SEE/SHOP/EAT/SNACK/DRINK: German Christmas Market

[click on this blog post title to visit their website - all images courtesy of Glasgow City Council]

Looking for something a bit different in the run up to Christmas this year? If the storms that are battering Glasgow (and the rest of the UK!) will just take a rest, you could head down to St. Enoch square for a slice of continental life at our German Christmas Market.

This is the third year that folks have (literally) set up stall to sell us their crafts. I'm a regular at our close cousin's affair, on Princes Street in Edinburgh, and so I was delighted that Glasgow city council had made the effort to deliver something similar to the people out west.

Many of the stalls sell broadly similar goods to Princes Street but there are quite a few unique to Glasgow, not least the few stallholders that have decided to stock traditional Scottish products. Now, call me mad (you're mad!) but I don't really get the point of that. I really think the appeal of the annual German Christmas market is that, erm, it should sell me German goods. Not that the Scottish products aren't great products. In fact, they are - some amazingly good preserves made from Scottish berries and some fine cheeses and the like. But we already have a super outlet for these types of products all the year round across the many many good quality delis and in the regular Farmers Markets.

But, I suppose the real intent is to simple create the atmosphere of these foreign markets and it certainly manages that, with the little wooden chalets lining the square. And this year the council have organised a lot more live music to add to the magic. It really is worth a trip just to walk around and experience the sights, sounds and smells.

One thing that raises Glasgow above the standard set by Edinburgh is the amazing range of places to eat. And here, at least, I can happily report that it's all traditional continental fare. All delicious. (Well, I haven't quite managed to try it all... yet!) Quite a few stalls specialise in deli food like continental sausages and cheeses to take away.

And let's not forget the opportunity to hold a hot mug of gluwein. To the uninitiated that isn't as yuk as it sounds and doesn't involve anything remotely like glue (that I know of). I'm a bit of a fan of mulled wine and usually whip up a batch or two of my own in a big stock pan at this time of year. But there is nothing quite like glugging it from a big mug, standing outside, where you get the central heating and the hand-warming as a double-whammy.

Market Opening Times:

25th November until 23rd December, daily from 10.00am through to 7.00pm.

SHOP: Mr. Smith

[click this blog post title to visit their website - all images courtesy of Mr. Smith]


















Knickers!!!


Sorry for that outburst, but how long have we men made do with standard M&S fare for their underwear, perhaps from the women in your life as gifts? And what uninspiring specimens these tended to be… workaday… functional… dull.

My mother used to make occasional checks that you had a pair of clean ones on, “just in case you were run over by a bus” (eeeer?, thanks for your concern, Mum…), but what about the remaining bedfellows of "Clean"; the others in the Four “C”s of Gentlemen’s Undergarments… Colour, Cut and Cloth? Well, who cares when we all wore the same boring old white cotton briefs and Y-fronts?

Well, I hadn’t quite realised just how much that has all changed. Being from a generation that would probably have never thought to treat their underwear as anything beyond a mere practical necessity of life, it has come as a huge surprise just how much variety there really is out there now.

A good friend was once challenged by a female workmate on the very subject. Clearly uninspired by her work, she decided to do a little survey, asking all the blokes what kinds of pants they wore. When my friend reluctantly answered “just some sort of M&S briefs” she had a blue fit. She’s actually a good friend of both of us now and we often tease her for her soap box moment of glory when she stomped her foot and declared, “Pants are a fashion accessory… And should always be treated thus!” Of course the office erupted in laughter and she had the good grace to join in but this woman was onto something some fifteen years ago.


We all know that a certain Mr Klein also did do a lot to change this in the 80s and 90s but now there is a boggling range of choice in these three “C”s. Choosing the perfect pair of undercrackers has been elevated to an art form. And it’s not just the other top line designers that have joined Calvin in panting for your pounds. There are all sorts of street brands cropping up all over the place, from Manhattan to Melbourne and everywhere in between.

A couple of women I know browse seemingly obscure websites that present “the goods” in flashy pages that look a hair short of being top shelf items. Tongue firmly in cheek, I understand, but it seems that sex does, indeed, sell. But the tables have now turned and it’s my lady friends (hey! you’re no laaadee!) who are ogling these male models online, under a cover story of buying gifts for their fellas!

