BACKLIST

Most of us have been doing our best to forget that the season of goodwill is hearing down on us like a juggernaut on a crippled hedgehog trying to cross an eight lane motorway. The more mistletoe in the shops the glummer the shoppers and the less shopping days till Christmas the less money there is in the bank account. But it’s not all doom, gloom and two days with the relatives. The festive season also means parties, in particular it means office parties: that once-a-year chance to drink too much, spill fizz into your MD’s keyboard, upset your colleagues and set your career back ' by several years - all in one unforgettable but barely remembered night. Maybe that’s not such a good idea after all.

Best to hold your office festivities in a controlled environment, somewhere that provides food to lessen the effects of the alcohol and somewhere that has grown-ups to supervise proceedings and make sure that nothing gets out of hand. So, give your cleaning staff a break and head out to a restaurant for a civilised Christmas lunch. 0r dinner if the company is picking up the tab.

The days of Christmas menus consisting of turkey and all the

FOOD&DRINK

THE GOBBLERS

trimmings and nowt else have gone the way of the dinosaur and the free bottle of warm milk for school kids. In fact some restaurants have declared Christmas a turkey-free zone altogether and banished it from the menu since there was little or no demand for our be-giuarded friends. Howies in Edinburgh have found over the years that turkey was not top of the table pops among their customers

with most of them opting for something a little more adventurous. Similarly the city’s Dragon Way has just said no to turkey and offers a full spread of eastern delicacies that look a damn sight more tempting. The 13th llote in Glasgow has eschewed meat completely and offers a vegan xmas meal that borrows from eastern Mediterranean cuisine along with western dishes. Irrespective of vegan, vegetarian or carnivorous tendencies, their menu should get the digestive iuices flowing in all three groups of folk. But not every restaurant has forsaken the traditional turkey and trimmings. The ever popular Rab lla’s finds that year in, year out the customers want turkey, they want stuffing, they want roast parsnips, they want the lot. llell, it’s Christmas so why not?

Just to round off, a brief and completely unscientific straw poll of restaurants found that nurses were the wildest bunch of animals when seated at table, office staff came a close second and in third place was a surprise result for the nation’s teaching staff. Worryingly, one restaurant has had to ban the workers from the local cop shop from turning up en masse. (Jonathan Trew)

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DATES STILL AVAILABLE FOR PARTIES. figfiOR RESERVATIONS OR MENUS CALL 0141-332 7013

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For rederva tirmu am) detail“ call Jacquie on

013/ 668 3456

Filmhouse Cafe Bar

If you want a hassle free party for a lot less than you'd think, why not try Filmhouse. You'll be surprised what we can do for. you!

'phone 229-5932 88 Lothian Road

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7 Old Fishmarket Close Edinburgh lunch and dinner Monday to Thursday all day Friday and Saturday Sundays dinner only telephone 0131 225 5428

Edinburgh THE I bar... 1 l cafe... TH iNOTEI venue

FANCY A RELAXING XMAS DOWN THE PUB...?

VEGAN XMAS DAY DINNER MONDAY 25 DECEMBER 1995

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