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SIDE DISHES NEWS TO NIBBLE ON
CONGRATS to local award- winners Martin Wishart, who topped a nationwide poll of fellow professionals to become the AA’s Chef’s Chef of the Year, and Neal Robertson, of Auchtermuchty’s Tannochbrae Tearoom, who’s now holder of the Golden Spurtle as World Porridge Making Champion 2010.
THE SAINT is a new bar and restaurant from the team behind Saint Judes, replacing
Mamasan in the basement space at 190 Bath Street in Glasgow. The theme is vintage chic, with late-night DJs and food from chef Paul O’Malley, recently of the Riverside in Lanark.
MAKEOVER MANIA is in evidence at Metropolitan, cornerstone of Glasgow’s Merchant Square, which has just emerged from a six-figure upgrade, while right next door the brand-new Boudoir seeks to recreate the kind of wine bar you might stumble upon in a back street of Nice or Verona. In a good way, of course.
BAR CRAWLER THE PARLOUR 142 Duke Street, Leith, Edinburgh
These days it seems like you can stand on any street corner in Leith and be in eyeshot of a refurbished howff with décor straight from the Farrow & Ball colour chart, artfully retro beaded lampshades, drinks that stray into the realm of loose-leaf teas and off-beat bourbons, and a convivial neighbourhood vibe set off with regular live music. Not that we’re complaining – The Parlour gets an enthusiastic local welcome. (David Pollock)
Slice of nostalgia Did we eat well or not in the good old days? In the contemporary food scene the answer isn’t certain, as Andrea Pearson discovered at a new Glasgow retro café
N ostalgia, eh? It has currency in Glasgow, as anyone who has traipsed around the Museum of Transport on a soggy Sunday knows. ‘Aw, look,’ you’ll hear, ‘it’s a tram/quarter of soor plooms/politely spoken child. I haven’t seen one of those for donkey’s.’
the The newly opened Criterion in Partick (which describes itself as a ‘grand café and saloon’) spreads a similar sepia-tinged warmth. Owner Allan Mawn – who also runs two neighbouring establishments of Velvet Elvis and Pintxo – has installed vintage pieces such as wooden booths and a once state-of-the-art soda fountain. The name Criterion is even reclaimed from a much-loved West End café.
But Mawn has introduced a contemporary twist. You can drink Italian beers and even cocktails in today’s Criterion – heavens to Betsy, in the afternoon! The modernising does not end there. Alongside minestrone on the menu are starters such as
22 THE LIST 21 Oct–4 Nov 2010
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An imaginative vintage venue Scooshy cream and a lack of veg
bruschetta and risotto balls. The pizza toppings include grilled aubergine and smoked chicken while rib-eye steaks, Italian sausage with green lentils and red mullet with fennel and chorizo are there for those who wish to venture away from pasta. Families will enjoy the Criterion. Most dishes are served in small portions, there are classic sundaes with frothy cream and squeezy sauce and children’s legs will fit well into the teeny booths – perhaps people were a bit smaller in the old days.
The place is undoubtedly fun, and Mawn’s track record allows for raised expectations, but it’s also inconsistent. For all the nostalgic charms there are some things contemporary diners – unlike grateful post-war customers – will almost certainly demand. A few more vegetables for one thing, either on the plate or as a side order. And having a decent range of coffees in an urban Italianesque café is surely more important than having a decent range of cocktails. But that said, attentive staff and well-kent friendliness aren’t always the mark of the contemporary scene, yet Criterion delivers on both scores. And fond memories count too. ‘What was that place we used to go on Sunday afternoons? Oh yes, the Museum of Transport.’
CRITERION www.criterioncafe.com
568 Dumbarton Road, West End, Glasgow, 0141 334 1964 Food served: Mon–Sun noon–10pm
Ave. price two-course meal for one: £12 (lunch) / £14 (dinner)