So this evening I had to blindfold The Mary so she wouldn’t realise
we were still in The East End. Now, it’s
not that she doesn’t love those weans, she really does but on a Monday she
likes to get as far away as possible. Luckily
in the darkness of the two eye patches… (I didn’t actually have a blindfold),
she thought it was bedtime and fell asleep so she didn’t know how long we had
been in the car.
Lo and behold The Mary thought I’d taken her to Italy!
Memories of 1982 came flooding back and I remembered the
year my daughter was born and moving into my first, wee flat just off Alexandra Parade. Natalino’s enthusiasm and charm
enticed us into the Italian Delicatessen Café frequently and The Mary and I
often met there for a chat over the prams, bottles and sick. I’ve moved on from that but I do my best to
babysit, look after the kids, do some shopping and cleaning for The Mary.
Sorry…that last sentence made me laugh so much I nearly choked
to death.
Family run since 1982 ‘Celino’s is a much loved resident of
Alexandra Parade and is a family business which offers ‘tutto per tutti’’. The place is charming and whatever you choose
to make of it; a bustling café, a restaurant, an Italian deli or takeaway. In essence, they are all of these things and
much more.
OK, so, The Mary is quite contrary and has now decided that
the focaccia she had tonight is the best she has ever tasted in her life, up
until now! I even ate two slices and had stopped eating dough based products
about a year ago. It was quite obviously
baked in a stone oven and the bottom was crisp and delicious giving it a very
rustic taste.
The Chicken Cacciatora I had was so fresh and tasty I’m sure
one of the staff caught it after passing me with a gun, wearing hunting boots this
morning in Alexandra park. At first I
though he was after my dog.
The Mary had Pollo Milanese, made with proper breadcrumbs, and
scoffed it so quickly I thought she’d ordered a children’s portion by sheer
habit. Both of us were so full and
satisfied that we could not have a sweet but still scoffed the mini cannoli
with our coffee.
Every single item was served with enthusiasm and Jane our
server was both delightfully cheery and discreet at the same time. Our experience tonight was more than enough
to keep my pal happy for the rest of the week; with enough culinary fuel to
last her till next time! For both of us the Chicken was delicious.
Although The Mary thought she was in Italy this evening I was reminded of one of my favourite places on Second Avenue on the Lower East Side of Manhattan called Mimi's where the singer is called Chicken Delicious. The atmosphere in Celino's is so cosmopolitan and welcoming that I forgot where I was and got lost in the food and atmosphere of one of the most welcoming and chic places to eat in Glasgow!
Sometimes I take my dog for a walk and sit outside Celino’s
for a coffee. Not long ago, on one of
these visits Natalino was sitting outside. I thought about going over to say hello but he
looked so content and happy, sitting alone, watching the customers enjoying the
ambience I was afraid of spoiling his moment and I thought better of it. No one needs to be reminded of the times they
might have struggled to juggle family, work and dealing with everything that
comes with developing a new business in order to create a haven for others to
enjoy. So I sat in the sun with another
from a long time ago, enjoying the Scottish weather and the marvelous atmosphere of
Celino’s Italian Deli in the East End.
So go along to meet Claudio with his brilliant team and savor Natalino’s
heritage through traditional fayre; whether it be Stornoway Black pudding in
your full Scottish Breakfast or the fresh calamari and langoustine in your
Spaghetti allo scoglio Celino’s will strive to create the best for all their
customers.
So thank you Celino family and good luck as one of the
Finalists in the 2016 Scottish Italian Awards!
No comments:
Post a Comment