The Citizen, Glasgow
The Citizen 24 St Vincent Place, Glasgow G1 2EU 0141 222 2909 www.thecitizenglasgow.co.uk The Bill A la carte Starters £6.95 – £9.95 | Mains £15.95 – £36.95 Desserts £5.95 – £7.95 The Score Cooking 5/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 3.5/5 TOTAL 16.5/25 In spite of Humphrey Bogart films, I seriously doubt…
Read MoreSorbets and Granitas
Sorbet I hesitate to commend anythng whatsoever about Moscow in 2024, but during a visit a few years ago, something struck me. When the wife of an important person went out, she was invariably accompanied by a large man with no neck. Given the circumstances which gave rise to the inspiration for my recipe today,…
Read MoreS is for … Sorbet
The recent spell of half decent weather has cheered up the general population – but not nearly as much as it’s brought a smile to the faces of ice cream makers and sellers. Observing the eating of ice cream in the street is very much like watching the growth cycle of the average homo sapiens.…
Read MoreDa Etta, Rome
Da Etta Piazza in Piscinula 42 – 47, 00153 Rome +39 06 581 6249 www.ostepercaso.com/da-etta The Bill (Euros) A la carte Antipasti €12.00 – €24.00 | Pasta €14.00 – €18.00 Secondi €20.00 – €26.00 | Dolci €8.00 – €10.00 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 19/25…
Read MoreAsparagus Soup
How profligate, I hear you cry. Taking something which is delicate, delicious and downright dear, and turning it into soup? Nay, best beloveds, nay. Imparting culinary knowledge to my bambini has always been a source of pleasure, never more so than when it related to today’s star veg. Having been asked how far down one…
Read MoreA Grand Day Out with the Guild of Food Writers
I suspect we all suffer from impostor syndrome from time to time. In my case I had it in spades a week or so ago, finding myself on a bus with a bevy of beauties, food professionals all. Thanks to the lovely Cat Thomson, journalist and hen keeper extraordinaire I found myself invited on a…
Read MoreHot Smoked Salmon Salad with Beetroot, Grapefruit and Horseradish
I’ve long been a fan of the way the French put together a salade composée. The British style of having a few ingredients laid out on a flat plate always looks sad, and usually tastes that way as well. While the base for today’s offeriing will always be leaves (well dressed of course), you can…
Read MoreThe Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry – Guest Reviewer Miranda Heggie
The Old Mill Inn Mill Lane, Pitlochry, PH16 5BH 01796 474020 www.theoldmillpitlochry.co.uk The Bill A la carte Starters £5.95 – £13.50 | Mains £17.95 – £32.95 Desserts £7.50 – £8.50 The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 3.5/5 TOTAL 19.5/25 Miranda Heggie I always find meal timings a bit tricky…
Read MoreThe Tasting Menu is Back: Discuss
Back? Did it ever go away? And where did it come from? Maybe it was just in my newspapers of choice (yes, paper ones, and yes, I do know how that dates me) but I’ve been reading a lot about this recently. Stuart Ralston is one of Scotland’s most influential chefs (Aizle, Noto, Tipo and…
Read MoreI Tried To Give You New Ravioli, But I Failed
Overseeing school dinners very many years ago in an unnamed establishment outwith Edinburgh, L asked what the day’s veg was. Ravioli, came the reply. In our enjoyment of pasta in Britain we’ve come a long way since then, but when it comes to the stuffed stuff, we’re still a long way behind the home country. Shop…
Read MoreTom Eats! In Rome
Tom Eats! in Rome For a reviewer, four, I think, is the magic number. Sample any fewer plates and you can’t be sure you’re getting a representative sample. Four folk each having three different courses is ideal, but life just isn’t normally like that. Dinner at Casa Johnston tends to be a one course…
Read MoreChef Watch featuring Darin Campbell of Cromlix, by Dunblane
Chef Watch Darin Campbell Head Chef, Cromlix, by Dunblane How long have you been a chef? I’ve been a chef for nearly 30 years. I started out working in a small local hotel in my home town of Largs. I realised I had a passion and talent for cooking so I moved to Edinburgh and…
Read MoreWhen in Rome, Eat Artichokes
If you’re French and you’re reading this, do you realise how much of a laugh the Italians are having at your expense? My admiration of the cuisine of la belle France knows few bounds except, perhaps, when it comes to today’s star ingredient. We refer not the little tubers which cause extreme flatulence, the so called…
Read MoreLa P’tite Folie, Edinburgh
La P’tite Folie 9 Randolph Place, Edinburgh EH2 1LH 0131 225 8678 www.laptitefolie.co.uk The Bill 2 Courses Set Lunch £19.95 A la carte Starters £6.50 – £14.00 | Mains £16.00 – £29.95 Desserts £7.50 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 19/25 St James Centre – A Planning…
Read MoreWater? Water Fuss!
