Part 1: Glasgow, By the Clyde
This is the story of our journey to Scotland from the foodie perspective. A longer report focusing on the World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival will appear in a future issue of SFRevu. Meanwhile, here is how we ate and drank our way from Reykjavik to Glasgow to Edinburgh (and back), in three posts.
The Dogs of Iceland
A long layover at the Keflavik airport allowed us to renew acquaintance with Icelandic hot dogs. There is a stand there recreating the original Bæjarins beztu (“The Bezt in Town”) stand in the middle of Reykjavik. It’s not the only source, but possibly the most well-known. Icelandic dogs are not only unique for being made with lamb, but also for what goes with: both raw and crispy fried onions, remoulade sauce, ketchup, and Icelandic mustard (pylsusinnep). I had forgotten how good they were.
Adventures In Glasgow
Most of our time in Glasgow was spent at the Scottish Exhibition Campus (SEC) attending the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention, aka Glasgow 2024: A Worldcon for Our Futures. We rented a small house just across the Clyde from the SEC, so missed out on hotel breakfasts (but we made up for that in Edinburgh).
We had dinner one night with old friends at an Italian restaurant not far from the SEC. The Villa Toscana’s food seemed lifted from the last century (but not in a bad way), and it was there I discovered the joy of adding lime to ginger beer. How have I not encountered that combination before? It’s a life-changing revelation.
As for drinking in general, the Scots lean into their alcohol just as seriously as the Irish, as we noticed during our trip to Dublin in 2019 for that Worldcon! The permanent bar in the Crowne Royal Hotel adjacent to the SEC; one in the SEC Centre; and the real ale bar, purpose-built for the con in the Crowne Royal, and dubbed The Fan and Fishlifter in honor of the fan guest of honor, were all hopping.
The con created their own bespoke gin, but it was sold out before the con started. I didn’t even get a taste. The bespoke tartan was, likewise, tasty (ok, tasteful) but unavailable. That’ll teach me to think ahead!
All was not lost, however. We were invited to a private party at an Indian curry house, Mother India. While the food was very good, the bottled drinks proved remarkable. I can report that Peacock Cider with Mango and (yes!) Lime is excellent. So is Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade, which I think I’ve seen in the US.
Mother India is dedicated to recreating the atmosphere of the Raj, especially in their second-floor dining space. Candelabra on the tables, elaborate wall decorations and exotic lighting work hard for that effect. But the loo brought it home: reproductions of Victorian plumbing fixtures went a little too far IMHO. The wall-mounted toilet tanks looked a little scary. Fortunately, they worked with 21st century efficiency!
And speaking of this century, I made a special trip to the Glasgow Science Centre for a souvenir pressed penny. The GSC is housed in a futuristic glass structure and aims to get kids excited about the wonders of science. While browsing their gift shop, I found a booklet of Favourite Scottish Fish Recipes. I bought it, appreciating both the content and the irony of this collection of historic recipes and illustrations being found among the gyroscopes and chemistry sets. (And by the way, the GSC has their own bespoke tartan.)
Next: On to Edinburgh