after our recent Peruvian feast (see my Senor Ceviche post), The Chap and I had been craving more; hello Andina in Shoreditch! Martin Morales, the main man behind Ceviche in Soho, has just opened his second restaurant, focussing on delivering healthy, Andean cuisine all day long. Inspired by the traditional 'picanterias' in Peru, Andina has that social-eating, open-kitchen, popular dishes kind of vibe, with visually attractive interiors to match its beautiful food. It’s a sanctuary from the 'dirty burger' trend, its quinoa burgers here, and menus are graced with heaps of superfoods and smoothies.

To drink, I had an espresso made with their own fair-trade coffee blend, and an Ekeko juice (carrot, melon, pear, lime, maca, ginger) - uniquely savoury and fruity - whilst The Chap had tea and Supay (orange, pomegranate, goldenberry, limo chilli). To eat, I went for the Choclo Corn Cake - a corn and fresco cheese cake, with a poached egg, avocado, salsa and a creamy spiced sauce - and he chose the Full Peruvian - two fried eggs, confit pork, potato rosti, wild mushrooms, grilled tomato and a side of avocado on toast with salsa.

If that wasn't enough we shared a Lengua De Suegra (which I'd spotted on Tweat Up's best breakfast in London list); puffed up Peruvian filo pastry with a dulce de leche filling. Bliss.

The Chap had a date making gin at The Ginstitute on Portobello Road, which was his Christmas present, so we parted ways and I ventured off to The Royal Academy to see the Sensing Spaces exhibition with some chums. It was enjoyable, but we felt it could have been more adventurous; the 15 minute video at the end is definitely worth watching.

A spot of Carnaby Street window shopping, then it was about time for a late lunch - perhaps drunch? Anyway, Foxcroft & Ginger on Berwick Street was our venue of choice, and at just after 3pm it was still crazy busy. Perched next to a pommel horse - yes, you heard correctly - we waited until a table became free. Three of us squeezed round a two-seater, not that we minded, and ordered off of the all day brunch menu; it was a double brunch kind of day.

I went for the naughtiest thing imaginable (please don't judge me); two massive pieces of French toast with banana, bacon, walnuts, mascarpone and drizzled with syrup. It’s a rare occasion that I leave the daintiest morsel of food on my plate, but this defeated me. A strange combination, but one you must try. With a constant flow of customers, F&G is clearly a popular choice amongst Londoners, and whilst they may have cocked up our order – which led to a delay – they rectified it with a free slice of cake. If they hadn't have said anything, we really wouldn't have noticed, but who turns down free cake?!

As darkness descended, drinks were needed, so we pottered to Mayfair to meet up with The-slightly-sozzled-Chap at The Running Horse (mentioned in a previous London post). Rumour had it that their 'race-y' cocktail bar, The Whip, was open upstairs, and with Cheltenham Festival fast approaching it seemed only right to go and check it out. Mint green racing stripes decorate the walls alongside jockey silks and traditional equine paintings, and the vintage leather chairs and velvet sofas are a luxurious touch. It’s quiet when we arrive, 6pm is hardly prime cocktail time, but the 'feel' of the place is excellent nonetheless. It’s dim lighting makes it feel exclusive, smooth tunes infuse the atmosphere, chatty staff make you feel at home, and the menu is succinct; all drinks - with names like Frankel's Fizz and Final Furlong - are a tenner each, no faffing.

Juleps are the signature sip; a mint and bourbon based drink, famed for its popularity at the Kentucky Derby where over 120,000 are drank over just a couple of days. Served in traditional pewter tins, and taking up half of the cocktail menu, The Whip are championing a Julep revival. I opted for the house favourite, a julep made with a blend of Chase Rhubarb Vodka and Williams GB gin. Having to bury my nose into the sprigs of mint sticking out of the top in order to drink it, it attacks the senses; smell, taste, and there's something quite nice about the feel of the ice told tin in your hand. With seriously good booze behind the bar, inventive mixes, swish settings, and a central location; this is a place I could see myself visiting again and again. My bets are that The Whip is going to be big, so get galloping over there before you're queuing at the door.

