Potluck

Glasgow

A DASH from Herald Towers right across the city to the south side for that rarest of 21st century things: a sit-down lunch on a school day. Not only do we get a nose-to-the-kerb parking space on Nithsdale Road but as we walk into Potluck completely unbooked and with no time to wait a couple slide right out of a table.

We slide right in and after some manly joshing about the fact the seat on my side – back to the door and I also hate that – is considerably lower than Garry’s we start ordering.

“You do realise you have picked four things with potato,” says the waitress or owner-lady, she may be both, with a wry smile.

Of course, I answer, with a wry smile back. In fact I hadn’t even noticed. Too late to cancel though without looking even dafter than any chubby middle-aged man wearing a Florence and Fred suit, perched on a tiny chair has a right to look whilst surrounded by the Southside’s hip and happening Instagram crew. Because, yes, Potluck is clearly already a bit of a net sensation.

Anyway, if you fast forward to the end of this meal you will see we eat it all. Funnily enough, we are only here because a friend mentioned in passing not two hours ago – that’s how swift on its slippers this mighty organ is – that the sausage hash was outstanding.

Sausage hash it is then: kalettes (kale sprouts and, yes, I searched it up), buttered leeks, crispy new potatoes, parmesan fried egg and house-made fennel sausage.

MORE RON: Rioja, Argyle Street, Glasgow

Funnily enough these are the second fennel (Italian, really) sausages I have had in a week. The first being at the new Singl-End in town on Sunday. These are better. Bite-sized nuggets of ground pork seasoned for grown-ups and lighting up the whole dish.

Garry, however, has won this week’s menu roulette with the chilli pork; spiced pork shoulder, cheddar jalapeno hash browns, avocado, salsa, coriander and salsa. He will claim later that that ice-cream scoop of avocado was possibly not to his taste, and I will scoff at this on the grounds that no man wearing that colour of suit can seriously claim not to enjoy avocado.

But it’s those gently yielding, moreish, cheese and chilli hash browns, more puffs really, that are the go-to food on the plate. That’s not to say the pork isn’t rich and meaty, because it is, and that all the little frippery side flavours don’t go down well. They do.

These are big bowls of food, as they should be at around £9 each. If I have a grumble about my dish it’s a generic one. Why do restaurants always insist on using these little new potatoes in dishes like this? They’re OK, but a proper crumbly, floury potato would not only crisp up sensationally but be all-round far better.

There are stacks of hot cakes on the menu, pancakes to you and me I suspect, masala baked eggs, a tuna poke bowl with raw sashimi grade tuna and, most tantalisingly, fritters of courgette and feta.

However, I’m afraid we ordered two sides of fries. Now, before you become all critical, this was unavoidable because of that west coast of Scotland primal reflex that is baked deep into our genes, and also because they looked interesting.

MORE RON: Rioja, Argyle Street, Glasgow

The banh mi fries are initially picked at in an we’re-just-mwah-tasting-these-and-no-more way until the pickled carrots, dill and sesame, the mayo, the house spicy sauce and even the fries themselves are all gone. I’m slightly ashamed to say the Lebanese fries with za’atar, smoked aubergine ketchup, tahini, hummus and coriander go the same way.

No time for a dessert unfortunately. But as I head out into an afternoon where fighting sleep will loom large I can’t help thinking that for a little hand-knitted eaterie somewhere on the sleepy side of town it was really very good.

Potluck

38 Nithsdale Road

Glasgow

0141 636 3915

Menu: It’s not big but it is quite clever comfort food with enough zesty seasoning to be interesting. High fives to the chilli pork and fritters. 4/5

Atmosphere: Tiny little shoebox with seats squeezed here and there, not always of uniform heights. Has a buzz though. 4/5

Service: It feels like the owner is on the premises. It runs like the owner is on the premises and therefore it’s hard to fault. 5/5

Price: We paid £9 for those big bowls of big tastes, fries were £4 a pop. Not cheap but worth it. 3/5

Food: There’s a feeling that someone has tasted what they serve and not only that, they take pride in it. Good stuff. 8/10

24/30