FOOD & DRINK
NEWS & REVIEWS
SIGN OF THE TIMES Reinvention is as necessary in the culinary world as in any other form of culture. A makeover of an old favourite in Edinburgh’s Old Town is showing plenty of creative promise, as Hannah Ewan discovers
D on’t be misled by the blue Bo’s sign still hanging over the front door – you’re in the right place. The new Blackfriars, you see, has history. Co-owner and chef Andrew Macdonald, former sous chef at Restaurant Martin Wishart, was an art student before cooking took over, and Black Bo’s remains, after a 20 year lifetime as go-to bar and restaurant for hip arty types, an institution whose memory must be treated with respect.
The décor of the separate restaurant and bar at Blackfriars, much of it the work of Macdonald and co-owner/front-of-house manager Georgie Binder, will have chinks of familiarity for old Bo’s regulars through the respectful but necessary refurb. Plaster has been stripped back to reveal brick and stone, with steel beams exposed and made into brightly coloured features.
If these are the only flashes of bright colour at present, it won’t be that way for long. Launched as a visual work-in-progress, original artwork is being created by Macdonald’s college contemporaries that will slowly add unique finishing touches. This confident, don’t-rush-me attitude carries over to the kitchen, which links to both bar and restaurant. Gone is the vegetarianism that Bo’s specialised in, and in its place is cooking that seems to galvanise
BLACKFRIARS
welcome trends surfacing across Scottish bar and restaurant menus: sustainable sourcing that’s more than hollow hat-tipping (Phantassie organic and foraged greens, lesser spotted fish species), seasonality that you can taste, and bar food as appealing and important as the wine list and Williams Bros tap. With just two pairs of hands in the tiny kitchen, there’s wise cross-over between the pricier restaurant and enlightened bar menus: one of the best possible pieces of hake comes with salt hake fritters that you can also order with wild garlic as a snack. A generous starter of cured trout comes with crisp fennel and dill whichever side of the divide you order it on, and will make you wonder what all the fuss over smoked salmon is about.
There’s joy of a different, kid-at-a-funfair kind when you move onto the churros, which the ever- thoughtful Binder supplies with a teaspoon ‘for the leftover chocolate’. If this is the future of Scottish food, it’s as bright as that iconic neon sign.
+ Plate-licking béarnaise sauce served with the chips - Scope for more craft beer?
57–61 Blackfriars Street, Old Town, Edinburgh EH1 1NB 0131 558 8684, blackfriarsedinburgh.co.uk Food served: Wed–Sun 6–10pm (Bar: Tue–Fri 4–10pm; Sat noon–10pm; Sun 12.30–10pm). Closed Mon.
Ave. price two-course meal: £12 (bar) / £23 (restaurant) 36 THE LIST 16 May–13 Jun 2013
SIDE DISHES News to nibble on
Kelvinbridge is bolstering its claim as the hub of good food shopping in the West End. Most recent arrival is Veldt Deli at 407 Great Western Road, a Scottish/ South African fusion deli-café selling classic brands familiar to ex-pat Saffers, daytime takeout and Dear Green coffee.
Our 20th- anniversary Eating & Drinking Guide has been flying off the shelves this past month, but it’s also flying around the ether thanks to The List’s newly relaunched website (food.list.co.uk) which means all reviews and handy features such as hitlists and proximity info can be accessed via your smartphone. If, like us, you still like to have your mitts on a print version as well, you can easily buy a copy from good newsagents, shop.list. co.uk or by phoning 0131 550 3050.
COOKING WITH CALEDONIAN BREWERY
Caledonian Brewery has teamed up with The Radical Road’s Masterchef, Martin Mitchell, to bring you a tasty recipe made with one of its distinctive beers.
Caledonian Carbonnade 1¼kg stewing beef, cut into cubes 400ml Deuchars IPA 3 crushed garlic cloves 2 bay leaves 3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt & pepper 2-3 tbsp olive oil 4oz unsalted butter 250g diced pancetta 2 carrots, 2 onions, 1 leek sliced 1 tbsp tomato purée 350ml beef stock 1 bouquet garni A handful of chopped parsley
• Sweat all vegetables on low heat in oil & butter for 30 mins, add flour & cook gently for 10 mins
• Add Deuchars & all other ingredients, simmer slowly for 20 mins • Add meat & simmer for 2 hours on lowest heat
• Serve with seasonal vegetables & a potato terrine