Added on Thursday 17 Nov 2011

Wholly Giffnock!

It?s arguably a fairly unusual way of kicking off a column about West End dining and drinking (and food shopping ? etc), but having just witnessed first hand the biggest story in Scottish groceries of 2011 I think there?s a reasonable excuse for talking about ... Giffnock.

We were wowed by Waitrose in Byres Road, to be sure, but the arrival of Whole Foods Market in Giffnock?s Fenwick Road (on the site of a former Morrison?s supermarket) has eclipsed all that completely.

For months what had been the decrepit old ex-supermarket in Fenwick Road has been steadily evolving into the extraordinary new retail proposition that opened this month, and for once the reality has more than lived up to the hype. I suppose any major new store opening causes a bit of excitement, but I?d be surprised if there?s ever been such a commotion in douce Giffnock about absolutely anything else before.

Where normally you?d find groups of well-heeled matrons quietly doing a bit of shopping amid the scattering of local delis and minimarts the scene in newly-opened Whole Foods Market (WFM) was like an old-style January sale in the city centre, only with hordes of people practically fighting for the chance to stock up on Gojo berries or avocado houmous.

Last year a quote in The Herald described WFM as making Waitrose look like Aldi, which isn?t actually true ? there?s a recognisable similarity between these two high end propositions ? but for my (limited) money, WFM has the major critical edge.

Until now WFM customers outside the US, where the brand is huge, have been confined to the ritzier parts of London. Giffnock has the honour not only of having WFM?s first Scottish store but also its first outside the Big Smoke. And when you consider Waitrose (whose gas must be at something of a peep) has launched its biggest Scottish branch at nearby Newton Mearns, the once rather dull suburb of Eastwood can now boast the biggest selection of premium groceries anywhere in Scotland ? easily eclipsing any area of Glasgow, including the West End and city centre; and putting poor old Edinburgh completely in the shade. It would take far too long to go through the WFM offer in detail, but suffice to say the key is ?organic? and on first sight the Giffnock store looks like a cross between a supermarket and some sort of harvest thanksgiving celebration. Glorious fresh produce is piled high (but not cheap) everywhere you look, and absolutely everything ? from the ready meals to the ?Lily?s Kitchen? organic cat food is top of the range.

But why mention it in a West End context? Well, West End folk generally are known to be partial to fine food and exotic ingredients, and while you?d imagine every need is catered for within a few minutes of Byres Road it?s a plain fact that the grocery glories of G12, tragic although it is to admit this, have suddenly been relegated to Junior League.

There?s something else about WFM too. The staff in Waitrose are excellent, and cannot be faulted in any degree, but .... and it?s just my perception ... some of them occasionally give the impression they?re wine waiters at the sort of flash city centre restaurant frequented by footballers? wives, corporate junketeers and the like.

Some are maybe just a wee bit ?Captain Peacock?, I would cautiously argue ? although never in a really bad way.

By contrast the WFM staff appear almost implausibly ?normal? and genuinely enthusiastic about their store and their customers. Admittedly it was opening day but I definitely detected an almost childish desire among servers to know what customers thought about it all.

As with the first few weeks of Waitrose in Byres Road there are price reductions on many lines, offering significant savings, and if you are interested in this kind of shopping I?d strongly advise you to take advantage of it before the tills start ringing in earnest.

When the normal prices emerge I suspect the casual browsers will be heavily outnumbered by the seriously wealthy, but even so there are innumerable reasons for visiting the store to buy treats of one sort or another ? the selection of chocolates and desserts alone looks to me to be completely unrivalled. One of the staff I was chatting to told me in what appeared all honesty that the customers rampaging about the aisles on that first day were by no means all local, and I strongly suspect not a few Waitrose addicts will have been lured over the river by the promise of something still more exuberantly swanky. Before I get completely carried away I should try to come up with some sort of negative point, that is apart from mentioning the eyewatering prices, and if forced to split hairs I would say that the beer offer ? while not at all bad ? isn?t really that great.