And if you don’t believe me just go a-browsing "Down Under" to Ginch Gonch. Enjoy!



A good friend clearly thought that the time was ripe for me to abandon M&S and get with the new beat. A slim envelope was gifted to me, containing a voucher from a new place in Glasgow's West End. Mr. Smith opened its doors to the good ladies and gentlemen of Glasgow just over a year ago and seems to be going from strength to strength. A shop devoted entirely to men's underwear is a rarity indeed, certainly out of London. So this really must be one of Glasgow's best kept shopping secrets.

A small independent shop, Gillian and Alisdair couldn’t be more charming and helpful. A right pair of pantologists (if such niche expertise is so named) they wax lyrical on all of the latest styles about to break onto the market. Another good friend clearly caught the bug for collecting designer briefs a while back and I soon discovered that he was a regular there and was clearly coveting my gift voucher. This slightly pant-obsessed friend is one of their best (perhaps THE best) customers and has often commented about special orders and the like that they have arranged. Great customer service! But, at the other end of the spectrum, I think even the most timorous “bloke” would feel comfortable here.





It’s well laid-out and easy to browse through, where one of every style is out of the box and within easy reach, with special labels that show details of the colour and size ranges. So, guys, if you’re like me and the middle has spread a bit over the years then you don’t have to rely on the unlikely airbrushed model pics on the packaging as your guide to what to buy. And what guy can be bothered fiddling with the boxes to take the items out and look? So, its all so easy at Mr Smith. Give them a go. And take your lady with you and hint for her to bring her credit cards with her!...

For those that like to maintain their indifference to anything out of the ordinary, I’ve found that they carry plenty of well made regular items, swimwear and a great range of socks, the other classic gift for your Dad, brother and partner!...



And for the terminally traditional, shy or shopophobic?... just browse their website at http://www.mrsmithunderwear.com/



Contact Gillian and Alisdair at Mr Smith…

Tel: + 44 (0)141 339 8020

112 Byres Road
Glasgow
G12 8TB

Opening hours (GMT):
Monday - Saturday: 10.30-18.00
Sunday: 12.00-17.30

DRINK: Vroni's Champagne Bar

[click on this blog post title to visit their website - all images courtesy of Vroni's]

Not a lot of people know this... I have a very talented central heating boiler. What is this talent, I hear you ponder? Well, every time it does one of those kick-off motions to start a new cycle of super-heated frenzy around my pipes it sounds exactly like a champagne cork popping out of a new bottle. Yes, really. I am the envy of all of my friends and it always makes me smile. So, in the winter I smile quite a lot despite all of the obvious reasons not to spattering on my window pane.

I can think of few other sounds in life that I enjoy as much as another bottle of fizz being popped. You just want to party, don't you? Or, at the very least, immediately start to celebrate something, almost anything will do! It's just that kind of a drink.

So you can imagine that the combination of my boiler dueting in a popping session with the real thing round my place is quite an excuse for over-stimulation at this time of the year, when the nights chill down and everyone gets in party mood.

Well, if my front room is fully-booked for command performances of my central heating boiler, you can do almost as well in Vroni's in West Nile Street. This is the perfect place for some fizz popping of your own. Hailing itself as the wine bar... the champagne bar, I really am tempted to endorse that bold statement, especially if you prefer your coiffing in the long dark evenings of winter. Why? Vroni's interior is designed for night time pleasures... the dark wood... the rich cream walls... the touches of racing green... and the candles flickering everywhere suffusing your party in a gentle glow. (Or is that just all the champagne you've been necking?) At this time of year, this place is Festive Advent perfection. A no-brainer. Hey, what are you still reading this for? Get yourself down there! :-)

Given that is is the party season, it's good to know that there's also a mezzanine tucked away at the back - great for a decent sized group to commandeer for a special night out. The buzz of the place, always packed with a really good crowd when I've popped in, rises up to the rafters, so mezzanine dwellers never feel locked away in one of those usually soulless function rooms in bars. And they also do superb bar food and snacks for those munchie attacks.

