Cookie, Glasgow Southside

March 27, 2013 by Briony

We finally managed to visit Cookie after many failed attempts (on our behalf!). We were able to get a seat without any problem on a Saturday around 1pm but it got a lot busier over the next two hours, so if you’re thinking of going for a special occasion I’d recommend booking in advance.

We were a bit confused by the menu, and I’ve read other people say this online. I put this down to the fact that their menu changes daily, and it’d be a bit of a waste to be printing out a new menu every day. Although, they could use the blackboards for this. Anyway, the point is that your waiter will tell you the specials of the day (two courses for £11.50) so make sure you pay attention!

There was a little more confusion as to whether we could order from the meals on the blackboard (we couldn’t) so we went for the lunch deal. We share the antipasti platter to start:

Antipasti platter to share

This had a generous amount of meats and cheese, as well as grilled vegetables underneath the rocket. We really enjoyed this and it was really nice and relaxing just grazing (I do tend to get a bit competitive when sharing food, thankfully Graeme has gotten used to this!).

Chicken with spinach bean stew/casserole

For main, we had the chicken and bean casserole. This was a large portion so I struggled to finish it after the antipasti. I am not the biggest bean lover but this dish was really nice and had a good balance of chicken to beans as well a refreshing spinach and some spring onion.

All their breads are baked in store daily, as well as the cakes. From the dining area you can see into the kitchen and have a spy on the calm, organised and tidy goings on. I was very impressed!

The waiter we had on the day was a little eccentric (“kooky” even, *boomtish*). He seemed a bit overwhelmed at times as he was taking care of all the tables in the restaurant with just a meal-runner to help him. The gentleman on the table next to us even commented on the service to us – but you know what, I like someone who is a little off-beat and not super slick. I think it can make the experience of dining out more fun and interesting.

One final word of praise – their cordials are served in a tea pot with a jug of water, so you can make it up to your own preference. Perfect for weirdos like me who like really weak cordial!

I can’t wait to go back to Cookie to try their dinner specials – they had a pea, wild garlic and blue cheese risotto which I am dying to try. It’s on the menu for a while longer (so they tell me via twitter) so I’ll have to go back soon!

Tomato and butter pasta sauce

March 25, 2013 by Briony

I read about this recipe while we were in Australia, I can’t remember where from now but there are lots of recipes floating around. It is impressively simple, and yet packs a huge flavour punch. Give it a try one night when you need a comfort meal like a hug, and can’t really be bothered cooking anything more complicated.

Tomato and butter pasta

Ingredients:

2 x 400 gram tins of tomatoes (preferably whole tomatoes, and a fancy brand if you feel like lashing out)
4 tbs of butter
Pasta – any kind works well. I used a packet of casareccia pasta which I got at the Zizzi launch – they use it in a pasta dish with chicken, tomato and spinach. It is a really lovely pasta that is soft and delicate, and holds the sauce really well.

Simply melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the tomatoes. Bash them a little bit so they break up. Leave the sauce to simmer for about 45 minutes.
Serve over your (cooked) pasta. Don’t overload the pasta with sauce – you want a nice coating but not drowning in sauce.

You might be reading this and thinking “but that’s it?!” … yes, that’s it. The butter and tomato taste amazing together, and sometimes it’s the simple recipes that really rock your world. I dare you to try it and tell me what you think of it.

What we ate in Melbourne, February 2013

March 12, 2013 by Briony

We ate so much food in Melbourne. SO MUCH. Nearly every day we were out for lunch or dinner, or both. That’s what’s nice about being on holidays but by the end of it, all I wanted to eat was salads. We had a few stand out amazing meals though, and I want to share them with you in case you’re planning a trip down under.

Mama Baba

For anyone who watches Masterchef Australia here in the UK, you’ll be familiar with the adorable judge George Calombaris. He has an ever-growing hoard of restaurants in Melbourne. Mama Baba opened in 2012 and has a pasta focused menu but with plenty of salad and meat options. We tried so much food on the menu and some of the things were really mind blowing.

Parma: Panino, chicken, jamon, tomato ketchup

We had these as a starter. If there was one thing I had to eat every day for the rest of my life, I would pick this. They were simply delicious! The bun was quite sweet with some really nutty cheese and all off set with a super crunchy parma (chicken) in the middle.

Scallop: Grilled, garlic skordalia, crumbs

When I lived in Melbourne, I used to eat at the Press Club bar after work on a Friday night (too) frequently. I loved the scallops there, and these had a similar vibe to them. Lovely and crispy on top, with an oozy sauce to complement the scallop.

