Last weekend, the 5pm Dining blog was mooching around Edinburgh’s Tollcross before going to see Force Majeure (a word of advice, it’s not a date movie) at the Cameo.
While in mid-mooch, we noticed that the back room of the venerable Bennet’s Bar seems to have become a restaurant called La Petite Mort.
Ooh la la
If memory serves, it used to be the Skean Dhu pub/restaurant, a venture which never attracted much attention. We know not why.
Many moons ago, way back in your correspondent’s dodgy tabloid past, I once spent an evening lurking there while trying to sniff out gossip on a soap star who was appearing at the King’s Theatre next door.
Nice night in the pub but not much in the way of printable gossip – a sentence which pretty much sums up my rather sorry tabloid career.
Did the earth move for you?
Anyway, La Petite Mort, or little death, is an interesting choice of name as it’s what the more dramatic sort of Frenchman calls an orgasm.
I’m guessing the idea is that the food is so good that it causes… well, you can see where this is going.
Anyone who gets round to reviewing it is going to have fun playing with phrases about the earth moving and so on.
Adventurous in the kitchen
We didn’t try the food so can’t report on its more unconventional qualities but, judging by the menu, someone in the kitchen likes to be adventurous.
Pan-seared scallops on home-smoked halloumi with a sauce vierge leapt out from the starters while the main courses included the option of sea bass on a celeriac and apple purée with sesame and honey aubergine tempura.
We wish La Petite Mort every success.
Get to the root of the matter
While on the subject of unconventional names, we were tickled to see that Enjoy Cafe Bistro on Glasgow’s Great Western Road has changed its name to Turnip & Enjoy.
Boom and indeed boom!
The business consistently gets great scores from 5pm customers and it recently had a glowing review from The Sunday Herald’s Joanna Blythman.
The 5pm Blog carried an interview with owner Sebo Brestovca a couple of years back. The restaurant business should always be about hospitality and it was a quality that Sebo had in spades.
Turnip and see for yourself.