Sure, there are some speciality beers, but while we rightly find Harviestoun?s Bitter and Twisted on sale where is that firm?s top notch strong ale Ola Dubh? It could practically have been invented for WFM but doesn?t seem to have a listing.

Also missing in this East Renfrewshire store is the highly regarded (and UK champion level) beer from the Kelburn Brewery of Barrhead, which you?d think would be an automatic choice given WFM?s policy of local sourcing. Fyne Ales? Nope. Tryst bottle conditioned beers? Nope. There are some fairly average choices on offer, but few of Scotland?s real top performers, and this section in particular will really have to improve.

But that is one very minor cavil with an enterprise which has definitely brought something completely new to west of Scotland food and drink shopping, and since work takes me to East Renfrewshire fairly regularly I?ll definitely be back as often as I can afford it.

If, like me, you are a cheapskate foot soldier rather than a driver, the best means of access from the West End is a subway to Bridge Street followed by a number 38 bus straight to the door. Or, if you?re a Hyndland yummy mummy, just jump into hubby?s Chelsea Tractor and nip over to Giffnock on wheels ? he?ll be thrilled you?ve found a new way to thrash the plastic in style.

Missing in Action

After a fun morning seeing how the other half eat, it?s sobering to reflect on the accelerating casualty rate among food and drink offers back in Civilisation. Never a month passes without some outfit shutting up shop, of course, but the last couple of months have been much worse than usual.

Gone, on November 6, was the splendid The Chocolate Emporium at the foot of Byres Road. It was a beautiful little business which really deserved to succeed, but I?m guessing it just couldn?t find the volume of trade to keep making the financial wheels go around.

Also gone is Saladin?s Silk Road Diner on Great Western Road (which had been in the former Turkish rugs shop across the steps from the Belle pub). A couple of months ago it was going like the proverbial bazaar, and seemed to have hit upon the perfect recipe for a sit-in Mediterranean ?tapas? sit-in deli.

Usually when a business closes there?s some sort of notice in the window to confirm the fact, but in Saladin?s case it was just as if the owners had followed the tactical practice of their illustrious medieval namesake and decamped overnight while leaving the watchfires burning.

On the main belt of shops in that stretch the iconic Goodies convenience store, inevitable port of call for many a late night homeward bound student, is closed and up for lease; and so is a PC shop beside it. Bad news all round. A chat with the operator of a flourishing Byres Road business confirms what I thought I already knew. Even the usually successful places are feeling the pinch, absolutely nothing comes easy, and every customer is important as never before.

I haven?t totted them up, but I?d be surprised if there?s ever been a time when so many food and drink outlets have been closed simultaneously: there?s Shahrzad at Kelvinbridge still shut, for example; and that seemingly doomed outlet at the top of Gibson Street ? once home to the legendary Green Gate Indian restaurant ? seems to be permanently closed and inoperable, and that despite a very high profile location.

Green Shoots

But at the same time you don?t have to look far to see some positives. Like, for example, the Brass Monkey pub at Finnieston, which has one of the nattiest interior design jobs of any bar in Glasgow ? and a thing about premium spirits and imaginative cocktails. It?s one very welcome arrival on an already interesting west end Argyle Street scene.

The Butcher Shop bar and grill is another very impressive addition, offering ?good? restaurant fare without the Temple of Gastronomy airs and graces which Glaswegians don?t really like anyway ? and more of this place another time. Meanwhile the serially doomed Partick Cross venue which most recently housed the defunct Pakistani Cafe ? closed abruptly after a burst of early success ? has been relaunched yet again as Mexican venue Pinata.

I daren?t say anything much about the place in case it brings bad luck, but it appears to be regularly busy and to be taking Mexican cuisine well beyond the hackneyed fajitas and enchiladas stereotype to explore what?s evidently a far richer culinary culture than most of us gringos would generally suppose. It also boasts an impressive menu of tequilas, which ? contrary to the erroneous imagery of worms-in-bottles and lads on the spree ? is a genuinely sophisticated drink boasting the same level of complexity and sophistication as fine malt whiskies ... or so its connoisseurs would have you believe.

