When I announce to The Mary we’re going to
The Red Onion she hits out with;
“I cannae go I’ll get heartburn, you know I’m no good
wi’ onions!”
Well, that was me told but the table is
booked so that’s what’s happening!
The Award winning Red Onion is run by the charming
and fabulously talented John Quigley who started his career in London’s West End. John has quite a reputation up that London
Toon and here in Glasgow. His all
singing, all dancing chat, patatas, tzatziki and Nuoc Chan dressing, topped off
with a fabulous mood and atmosphere to ensure a grand finale at The Red Onion!
Last week I had tried his Bang Bang Chicken
at the launch of the new Gideon Robinson showroom in the West End and it had
such a pleasing influence on my palate I had to go and give his place on West
Campbell Street. I felt I needed to
experience another banging aftershock.
John’s work has been described as ‘casual gourmet
dining’ but I’m not sure how anything hedonistic or decadent can be left to
chance when business is concerned. Once
you have customers to satisfy, bills and staff to pay, planning is
everything. Maybe in his other life,
when he was cooking for Guns and Roses or Tina Turner he would have licence to
go rogue but a Glasgow audience like consistency.
Even if it’s consistently bad, they expect
it and love to complain!
No complaints from me or The Mary though
because from the minute we walked through the beautiful, Thistle draped tabs at
the front entrance it was sheer theatre.
The man himself passed by the table to said hello, having come from a
television studio before exiting front stage, through his audience, to another
event!
I loved the ambiance, décor and flower
arrangements, especially one suspended from the ceiling which gave the Sala a
feeling of grandeur. Some high ceilinged buildings in town can be cold and
austere but John and Gillian have managed to create luxuriously snug atmosphere,
which is both chic and traditional, with a hip edge
Our server Andrew was charming and very
professional who seemed to know exactly when to approach us. He worked the room beautifully along with the
lovely Katrina. It reminded me of a
bustling bistro I’d been to recently in New York and Andrew’s accent took me
back to Broadway. Although I’m not a
language expert; he could have been from Maryland or even Maryhill, but my
imagination can easily be ignited on a Monday evening in my fabulous Glasgow!
The food was well presented, tasty, abundant
and piping hot.
Nothing worse than tepid food
I had Char-grilled lemon chicken with korma sauce, pilau rice and
tzatziki. The Mary choose Char-grilled Spanish style
pork loin with patatas bravas and tomato chorizo ragu. As a soon as I saw it got the food envy and
she was delighted. She is cruel and so
effing smug when she thinks she has one over on me.
We both opted for Seasonal fruit crumble, custard with crème Chantilly. The dessert was so fruity and decadent The
Mary started to make her embarrassingly vulgar and lusty noises and I had to
apologise to a mortified Andrew who, on his approach to the table, looked as if
he had been caught in an intense profile spot with a bright white bulb!
Poor lad!
So, if you want to experience dishes
ranging from Classic Scottish to more the more exotic, get yourselves to The Red Onion and savour everything from Finnan Haddie and Caledonian Crown Steaks
to Arran smoked cheddar with fruit chutney and crackers.
Produce is sourced locally and cooked with
fervour to be eaten with gusto!
Place is Pure Bang Banging!
Till the next time!
Me and The Mary!
Mx
