I'M LOCKED INTO THE CELLAR DOOR

The Cellar Door
44-46 George IV Bridge
Edinburgh
EH1 1EJ
0131 226 4156
www.thecellardooredinburgh.com
Open seven days: lunch 12-3: dinner 6 till late: high tea 3-6: brunch (Saturday and Sunday only) 10am to noon

SOUTH African-born Ivan Leader has a passion for Scotland. That’s why he moved to Edinburgh, a city he fell in love with.
Currently, citizens of Auld Reekie, and tourists, are falling for his new city centre restaurant, The Cellar Door, which opened only five months ago.
It is housed in a converted from a former warehouse and the 50-cover diner sits in the city’s tourist area.
Just off the city’s world-famous Royal Mile and yards from the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the Skye Terrrier dog who reportedly spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, until he died in 1872, the candle-lit restaurant offers an affordable option for discerning diners.
Ivan and his wife Morven are hands on. They use local suppliers and change the menu regularly.
They also like to surprise diners. A two course (£13.95) or three course (£17.95) surprise dinner menu is on offer. You are then at the mercy of head chef Eden Sinclair, however, nobody should worry. He won’t create anything that you can’t or won’t eat.
A static on the menu are main course grills. Prime cuts of Aberdeen Angus beef, hung for a minimum of three weeks, are offered, and the meat is sourced by Eden.
An 8oz fillet steak is £18.95 or a 16oz T-bone £23.95. Chateau Briand (for two) is £39.95 and the steaks are served with four choices of sauce including blue cheese.
Char grilled Perthshire lamb cutlets or organic Spring lamb are alternatives.
All seven starters appealed. Haggis fritters served with a whisky sauce was a possible along with salmon, lime and coriander fishcake with a celeriac coleslaw and a sweet chilli dressing were among them.
However, I couldn’t resist the grilled Stornoway black pudding and goats cheese salad served with a Somerset apple dressing.
The black pudding and goats cheese blended beautifully. A great choice. One of my companions was not disappointed by the haggis fritters and neither was the second with the soup of the day plus crusty, home-baked bread.
We couldn’t wait for the next course but it was hard to pick from the five mains. Stir-fried loin of beef with coriander style noodles, leek and smoked cheddar risotto, a home-made beef burger served with chunky chips and a choice of three sauces, including Strathdon Blue, or grilled fish of the day.
The fact that sea bass was on offer sold it for me. The fish nestled on the top of a mound of spiced new potatoes and buttered baby spinach. The flavours merged beautifully.
Pam tucked into grilled free range chicken with flageolet beans, smoked bacon and sweet corn. We also asked for a side order of home-made chips as my other guest, Chris, wouldn’t allow us to steal any more of his. He loved his burger.
The restaurant also boasts a ten cover, street-level patisserie specialising in quality cakes, confectionary and hand-made chocolates, all made on site by Petra, specially flown in from Germany.
What’s more, a varied brunch menu is available on Saturday and Sunday. For example, a traditional breakfast is £7.95 but if you fancy eggs Florentine and baby spinach and Hollandaise sauce on a bed of toasted, home-baked, crusty bread it is £5.95.
Simply, I’m now locked into The Cellar Door.

L'ESCARGOT BLEU, A TASTE OF FRANCE IN CENTRAL EDINBURGH

L’Escargot Bleu
56 Broughton Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3SA
0131 557 1600