Back at Kelvinbridge we?ve the launch of a posh new fishmonger, Fantoosh, which is possibly just far enough away from Waitrose to gain serious attention from local customers.

Some of the more optimistic operators tell me there?s a definite trend back to independently-owned smaller outlets, and I hope they?re right because a future dominated by a handful of supermarket brands would be a very bleak prospect in an area which is supposed to be all about individual flair and originality.

Fine Folk

Talking of which, the superb Ben Nevis pub on west end Argyle Street has been nominated for a major award as a folk music venue ? an honour which normally goes to concert halls and the like.

Anyone who knows this pub will appreciate that it?s small and perfectly formed, with a stunning interior design scheme by legendary West End artist Ranald McCall (who?s actually from North Connell in Mid Argyll, but he?s part of the West End adopted Gaeltachd now).

I mentioned this to David McNee of the Paul McKenna Band recently ? a group described by the New York Times as ?the best folk band to come out of Scotland in 20 years? ? and he agreed it was a major achievement for the bar to win such a nomination.

It?s also a terrific encouragement for other bars with a broadly similar profile to try and follow suit, and a clear sign that good pubs are alive and well at a time when the bland and the corporate are in the ascendant.

Brel Burger

For some time now I?ve been aware of the friendly duel to the death on cheap food between various bars in Ashton Lane, with adverts offering ripping value clearly aimed at hungry students seeking something a little better than fast food but not as expensive as the menu in a mainstream restaurant.

Meanwhile I can think of one or two bars in that general area that have attempted to echo the pricing structure of mainstream restaurants without success ? and which have trimmed their sails accordingly.

Bar Brel is an all time favourite on many levels, but I hadn?t actually eaten there for about a year when, one cold day a few weeks back, I suddenly decided on the spot to try their burger offer. It was a great decision because the ?burger? ? fabulously succulent 100-per-cent best beef - and accompanying fries and salad, were easily as good as anything comparable I?ve had in full monty restaurants in recent years.

The service was exactly right too ? and so was the characteristically excellent music on the sound system.

If I?ve given the impression this was a bargain basement price deal it wasn?t, as the meal and a coffee came to about eight quid ... but, yes, actually it was a bargain to dine in such nice surroundings (the conservatory), on fare that was certainly well above average.

This sort of deal isn?t Brel?s biggest achievement by any means, but it?s nice to know it can produce the goods where relatively straightforward options are concerned and give you a nice lunch for less than a tenner. Recommended!

Prince of Persia

Another place I haven?t been to for far too long ? note, must rectify ? is Persia restaurant on Great Western Road at the foot of Cecil Street, which is the best Middle Eastern restaurant in Glasgow that I?m aware of.

Regularly busy at peak times I suspect its management realise there?s a need to bring diners in during quieter periods, because in an expensive stretch of road it pays to keep a place ticking over more or less continuously throughout the day ? and on quiet days as well as towards the end of the week.

So I wasn?t terribly surprised to see they?ve launched not only continental breakfasts and a pre-theatre deal but also tapas lunches, and I aim to try all three of these out as soon as possible.

Apart from anything else, the lite-bite approach is a great way to experiment with dishes you may want to try in greater depth during an evening a la carte excursion on some other occasion.

Of all the West End new arrivals I can think of over the last five or so years Persia has been my favourite, excepting Indian restaurants which are really a category by themselves; and if you haven?t yet tried it now, with so many more options to choose from, is surely as good a time as ever.

Simply Naff

After chuntering on about the glories of Whole Foods Market I wasn?t going to say anything more about supermarkets, but unfortunately I have a Parthian shot to fire at M&S, whose Simply Food outlet at the bottom of Great George Street has suddenly installed self service checkouts.

OK, fair enough, M&S isn?t top of the form any more, and Simply Food is maybe just a thinking shopper?s Tesco Express, but for a grab-it-and-go concept it has one or two things going for it ? and isn?t unreasonably expensive.

