Food – Curious Bystander

Morocco – The Medina and a Cooking Course –

Marrakesh feels like three cities in one. There’s the sleek Ville Nouvelle, the modern new town—where we stayed, with wide boulevards (including one named after John F. Kennedy), grand villas that could pass for Beverly Hills, lush forests of trees, and beautifully manicured lawns. It sits near the airport and a large artificial reservoir, giving the area a surprisingly green and spacious feel.

Then there’s the ancient heart of the city: the Medina. Yes, it’s noisy, chaotic, and packed with life. People actually live there—families, shopkeepers, craftsmen—going about their days amid the scooters darting through narrow alleys and constant activity. It’s easy to think about the touts and beggars, but if you don’t go looking for them, they become little more than background noise. We found them rarely aggressive, and the whole experience had a playful, almost game-like quality to it. They enjoy to haggle and expect you to do it as well.

What surprised us most was how cool and vibrant parts of the Medina feel. Trendy cafés, hairdressers, traditional massage houses offering oil treatments and hammams, and that unmistakable French colonial influence still lingering in the atmosphere. Deadly little motorcycles sped through the lanes, but somehow it all works. We discovered one or two excellent restaurants and left with the strong impression that the Medina is not just a tourist trap—it’s a genuinely enjoyable place to wander, eat, and soak it all in.

The Cooking Course – Keen to do more than just sightseeing (as we had in Mallorca in Spain the year before), we signed up for a Moroccan cooking class. It turned out to be one of the trip’s highlights.

The format is impressively efficient: the same team runs two to three classes, three times a day, charging proper Western prices but delivering fantastic value. Our group of about 15 met in the Medina (above), then set off on a lively shopping expedition—buying fresh chicken, beef, vegetables, and spices from different stalls. We then headed back to a beautiful traditional house where the classes are held.

The experience was wonderfully hands-on. Our teacher was excellent—confident, generous with tips, and clearly passionate. Upstairs, another group was doing the baking course, which looked equally tempting (next time, I’m definitely signing up for that). Downstairs, the grandmother worked quietly in the background, prepping ingredients, cleaning, and baking with quiet expertise.

One memorable trick she shared: to make a rich, smoky aubergine (eggplant) paste, place the whole raw aubergines directly over an open flame. The skin chars and blisters, infusing the flesh with incredible flavour. Once cooled, it peels away easily, leaving you with something far superior to the usual methods.

Everything was cooked in beautiful tagines—those iconic conical ceramic pots that trap steam and gently infuse the ingredients. We prepared a generous spread of vegetable and meat tagines, all bursting with flavour. The meal stretched to four or five courses, and we washed it all down with plenty of sweet Moroccan mint tea.

The Art of Moroccan Mint Tea

I quickly became addicted to the tea. It’s not just green tea with mint thrown in—it’s a proper ritual. The base is green tea, which brings a pleasant bitterness, balanced by generous handfuls of fresh spearmint. They brew it with care (sometimes discarding the first short infusion), then sweeten it generously.

The serving style is pure theatre: you pour from a height of one or two feet, raising and lowering the teapot to create a beautiful stream and a crown of bubbles on top. “No bubbles, no tea,” they told us. I loved it—especially extra sweet. At home now, I make it with a low-calorie sweetener so I can enjoy it guilt-free.

All in all, we visited the Medina twice and thoroughly enjoyed both trips. Any initial trepidation quickly melted away. Marrakech is a city of contrast, energy, and warmth—and far more welcoming and interesting than many people assume.

Highly recommended.

June in Glasgow, Scotland – Eating out & general comments –

I’ve wondered a lot about just how people can go out nowadays, as the prices I feel are utterly outrageous; particularly since the end of the COVID days.

Boy, was I wrong, as it seems not only has this not stopped people going out to eat, but even for myself (below); I’m still out about 5-10 times a month!

I’m not bragging, though this also includes cafes; which being a tea drinker, certainly saves me money compared to the Lattemacchiatochino-oatmilk mob.

Inside Cottonrake
Cake, tea & Coffee
View to Great Western Road

Our first stop was Cotton Rake, a charming specialty bakery known for its artisanal breads. This gem offers a range of loaves, from rustic sourdough to unique creations that balance quality and affordability. The bakery is a haven for dessert lovers, with a tempting selection of pastries and small bites. It’s often bustling, but the cozy atmosphere and delightful view make it worth the visit.