Gnudi: Pumpkin puree with a dash of honey, fried sage, mitzethra and pumpkin seeds

We ordered this on a recommendation from my best friend. I don’t even like pumpkin but this dish changed my mind. This was hands down the nicest “pasta” dish I’ve ever eaten. I loved everything about it. I’d never heard of gnudi before (it is simply “nude pasta” – a pasta dish without an actual flour wrapper).

Orecchiette: Braised wagyu, peas, lemon, pangrattato

This is the second nicest pasta dish I’ve ever eaten. The pasta itself was so soft and delicate, almost slippery (without being creepy) and the wagyu was rich and intense. Wow. By this stage of the meal I was so happy and excited – the magical feeling you get from a really amazing meal.

We ordered heaps more food than just this – but I thought I’d just share these few with you. Mama Baba has an upbeat atmosphere with an in-house DJ. The staff are super, super friendly – although I am biased because our waiter was a friend of my best friend. So he took extra good care of us! I loved the idea of a mash-up between Greek and Italian food, and think that Mama Baba really pulls it off.

Little Hunter

This restaurant is seriously brand spanking new in Melbourne. In fact, we went on their opening night to the public. I read about it online as it is run by the sous chef of The Fat Duck here in the UK. Based on just that small piece of information, we were super keen to visit. We went with a group of friends and were pretty excited to see what the food would be like.

Complimentary bread

Normally I wouldn’t include a picture of the bread. But this bread was to die for. Pull apart herb bread. Sounds nice hey? Wait until I tell you the butter was from chicken skin! Ok, this might not appeal to everyone, obviously, but if you love your meat then this is the butter for you. It was decadent, rich and the bread just soaked it all up. I think if we’d eaten three courses of this bread we’d all have been happy!

“Beef on Toast” – chicken liver parfait, dressed chives

We all agreed that this was really great – strong flavours, all balanced really well.

Grits: herb butter, salt

I’d never tried grits before – in fact, I barely knew what they were. I have a few American friends who have mentioned how great they are though, and after trying this I’m inclined to agree! Really rich, savoury and smooth. I can’t wait to try grits again (I can’t find them in the UK though – if you know where I can get them, please comment and let me know).

For main, I had a Blackmore flank steak with avocado and Cajun flavours. Somehow in all the excitement I forgot to take a photo. My friend had the Robbin’s Island ribeye which I have to agree was probably a smidge nicer than my own steak (although is also more expensive!)

We finished off with a few desserts.

Fresh Yogurt – apple pie jam, basil granita, nutmeg

This was really lovely. Refreshing, from the granita and then a really awesome balance between apple and yoghurt further down the jar.

I really enjoyed the food at Little Hunter. It was all let down by some seriously awkward service, but I would put that down to first night teething problems. I’d happily return when we are back in Melbourne to see how it’s going!

So that’s two of the great meals we had in Melbourne. But that isn’t it for now! I will put up another post in the upcoming week with some more great dishes. If you’ve visited recently and ate somewhere great, why don’t you share it in the comments?

Zizzi Ristorante, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow

February 11, 2013 by Briony

On Saturday night we were excited to attend the launch of Zizzi Ristorante in Royal Exchange Square. In the space that was previously occupied by Borders (facing GoMA), I was really interested to see what they’d done with the space. If you remember way back to nearly the start of this blog, we went to the launch of Zizzi in the west end and were delighted to be a part of the opening night.

We were greeted by pipers, a glass of prosecco and a photographer, so we knew we were in for an eventful night! The space is really beautiful – my memories of what it was like as Borders have faded but they have made great use of the space by lots of interesting artwork (again, supplied by graduates of the Glasgow School of Art) and contrasting colours.

The first part of the night we spent milling around, checking out the decor, menu and listening to some great music provided by The Jack Dames. We were then seated and treated to a three course meal sampling the new menu. The starter was a beautiful antipasti platter with calamari, arancini, garlic bread, tomato bread, olives and prosciutto. I love an antipasti platter and I particularly liked this one because it was really well balanced so there was perfect portions to split between two people (nothing worse than fighting over the last arancini!).

Antipasti platter

For mains we had the pollo proscuitto – chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto, and cassareccia pollo piccante. I really enjoyed my main (I had the chicken breast) – it came with a white wine sauce that went really well with the sides.