The choice of champagnes and wines is not actually that extensive but certainly good enough, all high quality and with an impressive house label too. Naturally enough, Vroni's offer a decent selection of cocktails, including some funky shooters, all-time-classics and (doh!) champagne cocktails. Mmmmmmmm.

We were amused by the boozy messages of wisdom and hope scattered around the walls and their snippet on Mme Bollinger is a gem...

Asked on what occasions she drank champagne Mme Lily Bollinger replied: "I drink it when I am happy, and I also drink it when I am sad. Sometimes I drink it when I am alone. In company I drink it for sure. Even when I have no appetite. I like to take a little glass of it. And when I do have an appetite of course I reach for it. But otherwise I do not touch it - unless I am thirsty."

She sounds like a bit of a soul-mate - I never touch the stuff either (hic!)

Contact Vroni's at...
47 West Nile Street Glasgow G1 2PT
Tel. +44 (0)141 221 4677

PLAY: cinema paradiso?...

[Images courtesy of Grosvenor, IMAX and GFT cinemas and a special thanks to survivingcinemas.org.uk, a fascinating site in itself!...]

No matter how flash (or vast) a home cinema set-up I've seen, nothing quite compares to a trip to the flix of an evening or weekend. As long as I can remember, I've loved movies in all their cinematic glory.

Lately I've been wondering where in Glasgow offers a great film experience, a bit different from the norm. What are the best kept secrets for your personal cinema paradiso?

Having been a longstanding punter at Odeon Springfield Quay (a doddle to drive to, masses of parking, lots of screens but admittedly blockbuster titles only) I started to experiment with other cinemas.

My first defection was to the Grosvenor tucked away in the cobbled splendour of Ashton Lane in the city's West End. This is Glasgow's only licensed cinema so (to anyone who knows me) the appeal was clear. Still, it's not quite the same when you have to sit quaffing your red wine from a plastic half pint tumbler!

AND, if I'm being completely honest (though I can't quite believe I'm about to say this) I think that it's probably best not to sit boozing away while watching a film in a warm cinema. On the few occasions that I threw myself into this novelty I found myself nodding off onto the shoulder of the punter beside me. The answer is clearly "don't drink". But, when standing there buying my tickets, I am quickly noddy-headed at my own internally-monologued bleating of "it would be daft not to..."

The Grosvenor does have one (make that six) irrefutably cool benefits... you can grab a squishy leather sofa at the back and curl up with all the comfort of that aforementioned home cinema. There are only three of these fine specimens in each of their two screens, so you better be quick!

But, in the end, I've turned my back on The Grosvenor and its boozy, lazy-boy charms. I was lured away partly by how much my spending was mounting up on trips to the movies. Glasgow's newly-renamed Cineworld (formerly known as "UGC") in Renfrew Street offers a great money-saving deal. Their Unlimited card scheme offers (well, it does what is says on the tin!) unlimited viewing for a whole month for the paltry sum of £10.99 - and that means that the moment you make your third trip in any month you will be quids-in.

I tend to see a lot of film and so this is a good option for me, especially as I now work in the city centre and after-work trips are even easier than before. But it is well placed right beside a large multi-story public car park right across the road, where Buchanan Street Bus Station also lurks. It's a few hops from both main rail stations (Queen Street and Central) and a mere stroll from Buchanan Street Underground station - so very well connected.

No squashy sofas here, or even any form of premium seating, but this is because all of the seats are incredibly comfortable with the most leg room pitch between rows I've seen. And all (18!) screens are very steeply-stepped, meaning that the beanpole bloke who's just arrived with the leggy woman in the funky hat and plonked themselves right in front of you are unlikely to offend.

It's a massive building, occupying a the entire former site of the much-missed Playhouse/Apollo theatres. It sky-rockets its bricks and mortar way into the air like no other neighbouring construction and this has earned it quite some criticism from architecture lovers. But all of those floors of screens stacked high do give this Cineworld its edge. It's the only cinema that is able to churn out the blockbusters from Hollywood alongside more sensitive offerings from the indie world. And that makes those Unlimited cards even better value if your tastes are broader than most.

