Easy Like A Sunday Morning

Bernie's Cafe Deli

Heya guys, how has your Monday been? I hope it wasn't too much of a crappy start to your week! I just had a short shift today, so I decided to get some new work uniform. Best to just get it done as soon as so it's sorted, also means when it starts to get busier again I can just get straight home when I finish. I have a bit of distance to travel to & from work you see, hence why I prefer to just get to the car as quick as I can! So today's post is the start of, a sort of new series on the blog... It's a nice fun one and there's no pressure of me having to keep up with a schedule. Once in a while, I want Chris & I to go for some brunch/lunch at some new place or a cute little place hidden down some random street we stumble across.  Or even somewhere that I've managed to find online. This is to sort of help with pushing me to try and discover new places. There's also so many great local places that I've been too, there has to be more. I feel everywhere has some hidden gems.

Now, I know I started this post by saying I was going to be trying new places and pushing myself, blah, blah, blah... Well, I'm actually going to be kicking this off with a place I've already been too many many times. One of the reasons I want to to do this and share it on the blog is because I really feel supporting local business is important and plus, I want to show off the local Scottish talent. So if you ever get the chance to visit you can maybe go. I would also love to hear suggestions from you about where you live, so If I ever get the chance to go I can! If you are a follower of my Instagram, if you aren't then why don't you hope over quickly and click the follow button? Then you will have probably of glimpsed at some pretty spectacular looking sandwiches. BLTs' (without the T), more specifically. And the odd occasional bowl of soup. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit.

Bernies is the local Deli Cafe and is a little gem just about 10 minutes drives from our flat. Yes, I'm sure we could walk, but we live in Rain All The Time Scotland. Hidden away in Bridge of Weir on their main road. The place has a relaxed, warm & comforting feel to it. Whatever you are feeling, there are many options for seating. From the cute little snug spots in the corner against the window to the big soft cuddling sofas and even the 6ft runner table in the middle if you have a lot of company. It's a big open space with high ceilings, the aesthetic, it's kinda quirky and cool. With also keeping to the "supporting local", they too, support locally. They use local food sources for their menu, as close as a few metres down the road at the village butchers. All the cakes that are on display are made in house by their own baker, and for years I've sworn that their victoria sponge cake is my FAVOURITE victoria sponge cake ever.

 Choice of Daily Homemade Soup

They also have different menus depending on the time of day. As well as specialised menus like their Valentines Menu, which is being held on the 11th of February. For £19.99 a three-course meal, as well as, a glass of something fizzy is included. Whether you are wanting to share this with a special someone, or even close family & friends, Im sure whoever you chose to share it with would be a great evening. They also have Slouch & Bistro evenings. Of course, both of these evenings are completely different from each other and have their own type of menu. The slouch evenings have more of a relaxed and chilled feel to them. You are more likely to come with a decent book & blanket. While you maybe enjoy a glass or two of wine, with a side of locally curated meats. Whereas their Bistro nights have a more uptown feel to them. A slightly more put together menu, again sticking to the keeping it local theme, using well-sourced ingredients to create something new. If you do fancy going to one of these evenings, I'd be quick! Spaces don't last long... Chris & I have still to check these out. So when we do Ill let you know all about it.

Choice of Ice Cream & Cakes

  Macaroni & Garlic Bread

BLT, coleslaw & wedges

(Without the T)

As well as the special evenings and menus that they do, they are also available for hire. Which is great because it has an amazing open space.  So whether you need it for a birthday or a private event for a club you are a part of, its perfect. But again, be quick! I tried to book here a few birthdays ago, but due to leaving it late someone else snapped it up! They also like to hold fun nights for the community (or anyone willing to travel). Something a little bit different than a local karaoke session...They have had drama sessions, poetry reading and even a barbershop singing group, The B Naturals. Its great to have somewhere that also believes in the local community and actively tries to get involved as much as they can. I have to say, there is a very big fanbase for this amazing local hotspot. People all the way from Port Glasgow come for a quick bite, as well as many cyclists due to being just off a cycle track. So if you are ever in the area, I highly suggest you have a little visit.

Bernies Cafe Deli

Bridge of Weir, Scotland

What's your favourite local hotspot? Do you have any Sunday/weekend traditions? Do you even like to leave the house on a Sunday? Any brunch/lunch recommendations welcome below! I look forward to reading & replying to your comments.

