News
They should have a grill like this on every corner...
Fri 3rd Jul 09 - 11:54
The Grill on the Corner
Jun 27 2009 By Tam Cowan
THE flood of emails that I gratefully receive from readers - about 50 a week at the last count - can be split into two distinct categories.
1 Please review this restaurant, Tam, as it's really good, one of my all-time favourites and definitely deserves a great write-up.
2 Please review this restaurant, Tam, as it's absolutely honking and should be closed down by the Environmental Health Department with the owner and all the staff sentened to death by firing squad.
This week's port of call - The Grill On The Corner in Glasgow - definitely falls into the former category and I've been stunned by the amount of positive customer feedback that's dropped into my inbox.
Just the other day, for example, one reader wrote a 500-word love letter about The Grill On The Corner and, as a wheelchair-user, he was particularly impressed by the thoughtful nature of the very attentive staff.
On a similar note, I also heard a recent tale about the general manager offering to personally pop some coins in a parking meter so a customer wouldn't have to interrupt
his meal. How's that for service?
Talking of money, it has also come to my attention that The Grill On The Corner is proving popular with bargain hunters.
Apparently, if you access the company website (www.blackhouse.uk.com) you can pick up a member's dining card that entitles the user to 50 per cent off the food bill - whether it's a party of one or 101. How's that for value?
I checked out The Grill On The Corner just before my recent trip to Las Vegas and I can promise you it was just as good - perhaps even better - than any steakhouse the City Of Sin had to offer.
The so-happy-to-see-you welcome at the front door was very USA - ditto the stylish bar that all you ladies will love as it looks like the sort of lounge favoured by the girls in Sex And The City.
A bloke like myself also liked the bar - nope, not for the simple reason it sells drink - but because the young staff gave the impression they were total pros who enjoyed their job rather than surly students trying to grab a bit of pocket money.
The dining-room next door is fabulous and I loved the classy, leather horseshoe booths up the back. Again, harking back to Vegas, I half-expected The Rat Pack to entertain the crowd after dinner.
Although, in saying that, the crystal chandeliers suggested there was more chance of an appearance by Sydney Devine.
Even our server provided a wee touch of class - simply by being called (according to my receipt) Pedro Guedes. Sounds a lot cooler than Peter Geddes,eh?
The downstairs toilets have benefitted from a recent refurb but, apart from the fab food which I'll come to in a second, perhaps The Grill On The Corner's biggest asset is the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that look directly onto the hustle and bustle of Bothwell Street.
The sizzling smokiness that permeates this restaurant suggests the speciality steaks should always be the order of the day, but our starters were far from humdrum.
After some nibbly bowls of fiery hot wasabi peas and hot spiced almonds (both highly recommended) I kicked off properly with a duck spring roll - served with a thick and satisfying plum sauce - that would have been the envy of many a good Chinese restaurant.
My mate Gerry has some strange tastes. His all-time favourite dish, for example, is the stuff served up at his local Ralston Golf Club - black pudding soup!
I'm still not sure if that sounds utterly hideous or totally delicious.
At The Grill On The Corner, he settled for something more straightforward - a pot of freshly steamed mussels which he thought were tremendous.
Meanwhile, his wife Rae really liked the garlic mushrooms on properly toasted crusty bread. She then enjoyed chicken-something or-other. Sorry to sound disinterested, but this joint is all about steak and the two slabs of beef that arrived at our table were very memorable.
My 11oz fillet had a wonderful charcoal flavour and the meat was so tender I didn't really require the services of a steak knife.
Meanwhile, Gerry's hefty sirloin steak looked about two inches thick and the chef deserves a word of praise for ensuring that our pepper sauce was as devishly hot as requested.
We also enjoyed thechips.Proper homemade efforts with the crispy skins intact. Perfect.
No room for dessert - again, just like Vegas - so I settled the £120 bill and look forward to an even better priced meal when I become a member of this smart restaurant.
They should have a grill like this on every corner.
