Photo of
June 7, 2017
Street food
Street food is moving more and more into restaurants. Tuck into a Spicy Redneck at Surf Dogs. Pic: [restaurant’s website][1].

Spatch and Surf Dogs are two restaurants with a new take on old street foods.

First up, Spatch is taking shape on Hunter Square just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

It is billed as ‘the greatest thing to happen to chicken since feathers’.

Which is certainly an attention-grabbing strap line.

More pertinently, it transpires that Spatch will be a ‘coal-fired’ chicken restaurant.

We’re happy to be proved wrong but we’re guessing they mean that the chicken will be cooked over charcoal.

First spatchcock your chuck

Obviously, the Spatch name comes from the technique of spatchcocking chickens. This involves cutting them down the backbone and flattening them out so they can be cooked more quickly.

The new bar went in on Monday and they are currently recruiting for staff.

All of which makes us think that Spatch will be coal-firing its first chucks fairly soon.

It is run by the same people who operate Burgers and Beers Grillhouse on the Royal Mile and The Newsroom on Leith Street, opposite the St James Centre.

Char grilled chicken has been around as long as there have been chickens and fire. We’re confident that it will remain popular.

However, if developments in London are anything to go by – and they usually are – then upmarket fried chicken sandwiches look set to be the next big thing.

We don’t mean deep-fried battery chicken. We’re talking posh chicken which may have been sent to a Swiss finishing school but definitely has been marinated in buttermilk.

Look out for the first appearance of fledgling chains such as Bird and Chik’n.

Moving over to Glasgow and from chucks to dawgs…

Street food: dogs go posh

As per previous blogs, Surf Dogs has opened on Kilmarnock Road.

Formerly a pop-up, it now has a permanent base in Shawlands.

Gourmet hot dogs are the name of the game.

Run by Martin Capaldi, the concept was inspired by the hip dog vendors he came across in the States while working as a live sound engineer for touring bands.

Dogs on offer include the Morning After hangover recovery hot dog plus the Spicy Redneck – chilli with sour cream and caramelized jalapenos.

There is a review on the Foodie Explorers blog.