The next morning saw a stroll to Columbia Road's flower market in East London. A lovely chilled out Sunday thing to do, you might think, but it's so popular with both locals and tourists, that you have to wrestle your way down the street, trying to avoid being poked in the eye by the mahoosive bunch of flowers that the guy in front of you is nursing. That said, I like the flurry of browsers, photographers, foodies, dog walkers, hungover folks inhaling carbs, posho's quaffing coffee; you get the works. Lily Vanilli's bakery is what drew us here (see my previous cake inspired post), though as we had lunch plans already, we couldn't gorge ourselves on cake like we did last time we visited. A simple - but bloody amazing - slice of sourdough toast it was instead; topped with courgettes, mushrooms, red onion and cheese, then strewn with a few stems of watercress to add freshness and a mustardy tang. Breakfast should be like this more often.

Hawksmoor was our eating agenda for the day; a previous winner in the Observer Food Monthly Awards 'Best Sunday Lunch' category, it was also a runner up in 2012 for best restaurant, and voted the 'Best Place to Drink' in 2013. It had a lot to live up to. We opted for the Seven Dials branch, a short walk away from Covent Garden, as the building - which was formerly a brewery - looked stunning. It's a dark, unassuming entrance; you take your coats off and leave it with the staff to put in the cloakroom; there's nothing but a desk and a set of stairs. Down you go, and you find yourself in an unexpectedly large space; a long bar lined with stools, not a single one empty, high speakeasy style tables – it was standing room only - tables dotted right round the edge, seating two to four, then loads more tables, the kitchen, and wine room through a set of doors. They've crammed as many people as possible in here, which is fine if you like that kind of buzzy ambience, but I wouldn't suggest this as a place for an 'intimate dinner for two'. Fortunately, this is the kind of thing we like about coming to London; our usual Sunday roasts involve serene country pubs, where the most noise comes from a dog sat under the table, begging for a mere crumb of his owner's yorkie pud.

An apéritif? Oh go on then, we were on 'holiday' after all. I had a Garden Party; White Port, Redcurrant Campari and Prosecco, stirred with cucumber. Apparently this drink was created accidentally, through using sparkling wine in a Negroni instead of gin. The bartender should make mistakes more often if this is anything to go by. Anyway, Hawksmoor's got beef - and lots of it – there’s a variety of cuts and weights you can choose from, but it's got to be a roast on a Sunday. A thick piece, flushing pink in the middle, came sat on top of the veg; a huge Yorkshire pudding masquerading as a bowl to house the crispy potatoes; roasted onion and garlic, a nice addition, and some glistening gravy. We asked the sommelier to suggest a wine within our budget to go with the food, to which he picked Château de Ricaud, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 2010; a well structured Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, with lots of juicy dark fruits and velvety tannins; a great match.

Dessert was a toughie; salted caramel always leads me astray, but this time I stayed strong and chose a buttermilk pannacotta with poached rhubarb and spicy ginger-bread biscuits. With the silky pannacotta flecked with vanilla, and the luminous pink stems, it felt pretty girly. The Chap had a manlier banana and bourbon tart; ice cream and lashings of toffee sauce - job done.

Having to move to the next notch on my belt, it was definitely home time. Another successful, weight-gaining, liver-pickling, London trip. I look forward to our next encounter, but I best make sure I'm hungry.

Love Liverpool

A fleeting trip to Liverpool for a family party meant that I could scout out a couple of good places to eat and drink for the weekend. As you might have figured out, I like to taste my way around new places, and I'm most definitely one of those people who comes back from holiday fatter, not fitter.

Free Waitrose coffee firmly in place in the cup holder, off we went through wind and rain, competitively counting Eddie Stobart's along the way (I lost - by quite a few). Having set off on empty tummies, first stop was breakfast. Indie run Bold Street Coffee has quite a reputation in the city, three years in a row they have won best coffee shop in the Liverpool Food & Drink Awards, so it was a no brainer really. Having always been a fan of the caffeinated bean, I'm finding myself more particular on how I like my daily cup these days. I'm not opposed to the big chains such as Costa or Cafe Nero (I never go to Starbucks though), but the whole queuing to order, queuing to take your own coffee to the table kind of thing isn't a pleasant experience when you're trying to enjoy the act of 'going for a coffee'. Lets face it, they all look identical anyway, so, when I'm off on a jolly, I always make a conscious effort to find a decent independent joint.

