&
lit/UNI» III”
THE ITALIAN JOB
The family owned and operated Italian restaurant is a staple of Scotland's central belt. Thev Valvona & Crolla brand may be the standard bearer, but here are a few others to consider:
Prego 38 St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh, 0131 557 5754
Hugo llfill‘fill,’ douantw. lz‘ ‘
iffll rt“ 'iu',tii,'. whit h l‘; l‘:il(:’,l‘:tl in illut‘im such af. lll‘: film/lain of “IN Fun ‘;;iltiii:l>or.;i oi lllt: n ‘flilllll‘,’ of I)I‘.‘€l(l(,"l and lllfrll ‘illllll‘rl. aizri ‘siiuirl. J)ut perhaps nuuh a lirlll‘ IIIVIIfIfSItIIIIl) tlir; ‘,I<.|Il lIl tlii: kitchen Bait: létlllft‘; (ii/i.- an giiiiliii;rir:te ’)l relaxed iiiloiinality .vhili: ownw Pafaiiizilt: Pan/int}. .‘.’ll(i Tillftlli l,' yeah; al lllt: I‘lf:".’t:ll‘,’ Ilill‘; llotul,
heads up lllt: gracious uninitiw.
Centotre 103 George Street, Edinburgh, 0131 225 1550 CHIHUIH‘ ll)l()ll(lllll(‘f,‘(l '(llimito tray» Illtfilllf; 'ltlii' the street nuii‘liei of this; George Street venture llt)ll‘. Vi(:toi and Carina Contini. Ioi niani, it's hound to he known at; 'that Valvona (‘3. Crolla pla<:t;-'. hut the pair have gone their own way Ill(:‘, haven't lost their love of good food
and some exceptional ‘.‘Jlll(?. Ilit: large (ax-hanking hall offers a (liaiiiatit: setting; for '3;inip|o, Iltl’Sli Italian' tare.
Toma Sorrento 148 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, 0141 332 2288 I'oina Soronto't; surroundings are hright and \i/elitoining. This husitioss has heen truly a Iéilllll\ atlair \‘.’|lll Ith? lll(}llll)(?l'f3 involved in everything from (:hoosanii and cooking the food to greeting and serving the guests. Pride is; especially taken in the fish. fresh pasta and correct intoipietation of classut Italian dishes.
La Parmigiana 447 Great Western Road, Glasgow, 0141 334 0686
Starched white linens are the first hints that dineis can expect top senice in this charming restaurant. Escaloiios of tender teal. coxoietl Wllll Parina ham and iiio.'.‘aiella. are sened on suhtle tomato sauce. With this dualih of food. the set price three course lunch and pie- theatie choices seen? uncoii‘ii‘onlt
good \ aluo.
EAT&DRINK
Cheropfions
Barry Shelby says Valvona & Crolla’s new cafe is worth the New Town prices.
xhop called ‘('al\ in Ix'lein I'iiderxxeai'”? In Iidinhui'gli‘.’ You iiiuxt he
joking. Keep thix up and the capital ix dextined to he Iuiou ii l'oi' itx
'l‘ur mul‘l‘x and expenxne lxniclxei'x‘. The .\Iulti'eex \Valk retail de\elopnient near Ilai‘ie} .\'icliolx and St .\iidre\\x Square ix full of poxli houtiqtiex xucli (‘Kl '. lio\\e\ei' duhioux their \alue.
But amid the axpirational accoutreiiientx ol the xhopx \\ itli more xalex xtall than pining punterx i.x one legitiiiiatel) htlx} huxinexx: the lii'xt lloor dining xpace at \'al\ona & ('rolla‘x recently opened Vllifilllc. .-\mid timher panelling. deep green iiioxaic tiling and matte hlack lacquered tahlex ix a hu/} melaiige ol' afternoon dinerx. ‘Ti‘_\ a dexxert.‘ xa_\x one ol‘ them lhetuecn coiiinieiitx ahout t‘l00.0( )0 hudgetx and the pillallx ol' lield ti'ialxl. "I‘he_\ hax e really nice oiiex here.‘
The menu co\erx the haxex of‘ traditional Italian cuixine: antipaxto (£4.50 L'IZ). pa.xta and pi//a (£9). xaladx (£3.50) and ‘.xecoiido piatto‘ it‘ll US). The pi'icex at \'iii(‘allc are CL‘I'IiIIllI) on the .xteep xidc. htit the experience geiierall) juxtiliex the expenxe.
