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4 'l'.\el'y body said tiobodyis got a first floor restaurant that works. and we were really worried about how downstairs would work. but people haye jtist got into the hang of it. When llarycy .\'ichols opened a few years ago we thought it was going to be a big pull on our market lat the shop]. btit what happened was that we got busier. It seems to be that when more things pop up all tlial happens is that it brings more people in.
"l'lle lood here is may classic and simple. \VcKe got a much broader range than in the Ililm Row| ('al'fc Bar. but the style is the same home cooking like we do in Italy: classic signature dishes. but from around ltaly. It‘s based on where our families haye come from. and the experiences that we‘w had. and the people we know. and also the Italian cooks who hayc worked in our kitchen.
‘Wc‘rc also showcasing all these fabulous wines that we ncyer had the opportunity to do properly before. \Ve'ye got about 35 to 4() on the list. so people are buying Bill'tllti and expensiye wine that they‘d never buy by the bottle oyer lunchtime.
'You'll get customers here who earn more money in a year than I could eyer dream of. sitting next to people who are here because this is their lunch of the month. and it‘s really special for them. 'l'liat was old l'ncle Victor‘s original thing about the shop. that if somebody came into the shop in a bad mood. or unhappy about something. you‘re in a seryice industry and it‘s your responsibility to brighten that person‘s day.
‘I think that because I‘ve grown tip with the business. and it‘s what we talked about around the dinner table ey‘ery night of my life. | just know it. The fact that it happened so suddenly suggests to me that it was always there. and now I'm in it. with no experience of any of this. yet I'm doing it and it's fine. I feel a bit neryous. bill I know that the food coming out is great. I know that the wine is fantastic. and it‘s just the sei'y'ice. and that part of it is just me. And I‘m here. and haying a good time. and I want to do it.~
1 14 THE LIST .14 '8
EAT & DRINK
urgEr thing
More is more when it comes to reviving an old favourite at RELISH, as Mark Robertson finds out.
Is a real challenge to eleyate the status of any dish with a bad rep. Sure.
Gary Rhodes can hang on about the joys of suet puddings and Rick
Stein may want to press you to an eel pic but let's be honest things will neyer change. The lowly hamburger is. how eyer. ripe for reinvention. Sandwiched between the scampi and lasagne on the archetypal pub grub menu. it would be unlikely that anyone would eyen recognise a burger without a handful of fro/en chips and a slice of rubber cheese on top. Well. the people at lidinburgh‘s Relish haye giyen it a bloody good go.
An independent yenture started in (‘ambridge around lh’ months ago. this second branch. on the city's High Street. opened in late .luly. pi'oyiding a welcome antidote to the already stack ~em high treat ~em cheap tendencies of many of the Royal Mile’s other eating houses. Here. the decor is a fairly successful attempt to recreate the charm of a retro diner.
Broadening the notion of just what can sit between two baps is the key here. although good old-fashioned American portions are as standard (any food that has to be held together with a stick surely has to be of American origin). but a Variety of international spin—offs make the topping options a lot wider than salt and sauce.
The burgers themselyes are sturdy. well seasoned and not too oniony and sit as comfortably with bacon. portabella mushrooms or tangy cheddar as they do with chard pineapple or the teriyaki sauce. This may sound like an acquired taste btit I tasted. and it is a sweet and sour treat. ll red meat isn't so appealing there's an unspectacular Veggie burger but much better is a moist breast of chicken with mo/Iarella and rocket. smothered in horne- made pesto. lt‘s which is as magical as it sounds. .-\ lone complaint might be just how cumbersome such beasts are to handle.
.-\n aspirational wine list seems a nice idea. if a little out of place. More appropriate are the milkshakes. which are a hefty {3.937050 a pop but one is a meal in itself. 'l‘heir peanut butter and banana milkshake (to taste it is to fall in love) is a peculiarly wonderful sensation like no other I haye ey'er experienced. The fairly steep prices (burgers range from £(i.5()- 7.95l are further indication of Relish's home in the city‘s tourist heart but they still compare admirably with the other quality options in the area.
Only Bell‘s Diner in Stockbridge competes with Relish for sheer girth and quality of flayour and while it may lack Bell‘s more relaxed atmosphere. for a brash burger in the city centre. Relish really is the burger king.
sotth
Relish, 217 High Street, Edinburgh, 0131 225 8770 0000
SideDishes
News to nibble on . . .
I Anna Ryder Richardson is the celebrity supporter for the Pink Afternoon Teas at One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow. To aid Breast Cancer Care, the fundraising teas are scheduled for 28 November, 9 January and 6 February at the five-star boutique hotel in the city’s West End. The cost is £24 with 25 being donated to Breast Cancer Care. ‘Taking afternoon tea with your friends is such a glamorous and relaxing way to raise money for Breast Cancer Care Scotland,’ says Ryder Richardson.
I A light snack menu has been launched at Oloroso in Edinburgh. The eclectic selection ranges from traditional Indian coisine to Highland beef mii'ice‘n'tatties to fine Italian pasta, stro//apreti. ‘lt's crucial to keep people interested in food and changing our rrieiius enables us to keep introducing new flavours and culinary experiences,‘ says chef and proprietor 'loriy Sirirjh. ‘With such fantastic seasonal produce to pick from. we can achieve this]
I In Glasgow, Grassroots has introduced an organic wine club to deliver specially selected six and 12 bottle cases to customers on a quarterly basis. Each wine has been selected from a list of over 350. Over 85% of them are not available in the store - only to wine club members. A fully vegan selection can also be ordered. For more information call 0141 353 3278 and ask for Sarah.
I Finally. Baltika the Russian beer has made its draught premier at the new Sauchiehall Street bar called Stavka. While bottled Baltika has been kicking around for a while. kegs were shipped in exclusiver to help launch the new venture. which has described itself as 'themed to reflect the many Cultures Of mother Russia. Rooms reflect the opulence of Tsarist history.” And straightforward branding, in the case of one room: the Baltika Bar.