Photo of
February 21, 2014

 

[Chef Gary Goldie plates up.][1]
Chef Gary Goldie plates up. Photo credit: Kevin McGlynn

Way back in the mists of time – oh alright, it was January – the 5pm Dining blog carried a post about Chef Gary Goldie leaving Ardanaiseig Hotel on Loch Awe and setting up an eponymous restaurant at the recently refurbished Best Western Queens Hotel in Oban.

Wild food

Gary Goldie @ The Queens is now up and running and it’s a very intriguing proposition. During the fifteen years he spent at Ardanaiseig, Gary built a glowing reputation, and earned 3 AA Rosettes, for his interest in wild and foraged foods. Over the years, he has done several stages in different European restaurants that share his passion for foraging. These include the famous Noma in Copenhagen and In de Wulf in Belgium.

Foraged food

According to Gary, his new place will put foraged foods at the centre of his menus:

‘I’m delighted to be opening my first restaurant at The Queens Hotel in Oban, and am looking forward to creating amazing dishes from locally foraged ingredients. The restaurant will offer a dining experience unlike anywhere else in the UK.’

Enticing menus

To be honest, this scribbler had his doubts. February and March in Scotland are not prime times to be living off the land. However, we recently got hold of one of Chef Goldie’s menus and it looks very enticing.

Even if we have no idea what exactly Scarlet elf cups are without consulting Google.

Here is a recent menu:

Scarlet elf cups in their environment

Lagganbhuie duck egg, purple sprouting broccoli

Tiree langoustine, pearl barley

Argyll lamb, stovies, wild garlic, cabbages cabbages cabbages…

Clava cheese toastie with fig, apple, walnut

Wood avens, hazelnuts, gorseflower, rosehip

[Chef Goldie's dishes draw on the natural larder][8]
Chef Goldie’s dishes draw on the natural larder. Photo credit: Kevin McGlynn.