How long would you like the extended warranty to be for? Like all attempted con tricks, this one was delivered with flair, with a smile and, of course, with absolute confidence (hence the name). If, on the first of June this year, you part with some of your hard earned for a five year warranty…
Read MoreOne, Two, Salsa!
No! Not that sort of salsa! If you think I’m going to be a dance master in April, you little know your man. Even before the titanium hip I discovered that I had been born lacking a sense of rhythm. The delights of dancing the salsa (which, as you know, is a Cuban fusion of…
Read MoreDaika Kanm, Edinburgh
Daika Kanm 3 Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2PW 0131 225 1329 www.daika.co.uk The Bill A la carte Starters £8.60 – £10.50 | Mains £17.95 – £22.85 Desserts £6.50 – £8.95 The Score Cooking 4/10 | Service 3/5 Flavour 3/5 | Value 3/5 TOTAL 13/25 A confession. The Johnston family owes an apology or two to…
Read MoreA Decade of Tom’s Food!
March 31 was the tenth anniversary of my retiring from the practice of law. One door closes, a hundred restaurant doors open. It wasn’t quite the plan. People have asked why the Tom’s Food! domain name is www.ormidalels.com. Simple, really. It’s short for Ormidale Licensing Services. Glasgow’s coat of arms features a bird that never…
Read MoreButterflied Leg of Lamb with Home Made Mint Sauce
Well, sod seasonality! I said firmly to the laptop. No, I’m not referring to what we should cook or eat, but to the issues it raises for us scribblers. You might think that Easter would be a gift, with all its food traditions. Yes, but this is the ninth year of Tom Cooks! Fortunately, many of…
Read Morepizzologist, Edinburgh – Guest Reviewer Miranda Heggie
pizzologist 70 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5LQ 0131 603 0173 www.pizzologist.co.uk The Bill A la carte Starters £4.00 – £12.00 | Mains £7.50 – £12.50 Desserts £2.00 – £8.00 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 21/25 The winner of the Tom Eats! Be A Restaurant…
Read MoreNational Food Days
When news is slow, journalists (and, I confess, food bloggers) can struggle to find material. On the food front, a constant source of entertainment is to look up the mutitudinous foodstuffs which have been allocated a specific day or week. There are of course a few which have long standing significance. Perhaps the best known…
Read MoreGoulash, Of Course
I’m shocked, let me tell you. Totally shocked. No, I’m not being Louis Renault, Casablanca’s police chief, on discovering that gambling is carried on at Ricks Cafe (just before receiving his winnings). Rather it’s the lack of goulash recipes out there. My go to encylopaedia is Prue Leith’s Cookery Bible. There you can find out how…
Read MoreThink Austro-Hungary: Think Goulash
Come On, You Reds! Today’s column is inspired by a recent visit to Vienna, to visit the grandson (and his parents, of course). The boy’s education is coming along nicely. If you say to him, come on, he will, without bidding, add, you Reds. I’m fairly certain his choice of weekend attire was responsible for Man…
Read MoreEducated Flea, Edinburgh
Educated Flea 32B Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3SB 0131 556 8092 www.educatedflea.co.uk The Bill Lunch 2 courses £20.00 A la carte Starters £6.00 | Mains £15.00 Sharing Plates (for 2) £30.00 – £60.00 | Desserts £6.00 Dinner Starters £6.00 – £10.00 | Mains £18.00 £26.00 Sharing Plates (for 2) £36.00 – £60.00 | Desserts…
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