Curry Wishes and Pakora Dreams.....

One of the best things about living in the City Centre of Glasgow is that we are surrounded by drinking, dining and shopping choices. We have been a bit extra lazy (or busy?) lately though and have been indulging more than usual in takeaway meals - and happily we are spoiled for choice. Our local favourite has to be the Balti Club on Woodlands Road, in the shadow of the Sainsbury's petrol station. At first glance, it's just your average neighborhood takeaway shop - but it is without a doubt a great choice for good, fast, fresh food. The staff are so nice and helpful and have been able to answer all my allergy questions. I've also never had anything from there that hasn't been excellent. OK - it's still takeaway food so to be consumed in moderation ideally - but what a great treat for those nights when you just don't have time/energy/inclination/etc. to cook.

We vacillate between the set meal deal for 2 for around £14 - and more food than we can manage in one meal - or a pizza (for him) and a kebab (for her). Don't judge me for the kebab - I get a chicken tikka kebab (chunks of marinated, chargrilled ckicken) served with sauce and salad and no bread (sticking with the gluten free theme). No mystery meat slices for me - just fresh, tasty chicken served with a most excellent chili sauce. The meal deal is a real winner too although hardly revolutionary in a curry-soaked city such as our own - a serving of pakora to split, plus poppadums and onions, plus rice and naan, plus two main course curries. Our favourites are the bhoona and the achari - I particularly love the achari as it has just the right amount of tasty pickley bits and just the right amount of chili goodness.

I would be missing something important as well if I didn't wax lyrical just a bit about the pakora. The batter is crispy and not too thick or bready and the assortment of pakora to choose from is fantastic. You get your 'regular' chicken, mushroom, vegetable type pakora - although the latter is notably more fluffy (this is a good thing) than crispy - as well as an array of unusual choices such as spinach and jalapeno, spinach and brie, caluiflower and cheese, etc. You can also order (with 24 hours notice) a party pack of 50 or 100 pieces (for £10 or £18 respectively) which seems like a great idea for entertaining!

Beer beer want more beer

To the tune of 'Hail, Hail to Piracy' ... in my inaugural post as a food blogger I hearby plug the latest special offer at JD Witherspoon's, a vastly un-edgy chain pub normally stuffed with office workers and other plebs. Not only do they do a tasty full English / Scottish breakfast for buttons (supersize it into a hard-to-finish Farmhouse version for an extra quid), steak n chips, and perfectly respectable salmon, they do excellent guest ales, and annual beer and wine festivals.

It's the chain's 30th birthday, and this ale fest is even better than usual. For the price of a 1990s pint (£1.69 at my local), you get a beautiful obscurity such as ANKER GOUDEN CAROLUS AMBRIO, a fruity Belgian ale with a reddish colour and slight head. Being dull responsible types 'Spoons only sell you it in halves (it's 8% ABV) for 85p a glass.

A European ale? With foam? Does that happen? By God, I know nothing about beer. But maybe after I've sampled the other 49 I'll be on my way. For extra middle-aged-and-lovin-it fun, rate your ale on the Witherspoons website.

www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/promotions/2009-real-ale-festival/

As a grassroots, hardcore, two fingers to the mainstream type of chap I'm pleased to note that this festival is endorsed by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). Only they've been online already giving their ratings and my lovely Anker Gouden only got 2.8%. Damnit, I will not be an entry-level know-nothing! I'm going to crack this ale lark even if it costs me (reaches for calculator) a further £82.81. Just like I cracked whisky by going to that Whisky Live! fest back in September.

While I'm not a fan of seeing the same chains everywhere you go in every city of the UK, if McDonald's had a one-off Bateman's Iron Lady (based on unfluffy former Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher) on tap I'd be willing to attend their birthday party too.

Is it boring to love penne alla arrabiata?

I suppose it is, but I really really do. I use it as litmus to test how good an Italian restaurant is, the same way I used to use grilled cheese sandwiches as an indicator of how good a diner was when I still lived in New York. Arrabiata sauces can range in quality so dramatically, and you can get those thin, watery, not very spicy versions even in restaurants that are pretty good in other respects.

I love the Penne alla arrabiata at Fazzi on Cambridge Street. I don’t know if it’s my favourite, but it’s on my mind because I just had it last night for dinner. The sauce is a bit sparse but nice and rich and full of chilli and garlic. And the best part is, they add black olives! I know olives are one of those things that tend to polarise people, so if you’re looking for a good Penne alla arrabiata and the idea of black olives gives you wiggins, go to Dino’s on Sauchiehall Street.