Pollo Prosciutto

I hadn’t tried cassareccia pasta before and really enjoyed it as it was a bit unusual - and we even got a bag to take home in our goody bag! The chilli on top meant you could control the level of spiciness to your taste buds - a great idea, and I though this looked great by adding a nice splash of colour to the plate. It was offset nicely with a creamy sauce.

Cassareccia Pollo Piccante

Then it was time for the trio of desserts:

Trio of desserts: torta cioccolata, torta limone and tiramisu

If I had to pick a favourite, I think I’d go for the tiramisu. I thought this was just perfect! The lemon tart had an awesome punch of lemon with the right amount of sweetness and the chocolate torte was rich and decadent. I think the trio is the perfect way to finish a meal and I wish that it was an option on the dessert menu! I would also love to try the sorbet next time we visit.

We had a really fun night on Saturday night. It was definitely a party, celebratory atmosphere and all the staff seemed excited to be there for the launch. I’m a big fan of Zizzi’s for its consistency and delicious food, and the meal didn’t disappoint. This restaurant seems like it might be marketing itself towards a more business clientèle - although time will tell how it goes. We’ll definitely be back after our trip to Australia!

The restaurant officially opens today, Monday 11 February 2013! Thanks to Zizzi for inviting us along.

More photos:

The artwork upstairs is a lovely tribute to the former Borders with book covers from Scottish authors – I really loved this (so excuse all the pictures!):

Longboard Italian evening at Whole Foods Market, Giffnock

August 29, 2012 by Briony

We were lucky enough to be invited along for Whole Foods Market, Giffnock’s new monthly night called Longboard. The launch night was Italian themed, and we were treated to a whole range of amazing food.

Longboard Italian Menu

You can read a really detailed description of all the food on their blog, Longboard Giffnock. The idea is that the event encourages sharing from platters and meeting lovely new friends. We had the pleasure of sitting next to Fiona from Eaty Tweety and her husband and I’m glad to report there was no fork-stabbing incidents fighting over food!

After enjoying our welcoming glass of a peach prosecco bellini (yum!) we were then treated to our first longboard – salumi.

This is pretty much my dream dinner. Had we not had to share (or have more food coming) I could have happily grazed on this for a few hours! Everything was delicious and thankfully, the food we didn’t get to eat was boxed up for us to eat the next day.

One thing that really makes Whole Foods stand out to me is their wonderfully friendly and helpful staff. All the items were explained in detail, and they quickly answered any questions we had.

Amalfi lemons with mozzarella

Ohhhfttt these were a real surprise. The cheese popped out of the lemon skin, and was lightly lemon flavoured, but still packed a real mozzarella punch. I really want to learn how to make these as they would be a great and unusual starter!

Insalata – olive, bocconcini & cherry tomato dressed in olive oil with rocket & Parmesan

This is just the refreshing salad we need – a perfect palate cleanser before the main. Also, I loved this salad for it’s extreme simplicity and goes to show that a delicious, healthy salad can be thrown together in just a few minutes with some really fresh ingredients.

Lemon, fennel and marjoram rubbed roast chicken, rosemary & sea salt baby roasts, chilli and herb spiked roasted vegetables, ricotta mushrooms

There were four portions on the longboard so sharing wasn’t required for this course! I loved the chicken but the vegetables were the real stand out of this course. The first thing I ate was the mushroom and it had a really punch of chilli to it, which was a surprise as I was just expecting it to be cheesy. I loved it! Then the potatoes – they were served on a carrot and vanilla purée which was beyond heavily – another item I want to learn to make at home!

Desserts – sweet tarts

Graeme skillfully managed to cut these tarts into four so we could all try all of them. This dessert was the perfect finish to the meal – to be honest, I was totally stuffed by this stage so wouldn’t have been able to eat much more! We were also treated to dark chocolate squares, a glass of marsala (which I wouldn’t normally drink, but loved with the chocolate!) as well as an espresso. It was either the espresso or the fun that kept me awake for hours afterwards!

We had such a great night. It was really a lovely experience to dine at Whole Foods (what other supermarket could you say that about?!) and fun to meet awesome people to share it with.

There will be another Longboard event in September – Whole Foods will be announcing it this week! So keep your eyes glued to their facebook page as I’m sure it will sell out quickly.

The Glasgow Food Blog dined as guests of Whole Foods Giffnock.

What we ate in Amsterdam, February 2012

February 27, 2012 by Briony

We had such an amazing time in Amsterdam, I am really keen to show you all the lovely foods we ate so that I can reminisce and imagine we’re still there (yes, we only got back yesterday).