Bold Street is a place for serious coffee lovers; various beans, various brews, and they have not-your-standard-Twynings tea for those crazy haters too. It's not the sort of place with slouchy leather sofas and big comfy chairs; it's no frills tables, chairs and long benches. You'll probably be almost too close for comfort to the neighbouring couple, but it doesn't matter, they're either too engaged in work-related-chats over their laptops, or busy nattering and tucking into their food. Which gets me swiftly onto the food.. Bold Street have a superb breakfast menu to complement their coffees, and at the weekend they're available all the way til 4pm; perfect for those persistant hangovers (I sure wish this place was my local). They have all the traditional's - bacon sarnies, a range of eggs on toast, etc - but done a little posher (this is no greasy spoon), and there's a healthy supply of pastries to tempt you at the counter. What sealed the deal for me, however, was the french toast made with sourdough. I could have had it with bacon and maple syrup, but cinnamon apples and a butterscotch sauce sounded much more appealing; served with a dollop of creme fraiche, I'd put it up there as one of my best breakfasts.

The chap and I hit the shops hard after this (in search of the perfect knitted scarf for me - don't worry, I found one), but all that shopping is very thirsty work, cue afternoon beverage. At the edge of Liverpool One is Salt House Tapas; featured in The Times' 2013 Food List, this charcuteria and tapas bar/restaurant is another Scouse favourite. Had we not already planned our late lunch, this place would have been a definite contender for eats, with plenty of breads/chorizo/serrano on offer. As it was, we simply ventured in for a drink, the chap had a beer whilst I had a ginger/lemon/prosecco combination. Despite it's central location, this place seems like a laid-back-graze-as-you-like-it-retreat, and the service felt personal, so would be a great venue for a multitude of occasions.

A bit of a trek up the road, and we arrived at 'my suggestion' for late lunch. Situated within the Baltic Triangle, in place of what used to be the artspace A Foundation, you'll find Camp & Furnace. It's pretty unassuming from the outside, but being three warehouses wide, this is not your average venue. The bar area is a good place to start; one giant table in the centre of the room, sofas snuggled up to the roaring fire, and dark corners for those kind of days where you'd rather not be noticed. They have a nice selection of wines, spirits and craft beers; perhaps try Brown Bear, which has been especially brewed for C+F.

In contrast, the room next door is a vast open space. Primarily used for events (and fortunately for the chap, they show the footie - not so fortunate for me) the room comes complete with picnic benches, retro caravans, a stage and an abundance of fairy lights; I imagine the late-night happenings are where this place comes into it's own.

As for eats, C+F is a bit like street food meets pub grub meets fine dining. They have interesting soups, stuff on toast, bountiful salads, burgers (note the 'legendary' chorizo burger), roasts, etc; there wasn't a single thing on the menu that I wouldn't have eaten, which is pretty unheard of. Forcing myself to make a decision, I had braised lamb shoulder, with pistachio cous cous, olives, saffron aioli and a scattering of toasted seeds. It was both beautifully cooked and beautifully presented, which you'd probably not expect from a place that is essentially a warehouse. The chap had a more manly meaty meal of braised beef blade, crisp pancetta, smoked onions and egg yolk ketchup (he does love a condiment). If this is anything to go by, their Food Slam Fridays and Social Supperclubs must be amazing. Camp & Furnace is well worth the walk.

That's as far as my taste tourism goes, the rest involved a boozed up party, with a dodgy disco, even dodgier drunk dancing, and a lot of wine spillages on my new dress (good job it was white not red). On that note, I best go collect my things from the dry cleaners; maybe I'll go out in my curlers like those Scouse gals do..

.. Or maybe not. Til next time Liverpool!