No alcoholic temptations at the refreshment centre vestibules on each floor of screens but Cineworld does have a very comfortable licensed bar on the first floor to pick you up before your trip upstairs to your screen of choice and this works well for me and my friends. After the film, all that Glasgow city centre has to offer awaits...

For the truly BIG screen lovers and especially if you have a thing about wearing big funny glasses at the same time to enjoy the wonders of 3-D movies, then you must try a trip to Glasgow's IMAX theatre in the Glasgow Science Centre. I love the 3-D ones as much as the next big kid, but I've particularly enjoyed the chance to see some regular 2-D movies in the all-senses-assaulted IMAX arena. A good film doesn't need to poke you in the eye to engage you, though this is a fun thing to enjoy now and again. My personal favourite at this time of year is Santa v. The Snowman and it's great to see it on the listings again this year. As they say themselves, it's "the best alternative to panto" you'll get in a cinema (unless you're doing "audience-participation" that is!)

Of course An Honourable Mention must go to The King of indie film in Glasgow, the Glasgow Film Theatre or "GFT" are it is more than likely referred to by locals. There is no better place in the west of Scotland for independent and world cinema. And it holds a special place in my heart for its annual celebration of my favourite film for Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, a classic from Frank Capra starring Jimmy Strewart and Donna Reed.

It's a tale set around the festive period that follows our self-sacrificing hero, George, as he faces the dark side of "life" in more ways than he could imagine. A bumbling angel, yet to earn his wings, descends from The Heavens to give George a glimpse into the world as it would have been if he had never existed... brrrrrrr... creepy, or wot!?... you'll laugh... you'll cry... you'll feel all Christmassy all of a sudden. The ultimate "feel good" film (or as a very good friend regularly miscalls it, a "good feel" film, which I always thought was an entirely different genre...) And it prompts spontaneous applause year-on-year in the series of special screenings at GFT leading up to Christmas. Take a big bag of Bah-Humbugs with you...

PAMPER: Oshi

[click this blog post title to visit their website - images courtesy of Oshi at Langs]

Help! ...it's well into advent now (I know this coz there is a rash of little open doors all over the calendar hanging on the wall...) and I'm now facing the fact I have to head into the shops (offline and online) to do a spot of Christmas shopping.

Looking around for ideas, a lot of the women in my life are doing much more pampering these days. Trips to nail bars and spas seem to be the latest way to treat themselves in this crazy mad stressful world of ours.

I've had a string of successes for gifts by picking up one of the spa packages offered by Oshi spa lurking on a mezzanine above the restaurant of the same name in Langs hotel across from the Royal Concert Hall in the city centre of Glasgow.

I even bought one as a well-deserved "thank you" for a work colleague. I just heard that she was heading off there this week to claim her day of pampering and luxury so I'll hear her report later, but my sister and a good friend have both already claimed their gifts and raved about this place.

Hearing my colleague's news got me thinking that perhaps I should explore what else is on offer in Glasgow. What temptations could they offer too? Unusual therapies?... talented therapists?... stunning surroundings?... or just plain old-fashioned good value might be on offer? If you have any suggestions then let me have them!

And, you never know, I might be so impressed by them that I go along myself for a massage to relax away the tensions of Christmas shopping!...

For further information or advice, or to make a reservation, at Oshi contact them here...

tel> 0141 333 5701

email> spa@langshotel.co.uk

EAT: Ichiban West End

[click this blog post title to visit their website - www.ichiban.co.uk - image courtesy of ichiban]

Well, I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have never visited Ichiban before, especially as it's just a few streets away from my home. I cling to the notion that it's very proximity is what kept me away... "your own back yard", and all that jazz...

I'm even more red-faced that this local treasure is even better than one of my favourite Japanese eateries, the Wagamama chain that has spread up and down the UK in the past few years.

The ordering drill is almost identical to Wagamama... you slide into place in a looooooong table (though there are some regular ones - see pic above) with benches either side and start to drool over the long lists of anything-and-everything with (all sorts) of noodles. Rice dishes and sushi are also there to tempt. And for the truly undecided you might be best to plump for a bento box... a lacquered shallow tray divided into neat compartments that presents a work of minimalist culinary art... the "chef's selection" of tastes and textures beautifully accompanied with a spread of little china bowls of saucy things to dip into and generally play with. Fun!