The \\'IIIC li.xt ix exceptional and .xe\eral ol itx liner ltaliaii \ai'ietiex are .ond h} the glaxx (thankx to a (’i'iniiiet pi'exei‘xing aparatuxl. Tliix meanx that one can ll'_\ .xometliiiig out ol‘ the ordinar}. xucli ax a huttei‘}. glouing xti';i\\-coliitii‘eil .'\laxlt‘0 2003 l’laneta (£5.50 for I75mll I'i'om Sicil}. It‘x .xeri'ed h} none other than h_\ the xiniling manager (and \'al\ona & (’rolla lieirexxl I‘i'aiicexca (‘ontini. x\\ inging xil\ei' eai'riiigx xhiiiiiiiei'ing againxt her dark hair.
.-\ .xtai'tei‘ ol polpettine aI xugo (£7) oll‘erx a clutch of heel and pork mince meathallx \\'llll pine iiutx and a delicatel} I'laxoured tomato xauce. Tim .xleiidei' .xlicex ol‘ \'&("x oun San I5raiicixco xoui'dough hread are hai'el} .xul'l'icient to mop up all the xugo. \\ Iiich one l‘eelx inouId not go to \\'tl\IL‘.
The pi//a eon I'uiiglii e radiccio .xeemx the perfect complement to tIiix opening courxe. hut alax the “alter xtt}'x2 ‘\\'e don‘t ha\e pi//a called lun- gee toda} '. .\ hackup choice of ricotta and .xpinacli ra\ ioli xeemx a decent alternatiVe. The hreak hetueeii courxex dragx a tad gix'en tliix ix a niidda} meal. hut tlioxe in the main dining xpace ha\'e the dixtractioii of an old 'I‘eclinicoloi' movie projected on the “all hemeen the picture \\ indoxx x. The hacking track i'aiigex from Ste\ie \Vonder‘x ’Sii‘ Duke' to Sinatra and hig hand ax \\ ell ax .xucli qtiiiitexxential claxxicx ax 'Volare‘.
The raVioIi. “IN” the} do arrhe. are ,xlll'pl'lxlllgl}' dr}. xome ol the edgex a hit hrittle. \Vliile thix ix pi'et‘ei'ahle to xoggy paxta. perhapx thexe pllltm'x \\ ere plucked preiiiaturel} l‘rom the hoiliiig water. Ne\ei1helexx. the overall el‘l‘ect and ll;l\tilll'x \Hil'lx' when the filling ix liihricated \xith “hill the menu callx ‘xage hutter~ hut appearx to he lighter extra Virgin olive oil \\ ith tinel) chopped xage. topped \\ ith a xprig ol' haxil and xome xliaVed I’armexan.
Thexe t\\o coui‘xex lea\’e little xpace for an} of the touted puddiiigx thix time around. .-\nd. honextl}. the hudget (£2 I .50) hax heen hlou'n. too. Still. \'in(‘al'l'e. \\llll authentic. l'rexhl) prepared Italian dixhex. ix value for money. ('ertainI} xo. \xlien compared with the price} paiitx xold around the corner.
VinCaffé, 11 Multrees Walk, Edinburgh, 0131 557 0088.
SideDishes
News to nibble on . . .
I Two Fat Ladies scooped the prize for restaurant of the year in Glasgow at the recent restaurateur association’s Auchentoshan ‘Spirit of Glasgow' awards. Interestingly, the operation plans to open a second branch in the city centre near Blythswood Square in early 2005. Other big winners included the restaurant Brian Maule at Chardon d'Or for top formal dining, Shish Mahal for best casual dining and chef Willie Dean from the Buttery, who received a lifetime achievement accolade. In a poll conducted by The Evening Times, La Fiorentina restaurant in Govan was named the ‘people’s choice’.
I The latest venture from the people behind the hugely successful Candy Bar has opened at Partick Cross. The ground floor style bar is called the 500 Club. while the smart restaurant above is White. Food is served at both: during the day in the bar and in evenings in the first floor dining room, where steaks are highlighted on the menu. Staying in the area. Monster Mash has set up its second shop after the Edinburgh flagship where Dining Room traded on Byres Road. The layout is different but the attitude and food are identical.
I Zazou, the canal boat restaurant, is offering special festive season and winter cruises for those who seek a different way to celebrate Christmas, or just life in 2005. The trip on the narrow ship takes about 2.5 hours on the Union Canal leaving from Polwarth. For full details log onto www.2azoucruises.co.uk or telephone 0131 669 5516.
I Finally. the strains of Jaws theme music might have been appropriate at Stravaigin 2 recently when chef/proprietor Colin Clydesdale (pictured) prepared two six-foot sharks caught off the Isle of Jura and Colonsay for one of the bigger fish suppers to be seen in these parts. ‘They are incredibly tasty.‘ Clydesdale says. The plan is for more ‘exotic' fare to appear on the menu in the new year.