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SmithS: Restaurant of the Year 2011 & Best Urban Restaurant of the Year, sponsored by Foodies
SmithS is a gem of a restaurant, so good that it won not only Urban Restaurant of the Year but also the overall title of Restaurant of the Year 2011. Well supported by local people and attracting diners from Glasgow and beyond, its sophisticated and interesting menu, including a good range of seasonal and locally-sourced food, its excellent service, great ambiance and staff pride make it difficult to beat.
We arrived to a very warm and friendly welcome from the maitre d’. The waiter showed a thorough knowledge of the menu and the wine list, and guided us towards that night’s specials. There was a good range of options, including seasonal pheasant, squash, woodland mushrooms, Jerusalem artichoke puree and their own smoked duck breast. Having made our selections, we kept an eye on all dishes coming out of the kitchen and were very impressed.
My companion followed the waiter’s advice, starting with the butternut squash velouté with poached duck egg and woodland mushrooms. This was very well-presented and absolutely delicious.
Having heard all about the preparation process, I chose the home-smoked Gressingham duck breast with roasted
fig and orange compote. I loved the strongly-flavoured duck with its unusual woody smokiness. My companion chose to follow his velouté with a Lanarkshire pheasant breast with Savoy cabbage and game jus. He found the pheasant tender and the jus flavourful without being overwhelming. It was a very well-balanced dish, and he enjoyed every element of it.
I was guided towards the slow-braised feather blade of beef and roast winter vegetables, a perfect dish for a cold wintry night. I was excited to find this relatively unusual cut on the menu, and was delighted to find that it was melt-in-the-mouth tender with great consistency and taste. The horseradish mash gave an edge of spice and the wild mushrooms were delicious.
My companion finished with the dark chocolate brulée with whisky marmalade, while I had the roasted plum crumble with iced plum and cinnamon parfait. Both were beautifully presented, light and delicious enough to enjoy after a good meal, with enough ‘bite’ to make them interesting.
We found the service excellent throughout the meal. The friendly and attentive waiting staff obviously enjoy working there and are proud of the chef, the food and the restaurant. The best part, however, has to be the minimal price tag – just £14.95 for two courses, £17.95 for three. For such well-presented, delicious food, the prices could easily be doubled.
SmithS
199 Main Street,
Uddingston, G71 7BP
Tel: 01698 818444
www.smithsrestaurants.co.uk
Reviewed by Sue Hitchen, editor of foodies
Cost
Bill for two: £49.90 for three courses plus bottle of wine
Hours
Lunch: Tues-Sat, 12 noon-4pm
Dinner (set menu): Mon-Thurs, 4pm-late; Fri, 4pm-6pm; Sat, 12noon-6pm; Sun, 12noon-7pm
Dinner (a la carte): Fri & Sat, 6pm-late
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