Just a little spot of lunch on a cold day.
Scamp has had a terrible cold recent and had requested a visit to The Ivy in Buchanan Street. We’d heard lots about it from friends and this was a perfect day to check it out. It was agreed that ‘drink would be taken’ so we left the Blue car to snooze under a bright blue sky while we took the bus in to town.
It was a slow bus, but we weren’t going anywhere fast. A coffee in Nero on the way down Buchanan Street and a walk down almost as far as Princes Square, then a gentle sedate walk back to the restaurant. It’s quite impressive inside, at least I was impressed. Maybe it was because it was a midweek visit, but the place seemed to have a more ‘senior citizens’ than I’d expected.
Scamp’ s starter was Zucchini Fritti With lemon, chilli and mint yoghurt.
Her main course surprise, surprise was Fish and Chips. What else would it be?
My Starter was Twice-baked Cheese Soufflé, Gratinated Monterey Jack and mozzarella in a cream sauce with grated black truffle.
My Main course was The Ivy Classic Shepherd’s Pie. Slow-braised lamb and beef with Cheddar mash, rosemary and red wine sauce.
I nearly didn’t get a starter or a main after I revealed that I had a mussel allergy. There was quite an investigation to go through, down to admitting that the cooking oil had been used to cook mussels. However, by some quirk of fate, I survived.
Dessert for me was a flamed Flambéed Crème Brulée. Flamed tableside with silky vanilla custard and a golden caramelised sugar crust.
Dessert for Scamp was Rum Baba with Mango. Moist rum-soaked sponge, complemented by Chantilly cream, tropical mango and toasted coconut. She didn’t like it!
After all that, we had a wee rest, then decided we’d pay up and go for a walk down Bucky Street, then get the bus home.
The gods were with us today, because as we were crossing the road at JL, the bus doors opened and we got a lift back home on a lovely day.
I’d forgotten to take a camera with me, so today’s photo came from my iPhone. It’s a bloke playing a keyboard on Bucky Street. He deserved a quid for sitting playing to an unappreciative audience, except me!
I don’t think I’ll be needing much for breakfast tomorrow, but we’ll wait and see.
Phone call with the doc in the morning and a visit to an old friend in the afternoon.