Number one on our eating list was bitterballen – apparently made from béchamel sauce and mixed with beef (normally) – we ate these every single day. I was hooked, they are very similar to croquettes and a snack of 6 between 2 people is the perfect afternoon pick me up.

We also had the pleasure of eating at Burger Bar thanks to a recommendation from @NoBetterWords on twitter. This was probably the best burger I’ve ever had and was everything a burger should be – perfectly tender, juicy meat with just the right amount of accompaniments - no need for fancy fillings here as the meat spoke for itself. We went for the kobe beef burger, expensive at €9.95 but worth every cent.

This place is my #1 recommendation for eating in Amsterdam (if you’re a carnivore of course). Burger Bar is small though, so be prepared to consider takeaway if you can’t get a seat inside.

Another place we’d been recommended was Casa di David - I was quite taken with the menu online so booked dinner in advance online so we didn’t miss out. We didn’t get our requested table (on the first floor, overlooking the canal) but that didn’t matter. The restaurant was really busy for a Thursday night and it seemed like there were lots of regulars. We had bitterballen in the afternoon which sadly meant we both weren’t really hungry when we arrived, so just had mains and shared a salad.

Spaghetti alla matriciana - spaghetti with onion, bacon, pecorino and tomatoes

Rocket salad with parmesan cheese, apple and balsamico dressing

Black fettuccine with scallops, shrimps and small onions

The food was that kind of “woah!” heavenly. The black fettuccine was so delicious and everything was perfectly cooked. We had a relatively quick meal here before heading off, but I really enjoyed the bustling atmosphere and the pastas were super fresh and tasty.

We had dinner the following day at Pancakes! - this place was so good we came back again on Sunday before we left.

Pancakes with lemon and sugar

Pancakes with bacon, pesto and mozzarella (daily special)

Pancakes with cheese and bacon

Pancakes with muesli (baked into the pancake), yoghurt and fruit salad

Pancakes! is quite small and depending on the time of day, you might have to wait for a table. On Sunday at lunch time, we waited about 1/2 an hour but it was worth it.

The last meal I’ll include here was at The Pantry - I found this by a bit of TripAdvisor searching and we thought it would be good to go to a traditional Dutch restaurant. This place was brilliant, small and intimate with super friendly wait-staff who will take their time explaining the menu if need be. They had a good set menu option but I was set on having poffertjes for dessert.

Dutch goat cheese croquettes (3) with rocket salad and honey mustard dressing

Pea-soup served with rye bread and smoked bacon

We grew up eating pea soup and this was just as delicious as my Mum’s version

Combination of hutspot, boerenkool- and zuurkoolstamppot served with a smoked sausage or a meatball

(Hutspot – mashed potatoes mixed with stewed beef, carrots and onions;

Boerenkoolstamppot – mashed potatoes mixed with kale;

Zuurkoolstamppot – mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut)

We both had the same main – Graeme with smoked sausage, and mine with a meatball. This dish might not sound too appetizing but all the types of mash tasted really different and were all delicious in their own way. My meatball also had a really nice smoky flavour to it.

At the end of our trip in Amsterdam, we were both saying how lucky we were to have eaten so well. I can’t think of one meal I didn’t enjoy and every person we met was super friendly and helpful.

What have your dining experiences in Amsterdam been like, and did we miss anywhere amazing?

Zizzi Glasgow West End

August 16, 2010 by Briony

We were really excited to be invited to the opening event at Zizzi in Glasgow’s West End on Friday night, Tela Vuota.

It was an amazing and magical night with artists painting the restaurant while we enjoyed some delicious food. When we first arrived, the restaurant was (almost) stark white on the walls, and throughout the night we watched some fantastically talented artists bring the restaurant to life through paint. (We took so many photos of the art that I think it is only fair to dedicate a whole separate post to it). We were handed olives and prosecco and allowed to roam and enjoy the restaurant before sitting down to eat.

A few pictures from early in the night:

Cresswell Lane

Chefs hard at work making pizza

The beautiful restaurant space – really bright and airy, even on a (typically) overcast Glasgow day.

Bar artwork

What we ate (note: we ate a lot)

Garlic bread with cheese – freshly baked pizza bread with garlic and mozzarella served with caramelised balsamic onions £4.65

This was so delicious, I’ve never had a garlic bread like this before as the caramelised onions gave it a whole different taste. They were sweet and juicy and set off the saltiness and tang of the garlic and cheese perfectly.