Next, we strolled down Dumbarton Road & Argyle Street, and came to a hidden treasure called the The Hidden Lane and its Hidden Lane Cafe, a quaint café tucked away in a quiet corner. With the option to sit indoors or at outdoor tables, it’s perfect for soaking in a relaxed, uncrowded vibe. The café is dog-friendly. It’s a lesser-known spot, managed (at least six months ago) by someone from Hong Kong (I thought), though I didn’t see them during this visit. The service was impeccable, making it a great place to escape the hustle and bustle – Nice collection of dolls at well!?

Bahn Mi and Tea
Inside
Spring Rolls (uncooked)
Again
Sauces
Inside look at Counter

For a taste of something different, we visited Banh Mi & Tea, a Vietnamese diner with Chinese and French influences. This affordable café serves fresh, flavourful dishes, including French baguettes stuffed with Vietnamese fillings. Their French vanilla coffee creamer is a standout, complementing the bready food. For under £10, you can enjoy a roll, a meal, and a drink—a fantastic deal for such fresh, high-quality food.

Cake and Wine!
Again with Tea
Again
Looking out to Dumbarton Road

Another highlight was Celinos, a family-run Italian café and restaurant that’s become a local favourite. Over the years, they’ve elevated their menu (and décor inside), and it’s always packed. On this visit, we stopped by for a late drink and couldn’t resist their dessert wine, a Frangelico, which tasted like a heavenly, hazelnut port. Even though we only had desserts and drinks this time, the staff were accommodating, and the experience was as friendly as ever.

In the ever-evolving Yorkhill area of Glasgow, we explored Corner Shop, a new Spanish tapas and wine bar. This upscale yet approachable spot offers small plates with huge flavours and a carefully selected wine list featuring Spanish varieties amongst others. We loved the Prosecco and raspberry sherbet dessert, but the standout was their tortilla. Unlike the traditional version I learned to make during a recent cooking course in Mallorca, this tortilla was intentionally runny in the centre—a modern twist inspired by a renowned Madrid chef (possibly Garcia or Jimenez) over the last few years.

While it wasn’t my favourite, the dish was still delicious, and we capped the meal with a Pedro Ximénez sherry, a rich, velvety blend of burnt port and sherry – at least that’s what it tasted like to me; divine.

Finally, just around the corner from my home is My Bakery, a small but iconic spot that helped modernize the area’s bakeries a few years ago. This café and bakery no longer offers indoor seating but has a few outdoor tables perfect for people-watching. Adjacent to it is a bookshop run by the business, selling cookbooks for just £5. On this visit, we picked up Rick Stein’s French Adventure (2019), a nod to one of the best BBC cooking series I’ve ever watched. I’m already looking forward to revisiting the series for inspiration.

Valaria, West End, Glasgow – Another café, this time “French”; and other pet hates-

I wasn’t at first sure what it was called, but have settled on Valaria—or something like that. It’s one of those café-stroke-restaurant-stroke-coffee-and-cake places that’s been around for two, maybe three years, post-COVID. I’d never been, despite passing it weekly on my many sojourns to Waitrose. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much—small, unassuming, especially at night when the lights are on and the cleaning’s happening. Most cafés in Glasgow, even on bustling Byres Road, close by six or seven, eight at the latest.

Inside, it’s standard setup: tables on the right and at the back, cashier on the left with a display case—call it a tray, a gallery, whatever—showing off a huge variety of savoury and sweet pastries. I was overwhelmed by the options. It took me a full five minutes to decide while my partner ordered. The waitress came over, assuming I was ready, and I had to laugh and admit I wasn’t. Thirty seconds later, I settled on a New York roll with pistachio.

To my surprise, it was massive—much bigger and fuller than expected. Absolutely delicious. I think they specialize in French pastries, but this was next-level sensational, filled with rich pistachio cream. It was practically a meal. The photos don’t do it justice—it was grand.

My partner got a vegan carrot cake, which sparked a thought: isn’t carrot cake always vegan? Probably, if it’s made with seed or olive oil. With butter, maybe not, but it’s at least vegetarian. Everything was top-notch, including the gigantic pot of tea we got four or five cups from (above).

Some Cafe Hates –

Now, a few pet peeves.

First, people who seat themselves despite clear signs to wait. The place was cramped, and naturally, a couple—both with ginger hair, one with a ponytail—plonked down right next to us in an already tight corner. I could’ve killed them, and naturally, it was MY fault that they didn’t have any space!

Second, why do some guys insist on wearing hats (particularly baseball hats!) indoors? We had a few sporting winter beanies and backward baseball caps, which drives me up the wall. The other half stated that they could be bald? They were too young for that.

Third, the seats and booths had crumbs everywhere! Why don’t cafés keep a mini-Hoover handy?