So much so that my lunch guest ordered the self same box of foody tricks in the katsu variety of king prawn, scallops and chicken breast. I couln't be wrestled away from my all time favourite of soup-based chicken chilli ramen; a zinging hot infusion of slender wriggly noodles, kimchi sauce and char-grilled chicken... knee-wobblingly good!

For some westerners the starter/sides blurring is an odd affair. We tried a couple... an ebi gyoza (four deep fried king prawn and pork dumplings filled with cabbage, chinese leaf and leek, served with chili and vinegar sauce) and gyu-niku maki (grilled sirloin steak rolls filled with mushroom and lightly sauteed in garlic, sake wine, onion and soya sauce).

The thing is, it's all a bit of a lottery. Once the individual elements of your group's order are keyed into the little portable handsets (where they are immediately conveyed wirelessly to the kitchen) it's pot luck what will turn up when (aside: I also love their doodling of your order - in numerical form - on each person's paper placemat - great souvenir!)

So try to think more "random banquet" than "starter > main" or even "main with sides". You could easily get just one of the side dishes then a few minutes later one of the main courses, followed by another side dish and wait another five minutes for the final main course. If you are particularly hungry when you arrive, it might be best to order stuff that you can all happily share on arrival at the table, clicking away together with your chop sticks like some demented knitting circle outing.

Ichiban has a plentiful range of drinks many of them traditionally Japanese. So overjoyed was I to have finally stumbled off Dumbarton Road and into Ichiban (with Glasgow's heavens opened onto the streets) that I kicked off with a tapered china jug of hot saki, served into a little egg cup sized china bowl. A wonderful winter warmer. And once the chill was banished I moved onto Japanese beers to wash down the fine food.

You'll have to forgive the plasma-screened music videos on one wall of the main dining room as it really is quite understated by Japanese standards and I actually enjoyed the atmosphere, gently buzzing with people sheltering from the stormy day outside. I think being almost anywhere warm and welcoming inside when the sky is falling about you outside is a treat. But Ichiban was more than just a place to hide today. It was a place for all seasons... and weathers! I'll be back.

Follow the link to their web by clicking on this post title for all the details of their two Glasgow restaurants.

I visited the West End...

184 Dumbarton Road
Glasgow
G11 6UN
tel: 0141 334 9222

And there is a sister restaurant in the City Centre...

50 Queen Street
Glasgow
G1 3DS
tel: 0141 204 4200

EAT: An Lochan Glasgow

[click this blog post title to visit their website - images courtesy of An Lochan]





I went in search of a new place to eat yesterday, somewhere local to me in the West End of Glasgow. A jaunt around the web uncovered somewhere very promising called Cafe Royale... hitlisted by some local guidebooks and a mere mile away - off we set, a friend and I. With Glasgow shedding a cloud or two at the time we leaped into a passing cab and gave the address on Crow Road.

The number was an easy find. But what's this? It's gone!

Well, not really. We are reassured that, like some glamorous international spy, it has only had a face lift and a name change. Cafe Royale climbed into a shopfitter's pupae a couple of months ago and emerged a glossy black changeling; oozing subtle west of Scotland charm as "Am Lochan", or "by the loch".

The proprietor has printed a range of art cards (and their little brothers and sisters in the form of matching business cards). Each features a striking photograph featuring one of their extended team of providers of all the fair foods that make Am Lochan so special... "Claire making our morning rolls" and "Guido smoking our salmon" being just two of the five on offer - collect the set! This suggests that their particular take on restauranteuring has not been binned with the blue trappings of Cafe Royale. Past reviews raved about their pride in all of the people who contribute to your meal. And, for them, that means the lad who stalks the deer on the hillside of Scotland or the lass who collects the shellfish from the watery underworld of Scotland's coast. Good provenance like this should be celebrated and it's great to see Am Lochlan do so in such a charming way.






I'll let them take over to explain their changes and their values...