Antipasto Zizzi - proscuitto crudo, salami Romana, coppa, smoked mountain ham, sunblush tomatoes and olives (note: the platter was not served with a pip on it, I was just a tad over eager with eating before photographing!) as well as buffalo mozzarella – £10.25 for two people

A generous antipasto platter, all the meats were delicious and the cheese was so moreish, I could have kept eating it for the rest of the night – cheese is always my weakness.

Rigatoni con pollo e funghi – pan-roasted chicken, simmered in a deep tomato sauce with onions, mushrooms and rosemary – £8.75

A very rich flavoured pasta with a rustic meaty sauce which we both really loved. The pasta was cooked more al dente than we do at home but it was not a negative. The chicken was well cooked and the rosemary made a strong impact.

Pollo al limone con spinici - pan-fried chicken fillet braised in white wine and a touch of lemon juice. Served with wilted spinach, pine nuts, a wedge of lemon and a hot pot of sliced potatoes oven-baked with red onion and sunblush tomatoes – £11.95

This was really, really lovely. I have never tasted braised chicken that tastes like this and I would love to try braising chicken at home if this is how good it can taste. It was so tender and juicy that it fell apart in my mouth. At first it was almost a weird sensation! But in a great way. The side of the baked potatoes was so generous that it easily could have been a side for two people. It was really tasty with a nice added zing from the red onion and tomatoes.

Insalata Rucola – fresh rocket dressed with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Grana Padano cheese – £3.95

I’m not one to order a side salad, but I do really love rocket. This was great and I will definitely make it at home. The main serving sizes at Zizzi are so generous though, I don’t think you would actually need a side salad (unless you are feeling extra greedy, of course).

Chocolate melt – a rich chocolate dessert with a soft, melting centre, served with vanilla mascarpone or ice cream – £4.95

A good mix of baked chocolate pudding but with a creamy chocolate explosion inside. For the chocoholic of the table, this was a menu highlight accompanied by a really high quality vanilla ice cream. Zizzi apparently have an in-house ice cream sourcer (not saucer!) who travels to Italy to find the best of the best ice cream and sorbet.

Torta Amaretti – creamy mascarpone cheesecake sweetened with Amaretti liqueur, served with a fruit compote and fresh mint – £4.85

By dessert, we were well stuffed. I really loved this cheesecake – the filling was soft and crumbly which the top and base were both crisp and crunchy which made for a lovely contrast. The fruit compote was tangy and went really well with the cheesecake.

From the moment we arrived at Zizzi until we left, we received excellent service and met some really friendly Zizzi staff. A notable mention to our waiter, Andy, who was funny and chatty throughout the night and helped us with our menu choices. This was a small event so undoubtedly we had wonderful service, and based on the high level of enthusiasm and excitement, I can’t wait to see how this carries over to their usual service. We really look forward to returning to Zizzi as there was so many different dishes we are keen to try.

It was natural for us to compare this to the recently opened (and reviewed) Jamie’s Italian in George Square. They are both excellent restaurants with a high standard of food. The portion sizes at Jamie’s however means that you really need to order a side (or two) with your main otherwise you may be left a little hungry. Some people may read the menu at Jamie’s and not realise that sides are somewhat essential. Our meal at Zizzi however was a great portion size and would have left us very satisfied without any extra sides.

As mentioned above, a separate post is forthcoming with photos of the lovely artwork from the night!

The Glasgow Food Blog dined as guests of Zizzi Glasgow West End

Jamie’s Italian, Glasgow

July 14, 2010 by Briony

We were excited to try Jamie’s Italian which has just opened in Glasgow. So excited, that the day that Jamie Oliver twittered that it had opened, we went the very next night. Too bad Jamie seemed to be a bit ahead of himself as it wasn’t opening for a few more weeks. Anyway, it is now open and we ate there last night.

Jamie’s Italian is a chain of restaurants with a casual, relaxed family atmosphere - they are trying to build a neighbourhood feeling instead of something high class and pretentious. As it has only been open a short time, they are still having slight problems but you can see they are not a far way off everything running more smoothly. When we arrived, there was a wait for a table – there are no bookings (unless booking a table for 8 or more people). We were directed downstairs to the bar with a device that would flash when our table was ready. I really enjoyed this as the bar downstairs is really lovely and it would be sad to miss spending time there. I’m not sure what their policy is on just going down for a drink, but it is a great space with tables, benches and booths.

