Good Times at BAaD

There are invisible lines in Glasgow. Ones that can disconnect areas from the rest of the city. Over the last three years, Barras Art and Design has broke down barriers, attracting new visitors to the underutilised area around The Barrowland Ballroom. Part of a cadre of independent food and drink outfits on the outskirts of the city centre, their A'Challtainn fish restaurant is now well established.

Meanwhile, BAaD is also one of the most popular music venues in the city. Brian Traynor and Ricky Scoular sit down to discuss their plans. In the background, chefs are presenting small plates from the new menu for staff to taste. The latest iteration of their food offering starts on Thursday 5th February. 

It seems like the immediate future is about uniting the different entertainment strands within BAaD. "We are bringing together the venue and the food. The plan over the next year is to really solidify that. We have a relaxed setting and a menu that's tailored to people coming in during the week, having their meal and then they watch a gig.

You can sit with really good food and drink, then there's a band. That was at the forefront of our mind when we design our small plates offering" Brian explains. "It's really about playing to our strengths, accentuating everything that we do well here and giving people a reason to visit" Ricky adds. 

The promoters are also looking ahead to Playground Festival at Rouken Glen Park 31 July - 2 August. Underworld, Nightmares on Wax and a Leftfield DJ set have already been announced, with Flaming Lips, The Wailers, Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 to be confirmed today. 

As the conversation continues, it emerges that there are exciting new developments to come over the next few months. 

"We've got The Whistling Kirk on Greendyke Street" Brian says. "We got the keys this week and we're refitting the place right now. It will now be called Whistler on the the Green. An upmarket bar and gastropub for the local community.

It has a licence from 8 am. We will be open for breakfast, there will be an oyster happy hour in the evenings, we will have a mix of dishes including vegetarian, meat, seafood. You'll have dishes you would expect from a pub like pie and chips, soups and stews. It will good all-rounder. We are planning some acoustic sets from musicians. That's going to open in eight weeks, at the end of March."

That's not all. Brian outlines his plans to open a Mexican restaurant. "It will be a small place, only 22 seats, called Paco. You can sit in or we will have home delivery and takeaway available. We're looking at a very high standard of food, everything cooked fresh, with Mexican small plates.

There's not a Mexican on the Southside at the moment and the chefs I'm working with have a passion for this type of food. We feel it is something that will be well received." You can expect an extensive tequila menu with a small bar in the restaurant. Paco will open right in the middle of Shawlands, across from the shopping centre, at 101 Kilmarnock Road in April. 

El Perro Negro Valentine's Day

A special Valentine's Day meal for meat lovers. El Perro Negro will replace their outstanding burgers with grass fed, 45 day dry-aged bone-in rib eye steak for one night only.

"Steak with intense marbling, melt in your mouth texture, served with all the trimmings - beef dripping chips, grazing sides and gravy" they say.

Places in their Woodlands Road restaurant will be £40 per person on Monday 10th February. There will be two 1.5 hour sittings at 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Get involved. 

Singl-end 

The Italian Centre was opened in 1989, triggering a renaissance for the Merchant City and starting a local trend for smart conversions of grand old city centre locations. A rolling roster of food places have set up here since then.

Singl-end is the current champion, providing comprehensive brunches and a steady supply of teas and coffee. Always buy cake on the way out.

Glasgow Times:

This week we enjoyed their millionaire's shortbread, with just the right ratio of caramel to biscuit and a sprinkle of salt on the layer of rich chocolate. Outrageously good. Go buy a slice today.

Glasgow's 100 Best Restaurants 

Glasgow’s 100 Best Restaurants book brings together the culinary highlights that define the hospitality scene in Scotland’s biggest city.

You’ll find recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner and chips on the way home. A comprehensive snapshot of food and drink right now, consider it your restaurant tick-list for 2020.

For the full story, buy the book at glasgowtimes.co.uk/100best or in all good local bookshops. 

Dear Green at Native Glasgow 

It all started with one significant purchase. Lisa Lawson had been in Australia, backpacking around. She found a job and learned how to roast coffee.

When she came back to Glasgow, she sold wine and then ran a cafe.

She still had a keen interest in the coffee world and often thought about everything she’d learned, where and how the beans are grown, their different flavours and preparations. Then came the moment of truth. Lisa bought a second-hand coffee roaster machine.

Glasgow Times:

Nine years later, Dear Green coffee is one of the city's most interesting brands. Now Native Glasgow has partnered with them to ensure guests in the handsome Edwardian Art Deco aparthotel can wake up and smell the coffee.

As part of their commitment to working with the city's independent food and drink scene, Native will provide bags of Dear Green coffee from Fazenda Pantano in Brazil, roasted and ground in Glasgow's East End. grinded in Glasgow’s east end.

Glasgow Restaurant Power Rankings:

1 Bo & Birdy (New Entry) 

One of the most stylish dining rooms in the city, on the ground floor of the Blythswood Square Hotel. They've had a strong start to the year. Favourite dishes from Gillian Mathews' menu include St Andrews Farmhouse cheddar macaroni cheese or tea-smoked Gressingham duck breast. Set to be a popular choice for Valentine's Day dinners next month. 

2 Lebowksis (New Entry)

Caught the attention online with a burger topped with a haggis filled Scotch pie over the weekend. Continuing to serve top bar food and creative versions of White Russian cocktails on Argyle Street. A Finnieston favourite. 

3 A'Challtainn (New Entry)

Launching a new small plate menu specifically designed as a prelude to entertainment at the popular venue. Music, art and food come together in the East End. Impressive seafood dishes and wine list. 

4 Sugo (Down Two) 

Bouncing into the Restaurant Power Rankings with impressive fresh pasta and a stylish vibe. We enjoy their pappardelle with slow cooked beef ragu, a dish inspired by Tuscany, or agnolotti filled with veal, potato and cavolo nero in brown butter and thyme, with affogato for dessert.   

5 Ka Pao (Down Four)

The second restaurant from Ox and Finch. Housed in the basement of the Botanic Gardens Garage on Vinicombe Street, this will be a modern, bright, stylish space for 120 covers across a large dining room, with a custom-designed open kitchen and a bar area featuring comfortable booths and high tables. An exciting new addition to the west end food scene serving Southeast Asian dishes. Try the caramelised fried chicken.