FOOD & DRINK
NEWS & REVIEWS
ROLLIN’ HOME
An explosion of social media greeted this takeaway’s recent arrival in Glasgow’s Shawlands. Andrea Pearson tracks down a local urban legend
P eople are hanging about in Glasgow’s Southside on a dreich Sunday afternoon. They are waiting for food outside Buddy’s BBQ and Burgers. In the window, the burger- meisters work away beside the flame grill, the fryer and a large stainless-steel smoker as a stream of new orders are sellotaped to the counter.
It must be a hangover thing. ‘No,’ says Chris May, the owner. ‘It’s like this all the time. I havent slept for three days.’
The transatlantic Scot (whose dad is American) has been planning his smokehouse venture for ten years and he has been overwhelmed by its popularity. Word has spread as quickly as the oil-flash on the fiery grill. Discussion boards have been aflame with chatter – one customer had been advised to give Buddy’s burgers a try by a friend in Australia. Most small businesses would happily trade with May in today’s lean times. But the sudden success has led to problems. People complain the food takes too long. But what do they expect, when they can see people already waiting? ‘And I wont compromise on quality,’ he says.
The burgers are good. Very good. The large, lean
patties are made on site each day from minced shoulder of beef. The most popular is the Western Burger, served with lashings of grilled cheese, home- smoked sweet bacon, salad and sauce. Wings are a triumph, succulent and fried in a light crispy crumb. Another USP is the pulled pork sandwich, dripping with sweet mustard and slaw. The final choice on the short menu, ribs, are not for the faint-hearted. They are meltingly tender, and richly flavoured for a real American barbecue taste, but the massive rack of bones can seem a little nightmarish. And on the downside, barbecue food does not travel well. It is best eaten immediately, on the hoof.
The hard-nosed carnivore will love this place. And veggies? They can nip next door to Locavore, the community shop and kitchen. With these two outlets, and the reliable 1901 deli, Skirving Street is shaping up to be a fascinating foodie stopover.
+ Kick-ass wings - Doesn’t travel well
BUDDY’S BBQ & BURGERS 44 Skirving Street, Southside, Glasgow, G41 3AJ, 0141 632 5417
Food served: Mon–Thu 11.30am–9pm; Fri/Sat 11.30am–10pm; Sun 2–10pm. Ave. price two-course meal for one: £11 32 THE LIST 21 Feb–21 Mar 2013
SIDE DISHES News to nibble on
Two of Edinburgh’s Michelin- starred chefs, Tom Kitchin and Dominic
Jack have announced they are opening a dining pub in Stockbridge. The as yet unnamed venture in the former San Marco restaurant on Comely Bank Road should be serving by the spring. Our annual round-up of the eating out scene in Glasgow and Edinburgh celebrates its 20th edition this year. Covering over 900 venues, including over 100 new openings, the 2013 version of the Eating & Drinking Guide is available with the next-but-one issue of The List magazine, out on Wednesday 17 April. You can also pre-order at shop.list.co.uk
This year’s guide will feature a new section, The Wee Places, covering all
those great little food outlets that are springing up. One good example is Pitta Pitta, a new souvlaki kiosk in the police box on Rose Street East in Edinburgh.
COOKING WITH CALEDONIAN BREWERY
Caledonian Brewery has teamed up with The Radical Road’s Masterchef, Martin Mitchell, to bring you a tasty recipe made with one of its distinctive beers. Golden “Rabbit-a-leekie” XPA
1 rabbit ½ pt Caledonian n Golden XPA 1pt rabbit stock 2 leeks 4 prunes Dash cream Seasoning
• Strip rabbit, bone legs, cut tiny rabbit chops, trim saddle, make stock with carcass and leek trimmings.
• After one hour add XPA to the stock and reduce to 1pint, strain and reduce to ¼ pint. • Sweat leeks, stuff into rabbit legs with prune in the centre, wrap in clingfilm and foil, steam for 30 min, grill saddle & chops.
• Slice each leg into three pieces, serve with potato and green veg.