But why, other than a simple desire to make more money, has it suddenly decided to copy Tesco on the checkout front?

When I called in recently the sinister new machines had just been installed and a member of staff was patiently trying to explain to an elderly gent (without much success) how to work one.

Would I like to try the self service checkout, I was asked with a smile. No thanks. The smile froze a little, but only a little, and a moment later I was pinged to a normal checkout staffed by a normal shop assistant.

This charming young lady rang through my humble purchases and then said, again with a smile, but in a chiding sort of a way: ?You know, you could have used the self service checkout if you had wanted?.

I did know this, of course, as I?d already been pointedly shown the DIY checkout and had declined its non-services, so I couldn?t help replying: ?Yes, I could have ? and then I?d have been responsible for doing somebody out of a job ... wouldn?t I??

More honestly, I suppose, I couldn?t be bothered trying to use the thing: why on earth should I? I?m a shopper, for heaven?s sake.

There was no smile, frozen or otherwise, at this point. There was no way of contradicting the assertion and no way of arguing with a customer making such a point, so the assistant merely said: ?Well, er, you could see it that way? ? but actually what other way could you see it?

If the place had been heaving with customers and all the checkouts were bashing away fit to bust there might be a point, but the store was quiet (it?s never been terribly busy since Waitrose opened) and not all of the normal checkouts were manned.

My conclusion is that M&S are passing the service burden on to the customer to save money, without really offering anything in return.

The same system pertains at Tesco up the road, of course, but then that?s sort of what you expect at a cheap n? cheesy convenience store catering mainly for students in search of booze and stodge.

Nevertheless it often seems to me there are as many staff stewarding customers towards the self-service checkouts and correcting the mistakes, etc, as they?d normally have behind real checkouts with actual shop assistants.

Real shops ? real people: I?ll concede the banter at a supermarket checkout isn?t exactly Wildean, but it?s human: and self service checkouts are just a way of taking the Metal Mickey. Don?t pander to them.

No Pasaran!

On which radical note, I?m delighted to see that a local businessman?s plan to turn a 1930?s toilet block at Anniesland Cross into (I?m not making this up) a Spanish restaurant themed to the Spanish Civil War appears to be taking shape.

The scheme was publicised months ago, and I?d sort of forgotten about it, but the other day as I passed the site on foot it was very obvious that a full team are on the job inside and that major reconstruction is taking place inside in earnest.

Why the Spanish Civil War? There?s a statue of a woman dubbed La Pasionara on the Clyde waterfront, after a putative heroine of the conflict ? real name Isidora Dolores Ib?rruri G?mez - and she?s there largely because of the disproportionately large contribution to the Republican war effort made by the idealistic Red Clydesiders of the famous International Brigades. Sixty-five Glaswegians died fighting Franco and his Nazi and Fascist allies.

So the working title of the restaurant was to be La Pasionara and diners would be continually if gently reminded that Glasgow played a not insignificant role in Spain?s historic and tragically unsuccessful struggle for freedom against tyranny.

Franco and his vile regime of mass murder and repression are gone, Spain is a vibrant modern democratic nation, and everything the Republicans fought for has slowly, with infinite pain and sacrifice, become a reality ? but it?s maybe not a bad thing to have a wee reminder in our midst of the days when some people here were prepared to fight Fascism, while HM Government sat on its hands. I?m not sure, however, if La Pasionara is a good title for the venture, as this particular woman?s real life story is just a little controversial: but that?s for the serious students of this grim fratricidal conflict to argue over.

On a more practical level, a new restaurant in Anniesland is something to be welcomed, and if it emerges as a convincing Spanish proposition too so much the better.

From what I?ve read of the developer?s plan ? 40-seater restaurant, outdoor seating, fairy lights in surrounding trees ? it sounds an inspired idea well worth supporting.

He reportedly aims to base the cuisine on tapas bars he?s visited in Murcia, and is clearly deeply committed to the plan: and best of luck to him too.