I’ve missed many things during lockdown, but big thing is a meal out. How could you not?
Before the pandemic hit, 88 on Dumbarton Road was nailing experiential dining. Operating off the fashionable small plates (that aren’t actually all that small) the tiny unit serves a veritable feast of fresh pasta - that you can see hanging in the window to dry - and other seasonal dishes. So how does this work in lockdown?
The 88 is the place to go in terms of bang for your buck. All our food was only £35 for two people, and if we had wanted a bottle of wine (of which they do natural and organics - good for no hangover) it would be another £10. There was so much food - enough that we split it over two nights; the first sitting at the table, and the second, munching our pasta in front of the TV.
READ MORE: Takeaway Review: A BRGR won my heart - but hold the fries
The caramelized onion focaccia bread was moist and heavy, and the portions were very generous. I dived into the broad bean hummus, pea, and smoked almond, and my girlfriend who is not a fan of peas took charge of the baby gem salad, dusted with wild leek, feta and croutons.
We were stuffed already and nibbled the mellis cheeses, salami and honey crackers.
Our pastas were fresh tagliatelle, mine with the rabbit, pancetta and tarragon and hers the vegetarian option of smoked mushroom and tarragon.
On our Facebook Live we had a bit of chat about the rabbit. I wouldn’t have usually paired this with pasta, but it was smokey and rich and went wonderfully with the tagliatelle. I am a meat eater, you see, but for the vegetarians among us the mushroom was not a substitute but alternative - a feat which I think many restaurants do not accomplish.
We polished it off with our dessert of chocolate, orange and granola. The granola had softened a bit, and I found it easier to eat three separately, but my girlfriend ate it all together.
READ MORE: Glasgow Yiamas take-away review
Our meal was a lot of food for two people, and it was fancy without reflecting that in the price tag. A sloppy and dirty takeaway is good, like a hungover chicken curry or a Friday chippy dripping with vinegar, or they can be this.
This is what Glasgow does best: being creative, innovative and unique while also keeping things casual and nonchalant.
I can’t wait for the restaurants to open again, but it’s nice to know that in future, I eat as fancy as I want while still in my jammies - without breaking the bank.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here