www.lescargotbleu.co.uk

THERE is much to commend L’Escargot Bleu. The ambiance, its location, Rebecca, an impeccable manager, and the care and attention put into the food, to name a few.
However, there were irritants which worked against what could be a superb city centre restaurant.
Let’s start with the pluses. Pam’s Scottish asparagus and black pudding with grain mustard and herb crumbs was sensational.
The pudding was moist and the topping exploded in the mouth. A stunning starter.
My grilled fillet of red mullet served on a bed of baby artichoke salad with a walnut oil vinaigrette was eye-catching.
The moist, warm mullet, however, jarred with the cold artichoke, a disappointment. The vinaigrette was subtle and appealing.
There were five other starters including steamed mussels Basquaise with Roscoff onions, red peppers and tomato or chicken galantine with black truffles served with a Gribiche sauce.
On to the main. Undoubtedly, the owners stick to their slogan of a French twist using the best of Scotland.
Eight selections were available. I was particularly tempted by the gratin of Stirlingshire line caught pike and squid in Armoricaine sauce with baby spinach.
The braised ox cheeks with a la Bourguignonne with pancetta and mushrooms was appealing.
There was also the signature dish, Buccleuch estate whole rib of beef cooked to your liking and carved at the table, served with potatoes, jus and a green salad.
However, Pam plumped for duck au vin – yes duck – and my selection was home-made bouillabaisse with a fish selection served with aioli and croutons.
Sadly, the duck failed to excite. It was well-cooked but lacked significant flavor and the accompanying cauliflower – no cheese topping – was in marked contrast to the sweetness of the duck. The accompanying salad was superfluous.
My bouillabaisse was packed with flavor and the accompanying spoon was just the job for mopping up the excellent juice.
However, the green salad which accompanied it was lumped in with the sauce. Warm lettuce is not my favourite dish.
Furthermore, the grilled prawns, I felt, were out of place. I was assured later that they were included by the chef to provide rustic authenticity. I’d have preferred they were not there.
L’Escargot Bleu produces interesting food and is extremely popular, but needs to concentrate on fine detail to move it up a notch.

BOYLE AT THE DOUBLE IN BRITISH

SCOTTISH butcher Paul Boyle (pictured with his wife) celebrates winning TWO British titles by making more pies.
The Bathgate-based businessman, who has twice won the World Scotch Pie Championship, beat a record field to take the fish pie category and the vegetarian division at the British Pie Championships.
Boyle, 52, of Boghall Butchers, Boghall, Bathgate, won the fish pie crown last year with the same pie, a cod and white wine creation.
Last year he had puff pastry on top but this time he had to have a lid following a rule change.
That was the only alteration to the recipe for the pie he sells three times a week in his busy shop in the middle of a council housing estate.
His haggis, potatoe and turnip pie is hugely popular and is on sale every day.
Boyle, a former chef, said: “The vegi pie is a big seller over a big cross section of customers, from workmen in boiler suits to housewives.
“The cod and white wine pie is also a good seller, but not as good as the vegi one. We’re absolutely delighted with the double win.
“Last year we upped our turnover and drew a lot of new customers to the shop with our success in the British Championships. We’re expecting to the same this time.”
He added: “It’s great to keep winning awards. I’ve won the World Scotch Pie Championship twice, once in 2009 and also in 2005, and I’ve also won three British titles in two years.
“Winning keeps the name of the shop in the headlines and brings new customers from all over. However, we’re also proud to serve our regular customers who have helped us grow the business to a position where we now have nine staff.”
Scotland also claimed three runners-up spots. Stuart’s of Buckhaven, Fife, were second with their Apple Pie while Perthshire-based Simon Howie Butchers of Dunning was second in the Football Pie category. He supplies to Celtic Park.
And Nevis Radio were second with their venison pie made by Nevis Bakery of Fort William.
Over 20 top Scots piemen entered the British Pie Championships including three World Scotch Pie champions – the current holder, Murdoch Brothers from Forres, plus Stuart’s of Buckhaven and Boghall Butchers of Bathgate. This year’s event generated a record field of 122.
They submitted 713 products for judging – a 40 per cent increase on the first British Pie Championships 12 months ago – at the event in Melton Mowbray.
Fife-baker and butcher, Alan Stuart, founder of the World Scotch Pie Championship, now in its 11th year, said: “This is once again a testament to Scots bakers and butchers who continue to supply quality produce.
“Scots won four a number of major awards last year but the competition was tougher and the challenge was really on. We’ve won two this year and earned three runners-up prizes. That is tremendous and winning awards generates a tremendous amount of positive publicity with translates into sales.

FOR THE RECORD: In 2009, Paul Boyle of Boghall Butchers, Bathgate, won the Best Fish Pie in Britain title, A J Learmonth of Jedburgh produced the Best Savoury Pie in Britain, Macdougall and Hastie of Inverness with the Best Football Pie in Britain and the Best Apple Pie in Britain title went to Stuart’s of Buckhaven.