We were told there would be a wait of 25 minutes for our table – it was closer to 45 minutes but that wasn’t a real bother as we were just excited to be there, and it was really busy for a Tuesday night.

The dining area is a really lovely space, open, bright and sparsely decorated. It has a really vibrant atmosphere without ruining your ability to have a conversation with the people at your table. I think we had the best seats in the house, we were seated on the far wall in a booth. Of course I’d like to try sitting somewhere else next time, perhaps nearer to the windows. Another thing I liked about the restaurant is the amount of food they use as decoration, there are fresh vegetables right near the door and meats hanging from the roof. It gives it a really authentic, interesting appeal without being too over the top.

So let’s get down to the food.

Covert shot of a neighbouring table’s burger – it was huge!

We were dining with my parents who have been in town visiting Glasgow for the first time from Australia. We decided on two bruschettas to share for entrée:

Tomatoes in season, basil and creamy ricotta - £4.75

I really enjoyed this one. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and the ricotta was smooth and delicious.

Cornish spider crab with chilli, Amalfi lemon and zesty mayo - £6.75

I am a real crab lover and really liked this one, although perhaps it would work better with the crab and mayo separate, instead of being mixed together. It was a lovely creamy texture though, and the crab was succulent and had a real zing from the lemon.

Shell roasted Brixham scallops – delicious grilled king scallops with crispy pancetta, crunchy fennel and lemon salad with salsa rosso crudo – £15.25

You might be able to tell I am real seafood fan. This was amazing! The scallops were beautiful, really soft, delicate and delicious. I loved that they were wrapped in the pancetta as this gave a lovely crunch before you got to the scallop. I really loved this dish, but it really needed a side order of some chips as I missed the carbs.

Wiggly pappardelle polpette mini meatballs - Delicious mini pork and beef meatballs with a wonderful slow cooked tomato, cinnamon, tomato and basil sauce - £10.25

I am going to leave the review of this to my boyfriend to write as I didn’t taste enough of it to write about it properly! (I was too busy defending the scallops from attack).

My parents ate:

Chicken cooked under a brick - A lovely free-range, slow grown bird from Broadoak farm in Dorset. Halved, boned, marinated and chargrilled, with a warm tomato, olive, chilli and caper sauce – £12.85

I really enjoyed this but it was slightly too spicy for my Mum’s palette. I would definitely order this next time we eat there though, it had a really warm spice to it and the chicken was so moist and delicious.

Prawn linguine - Pan fried garlicy prawns with tomatoes, chilli, rocket and fennel – £11.25

Another dish that some may find slightly spicy but I found it amazing, it had real depth of flavour and I would have loved to have nabbed a prawn (but didn’t want to give up a scallop in return!). This dish also made me realise I need to start using fennel more in my own cooking has such a wonderful flavour to it.

And for dessert!

Trio of sorbets

Tiramisu - Classic Italian coffee flavoured trifle with mascarpone and chocolate – £4.95

Probably the only dish that I didn’t love – because I really wanted the chocolate brownie, and they were sold out of that, and this really didn’t give me the chocolate hit I wanted! Everyone else really loved it though.

Jamie’s Italian was a great experience and I really enjoyed eating there. The restaurant is relaxed and easy going – I had thoughts it might be quite speedy service with a view to turning over tables quickly – but it wasn’t like that at all. I really cannot wait to go back and would highly recommend it.

Edited to add: In hindsight, the portion sizes at Jamie’s are probably not big enough on their own, and you would need to order a side to go with it. For example, the chicken dish just came with a small salad whereas I think people may assume that you would get a potato mash or chips side to go with it.

Il Pavone Sud, Newton Mearns

March 4, 2010 by Briony

A slightly older review, as we ate at Il Pavone Sud in January 2010. I was expecting it to be a bit average as its sister cafe (inside the Avenue shopping centre) can be a bit average and overpriced. But Il Pavone Sud was lovely!

We just stopped in for a brief lunch but I’m looking forward to going back for dinner.

Pepperoni pizza:

My creamy salmon pasta (with a strange arrangement of cherry tomatoes to the left hand side…)

I really enjoyed the pasta, it was fresh and the salmon was delicious. Not overly creamy (something that their sister restaurant can sometimes get wrong). The service was friendly and it had a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. I would be interested to see how busy it gets during dinner service.

The Glasgow Food Blog

A blog about restaurants and eating in Glasgow, Scotland

Category Archives: Italian