Overall, this place is a gem. My roll was basically brunch, and the bill, including tip, came in under £20. That’s a steal for the size, quantity, and superb quality compared to other spots.

The Saltmarket in Glasgow; up and coming –

While this area is not really in the Merchant City of Glasgow, it no doubt could be called Merchant City South. In addition, I’ve seen a quite a few things about it recently in the local press (Glasgow Live, etc) and the many new food outlets that have opened here.

Aat the same time it’s just so close to Glasgow Green. What’s interesting, 20 or 30 years ago, I always thought there was so much potential here, but seemed to me to be a Glasgow from a very long time ago.

I’d often go jogging through here to go to Glasgow Green, whilst at Strathclyde University. Going there it was all downhill, coming back, all uphill. What was interesting is I’d always see some old fashioned window curtains in the windows of the tenement flats here. You could just tell the person who lived there was probably on the north side of eighty!

But now this has changed. It appears there are plenty of new flats, student flats, Chinese students and Airbnbs here.

We decided to go to one or two of the new places here.

Sister Midnight – 61 King Street, Glasgow

The first, Sister Midnight, was on a rather large corner, overlooking the late great 13th North Cafe. It’s another one of these cafe / Sandwich places, which also have a bookshop attached (Editor: “Deli and Provisions”!), and appears to be slightly aimed at the gay community.

The sandwiches are gigantic. I had the the the hummus one which was basically like a hummus salad, inside a small loaf of Italian bread! It was absolutely delicious and completely filling.

Each side was the size of a small brick, so I only had half and had the other half when I arrived back at my bit. Combined with two hot drinks, a dessert for the other half, came to only £15. Incredible value & quality.

There’s also the de rigueur trendy type of condiments, chips, sauces, etc. on the shelves here. Things you can buy, all at a reasonable price considering that they’re quite high quality.

The clientele would seem to be the people in this area who are either residents, or are passing through to their work.

The second place, Choco Cartel, was something that I had remembered from a Glasgow Live article, and was yet another coffee place, but this time featured ice cream and desserts.

The dessert I had was some sort of cheesecake with a burnt caramel on it, that I haven’t tasted before. It was superb. Combine that with the two teas, it again was reasonably priced.

We could have also had ice cream, but chose to give it a miss, as I was still suffering from Sister Midnight!

They also do some sort of small paper box, where they can put the ice cream on top of a cake base. I think they call it something like cake fries on a cake base. It looked decadent and I know that I’ll try it at the very latest, when I compete in the half marathon later this year in Glasgow, that finishes nearby in Glasgow Green.

Both places need to be checked out to be believed.

Cellinos: A Taste of Italy in Glasgow’s West End & the beloved red candle holders in Italian Restaurants –

Celinos is one of those new Italian restaurants that manages to be both completely traditional and entirely modern at the same time. The space it occupies was once home to a Currys or Dixons for years, before being demolished and replaced with yet another block of student accommodation —something that seems to happen often in Glasgow. This one, however, is in the heart of the West End, costing at least 190 quid a week!

Every time I visit, it’s superb—nothing artificial, just pure “modern” authenticity, whatever “authentic” means these days. I don’t go often, maybe once or twice a year, but when I do, I always wonder why I don’t go more? In the past ten days, I’ve been here twice—once for a meal and another time just for coffee. The second time though, it was simply too crowded. No surprise, really—we went on a Saturday morning, and the place was absolutely mobbed.

What stands out to me is the continuous improvement by the owners. Though it’s a new building, it still exudes that classic Italian restaurant charm—the kind with wine bottles lining the walls, a delicatessen counter, and the signature red candle holders on the tables, which I’ve always liked.

Red Candle Holders:
Speaking about these things (above / below), I searched Grok on X for some information. These have always fascinated me, but even AI could not really pin this tradition down:

Info-wise, there’s no single definitive source tracing their exact origin, but they’re often linked to brands like Sterno or Victory, which sold red glass candles with long burn times (up to 45 hours) for restaurant use—practical for keeping tables lit all night. If you’re picturing the ones from 1980s Italian spots, a Reddit thread from 2024 mentions a similar candle, sans geometric design, hinting at a simpler, classic style that’s tough to pin down today.

The service? Impeccable. The food? Excellent. I went for a pasta dish with spiced sausage—perfectly done. My partner-in-crime opted for a pizza topped with sausage, mushrooms, and mozzarella.

Despite the crowd, we had our own space. We weren’t in a booth but seated somewhere between the windows and the booths, and nothing felt rushed. There was no sense of being hurried along, as is often the case in many Glasgow restaurants.

Even decided to have a dessert; something I normally (nowadays!) do not decide to do.