As you may have noticed, Cafe Royale has changed. For starters, there's
our rather dramatic new colour scheme, which we think makes the place look a
shade more sophisticated. And then there's the name - An Lochan, which means "by
the loch" in Gaelic.

"By the loch, in the middle of Glasgow's West End? Perhaps that makes better sense when you know that's also the new name of our small but perfectly-formed hotel which sits on the beach at Tighnabruaich - you guessed it, overlooking the loch, and with stunning views across to the Isle of Bute.

"Why name a restaurant after our hotel? Because we want all lovers of fine Scottish food to understand the link between them. Put simply, they feed off each other. All the delectable fresh seafood as well as most of the delicious meat and game we cook here in Glasgow has come straight from our trusted suppliers in the Kyles of Bute. Shonna, Mary and Arthur catch us the most succulent scallops and langoustines; Winston Churchill (no, really) stalks the most tender venison. And then Ian or Roger loads the day's catch into our little white van and drives it to our kitchen door... and onto your plate just a little while later.

"What does our hotel get out of this mutually beneficial relationship? Well, next time you need to get away from it all and spend a few days eating fabulous food in breathtakingly beautiful surroundings, maybe the name An Lochan Tighnabruaich will ring a bell for you?"


So, what of this well-connected food?

We chose from their seasonal lunch menu, a three-by-three selection for stater, main and dessert. The works comes in at £15.95 and dropping a course leaves a couple of pounds in your pocket (and off your waist?) at just £13.95 - a bargain, we thought.

Starters were almost a non-starter - it was a challenge just to make a choice. I loved the sound of them all... chicken liver pate with mini-oatcakes, cullen skink or wild mushroom soup. I finally plumped for the cullen skink a thick and satisfying bowl of creamy fishy heaven, especially on a chill day in December in Glasgow. My dining partner revelled in an old favourite, a fine smooth pate zinging with flavours. (I should know, coz I sneaked a taste.)





Mains were equally impressive. My lamb shank with crushed potatoes and roasted chestnuts made me almost glad it was winter. Savoy cabbage was light, crunchy and tender and a great partner to the mainly rich things heaped artfully upon my white china plate. My friend settled on the poached salmon, a fine slab of meaty fish teetering on top of a mound of champit tatties (that's potatoes bashed up with a potato masher!) and shredded cabbage. I seem to remember comments of "cooked to perfection", "absolutely delicious" and a general repeated rejoicing that the salmon was "bone-free"...

We hummed and hawed and eventually passed on the dessert. Though, wistfully, I still wonder what spooned delights I missed out on in the baked apple crumble and vanilla-pod ice cream? Perhaps the thought of ice cream on a cold day was what finished off the idea but I think it was more the generous portions of the two dishes we had first. Another time for puds and a great excuse to go back. I've some friends coming up from London for a Hogmanay weekend and this place is already on the shortlist for a lunch or dinner date.

I know I shouldn't encourage stereotypes but I do like to choose places with some sort of Scottish tang when I have English friends to stay. I know they love it, an icing on the cake of making a trip to "another country". The setting here is far from the tartan shortbread tin school of decorating but it does suggest something of the West of Scotland with it's large paintings of the coast and it's striking wall-sculptures celebrating the fruits of the sea. The colour scheme has that muted greenish bluish light with purple hints that almost suggests you are loch side. Extreme comfort too in their new seating; all squishy leather and velvet in creams and purples. Modern, stylish but somehow still "Scottish".

Service was charming and efficient and we enjoyed chatting about their changes, their sister hotel in the Kyles of Bute and our plans to come back with a crowd of friends (an early warning for Hogmanay 2006 - they're fully booked for dinner already!)

If you fancy a trip lochside without actually leaving the leafy sandstone of our Glasgow's west end you can find them here...
AN LOCHAN Glasgow - 340 Crow Road, Glasgow, Scotland, G11 7HT. Tel. O141-338-6606.

And if you really would much prefer to escape to their loch side cousin anyway, then point your carriage in this direction...
AN LOCHAN Tighnabruaich - Kyles of Bute, Argyll, Scotland, PA21 2BE. Tel. 01700-811-239.