Best Eats of Glasgow

Back in July, Rob and I managed to get a couple of days away together. Keen on exploring a cultural and foodie centre, we opted for Glasgow. With such limited time and so many culinary hot spots to explore, we were ruthless in picking restaurants. Below are the few that made the cut.

The Dhabba 

In North India, roadside diners are commonly known as Dhabbas - This indian restaurant in Glasgow replicates that cuisine with finese and true expertise! Recommended by The Guardian as one of the Top 10 Curry Houses in the UK. 

We ate Shuruvaati Thal - a starter platter of king prawn, lamb, chicken and vegetarian bites. Followed by Masala Machli - Juicy monkfish in a sauce of caramelised onions, tomatoes and peppers, Bhuna Gosht with lamb that was 'melt in the mouth' tender, and we garnished our curries with garlic naans the size of my head - an incredible depth of flavour, and a lovely smokey finish.

Cafe Gandolfi

Once part of an old cheese market, this rustic cafe is the perfect spot for a Scottish breakfast.

Deagh Bhiadh, Deagh Bheannachd - Well fed, well blessed. The Gaelic proverb displayed on the wall of the Cafe Gandolfi is the owner's aspiration for everybody who eats there. We started our day with Freshly Squeezed Pink Grapefruit Juice, cheek pursing sharpness and sweetness balanced perfectly. Rob took on the Full Scottish Breakfast - Stornoway black pudding, bacon, beef sausage, cherry tomatoes, potato scone, field mushrooms and scrambled eggs... and toast of course! Whilst I opted for the slightly more modest Eggs Hebridean with Stornoway black pudding. By far the best black pudding I have ever had accompanied by silk eggs and a rich hollandaise, it was enough for a post breakfast nap. 

Bread Meats Bread

We happened to be staying around the corner from Bread Meats Bread and saw it by chance. It peaked our interested immediately - clever restaurant name, good styling, burgers?! So we gave it a try. As you know we're both big fans of American style food, so we hoped it would fill the beef shaped hole in our lives. We ate a Fullhouse Burger - Brioche Bun, American Cheese, Smoked Brisket, Gravy, Tobacco Onions, Pickles and Sauce, as well as the Chicago Goumet Dog with mustard, tomatoes, onion and pickle relish. We then shared a Classic Poutine. If you have never tried the Canadian masterpiece that is Poutine - you are wasting your life, go out and get some NOW. The classic poutine is Chips with Cheese Curds and Gravy. It's not chips, cheese and gravy. It's different, honest. You'll fall in love or your money back (Georgie guarentee*) *No money will be refunded.

Riverhill Cafe

For our last morning in Glasgow, we searched for a great cup of coffee. It had been two days and I needed caffiene - I'm a Londoner! Riverhill ticked all of the boxes. I was finally granted a delicious flat white - smooth, rich and creamy. Rob opted for a Black Pudding Sausage roll, which was beautifully rustic and had a great texture and flavour. Continuing my Canadian theme - we were in Glasgow after all... I tried a Nanaimo Bar. This particular nanaimo was vegan and extremely filling. A traditional nanaimo has a wafer-like base with a custard layer and chocolate topping, but this was a healthy coconut version, made with dates and cocao instead of chocolate. Guilt free cakes at their best!

To Market.

With the abundance of America style diners opening up in Central London and the return of my sorely missed other half from his feature film shoot in Dunstable, we decided that it was time to go and indulge ourselves. With meat. And cheese.

You may remember Valentine’s Day 2012 fondly, as that night Rob and I explored the newly opened Meat Liquor (Fangtasia crossed with a butcher) and enjoyed some dirty US cuisine at its best.  Instead of revising as we have already done many times, we decided to check out another of Yianni Papoutsis’ creations – Meat Market in Covent Garden.  

With a rather secluded entrance off Tavistock Street, you head up the stairs to a small, rough and ready diner style set up overlooking Covent Garden’s Jubilee Market Hall. We arrived at about 7pm and managed to squeeze ourselves onto a newly empty table. There’s no table service here and you collect your food when you hear your name called. Like it’s sister, Meat Liquor, Meat Market has great style. It’s a toned down, simple version but its personality is still shining through.

Even with its small menu, it was hard to choose what to have. We both opted for the Maple Bourbon Shake (£6), which was the most incredible drink I have ever had. There was nowhere near enough of this to keep me satisfied. Rob even toyed with picking up another for the road. To eat, Rob chose the old faithful ‘Dead Hippy’ burger – just as good as usual, whilst I went for a Chilli Dog. The hot-dog itself was the star of the show – well flavoured with a good meaty texture, and stood out against the large amount of toppings that it was fighting against. The bun was soft and light and the chilli, cheese and jalapeños topped the dish off nicely.

We were in and out in about half an hour. As we left, I felt sated and exhilarated. I can only imagine that this is what it must feel like to visit a top of the range escort. 

Why I Love Byron.

Hands up who's been to Byron? Don't be shy, it's definitely okay to love burgers. Especially when they're this tasty. This time last year I was team GBK til the bitter end (or until a better burger comes along), whereas Rob has always been team Byron. As it happens on this one very rare occasion, I think he was right. 

I love Byron because....

• The meat is amazing. 
• They will cook your burger medium rare if you ask them to. My burger last night came oozing with blood and this made me very excited - I am a true carnivore. 
• They can do french fries that are crispy, delicious and that you can't stop eating.
• They offer skin-on chips so that you can change your side depending on your mood. I love skin-on chips.
• Their onion rings are basically the size of my head and give the most satisfying crunch. 
• They keep their burgers simple unless you state otherwise. A good burger doesn't need a pile of toppings because it stands up on it's own.
• They use words like "Cheesemas".
• They served me a Tempranillo that didn't make me wince.
• You get half a pickle. HALF A PICKLE! 
• The milkshakes are enough to go for alone. 
• They serve cream soda and root beer floats.
• Their side salads are more than just iceberg lettuce and cucumber. 
• I can't get enough of their garlic aioli and I don't even like mayonnaise.
• They serve a dessert called Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownie Sundae. Yes.
• If you've raised £25 for Movember, they will give you a free burger. Because they're super nice like that.

One for the Vegans

One of the things I love most about being a meat eater is a good burger. Granted, I'm pretty picky about my burgers now, especially when eating out. But when people get it right, there's nothing better. This is why I sometimes feel a bit sorry for vegetarians and vegans. One of my closest friends is a vegan, and trying to find something for him to eat when we go out always proves to be a bit of a challenge. If it's a vegetarian meal, people tend to slap a load of cheese on it. So I found this recipe by Healthy Happy Life - a vegan food blog by Kathy Patalsky. 

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with Avocado. 

To accompany these, because Rob can't stand too much healthiness in one go, we had shoestring onion rings that were to die for. 

Find the recipe here: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/02/easy-sweet-potato-veggie-burgers-with.html

Go out and try a delicious vegan burger! It was nearly as good as a normal one. Nearly.