Grill In The Park - Reviewed by Dinertec, May 28, 2015

Rating: 4/5

  • 10 Park Drive
  • Erskine
  • PA8 7AL

The word was out. Fingers McGhee was on the prowl. Money was owed and he had his eye on the main chance. Legs Maloney was looking for protection and was hiding out at Tec Towers. The new addition to the household was driving Toots bats. And when Toots is on the war path it’s best to head for the hills.

Pulling on her furs and with red talons tapping a rat-a-tat-tat it was time to hail a taxi and make like a road runner. Leaving Legs lurking behind closed doors the Moll and I hit the road. “Oh Tec, I have a hunger and it needs feeding now,” purred my beloved.

I’d heard good reports from a contact about a little place that dished up the food like there was no tomorrow. And didn’t break the bank. It was music to my lugs. Grill in the Park beckoned.

Toots tripped beguilingly across the threshold and the waitress spotted us as I manoeuvred us into the welcoming dining area. And while there was plenty of choice for seating I got the impression they were gearing up for a lunchtime deluge.

A quick scan of the very extensive scran list and the Moll almost melted – a midday treat of a chicken curry couldn’t be ignored, add to that the rice and pakora and it was masala heaven on a plate. Not one to blank the obvious, I zeroed in on the fish, chips and peas. I am, after all, an old-fashioned gumshoe. Add to that a glass of the house white and a finger or two of Scotland’s finest and it was time to peruse the joint.

While we’d been ordering, a steady flow of customers had made their way into The Grill. The place was starting to buzz and the waitresses were flying across the room. Ours appeared as if by magic with plates fully laden and steaming hot.

Moll’s fork speared a plump piece of chicken almost before the plate hit the table and the look of bliss across her face reminded me of the time she helped me finish off a quart of my chocolate fudge ice cream.

Not to be outdone I dived into my seaside treat. While fish was flaky and tasty, the batter was not quite to my taste, but hey, the chips more than made up for this minor glitch.

Silence descended on the table. The only sound was the occasional scraping of a knife and the tearing of the nan bread as the Moll mopped up her curry. It was with a look of contentment that my sweet sat back in her chair.

With a latte and a second vino blanco under our straining belts we eased back. Just when I thought we had reached saturation point, little miss sunshine reappeared holding two menus and enticing us with dessert. With hardly a speck of stomach space it seemed only right to opt for the ice cream – cool, soft and, if you left it long enough, runny – almost a drink.

Our lunch time treat was just that, great service, busy atmosphere and a feeling we would be back.