Restaurant Review- Colquhoun's

Hiya guys, so I'm back with another post. I know its been a while & I haven't done an outfit post yet... But, I am determined to keep posting. Even if doesn't happen as often as I want, or in the order I want. I'm determined to keep going! I have attempted a few outfit posts, but I wasn't happy with the photos. I just felt & still feel as if i've kind of lost how to do it... So a lot of practice is needed! Rather than not posting anything, I still want to go ahead with other types of content. I've also stuck to posting on a saturday for 3 weeks now on my YouTube channel! Which I am super proud of. For me I really do feel planning is key,  so good luck to me!

So recently it was my second wedding anniversary to my husband, (we've been together for five years) & I thought it would be a great idea to do some reviews about what we got up too. I really want to include travel & food onto the blog, so I thought this would be great to blog about. We also stayed at the hotel that this restaurant is a part of, which i'm also reviewing next week. Tonight on YouTube I'm uploading a mini highlights video, so make sure you subscribe to my channel (here) or follow my blog so you don't miss out.

Now let's get onto the review!

About

It was named after the owner Niall Colquhoun. The restaurant is a part of the Lodge on the Loch Lomond hotel which, you guessed it, is next to Loch Lomond in the scottish countryside. It has beautiful views of the water, as it has been positioned right on the water front. You can even see the wooden walkway across the loch. Not huge in size, which is quite nice. The food is modern but it does stick to its scottish roots! So if you aren't from around here, you will be happy to know, you will get some of our scottish classics! You will also be getting to taste local produce, which is always a giant plus when visiting somewhere new. There's many options to choose from throughout the day, they have an afternoon tea menu, a lunch menu and an evening menu. So no matter what time of the day you will have options! You can also choose from a wine menu, or if you are feeling adventurous a cocktail menu. If you are staying at the hotel, or even the local area for whatever reason, you can get your breakfast between certain hours.

Experience

As we walked in, all we had to do was give them our name & room number. We were then seated on a two person table. It nicely decorated with a white sheet and a flower, which was a nice touch as it was our anniversary! There were a few other tables with people seated, but it wasn't completely full or completely empty. We were there on a Tuesday night about 7.30, so this gives you a rough idea f what it can be like. The waitress was lovely, she had really great chat! We were served quite quickly with menu and drinks. Which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how quick it is.

Food
For my starter, I went for a scottish classic. It was haggis with mull cheddar croquettes, turnip jam & mini nuts (I'm afraid I don't know what type they were!). I have to say, I really do love haggis it's not as scary as a lot of people think it is. Especially if you have it with other bits n bobs. The croquettes and turnip jam really complimented the haggis well. There was a little sweetness to the jam which was great for the slightly spiced haggis, also with the crunch from the nuts really gave the dish some good texture & crunch! Croquette potatoes are another love of mine so I was pleased to have them in my starter. For my main, I went for a good ol piece of meat! As soon as I seen the pork chop, I knew I had to go for it as its one of my favourite cuts of pork. If done correctly, it can be soooo good! It came with a "romesco sauce" which, at the time, I had no clue what it was going to be like. I assumed that it would be red in colour, but taste? I had no idea. I just hoped for the best! As I'm not really a huge risk taker when it comes to trying new food in new places.

When I tasted it, I could taste the peppers which unfortunately Im not a huge fan of in sauces. It actually wasn't too bad so I used a little, but I left a majority of it. The dish also came with rocket, pepperoni slices and another scottish classic, but with a twist. Black Pudding tater tots. These were the most amazing things I'd ever put in my mouth (Keep your minds out the gutter eh?). They were beautiful and did not disappoint at all. The black pudding went amazingly with the pork and the portion sizes were not skimpy at all. I was also lucky enough to get a big piece of crackling! Which brought me right back to my childhood with my mum and dad. Now, how was the pork I hear you ask? For me, personally, I could have taken it a little less well done and with a bit of pink (I can eat steak with a little bit of blue rare). So I wasn't as excited about the meat as I was about those tater tots! I still enjoyed it, just not as much as I wanted too... I would still recommend the pork though as I feel alot of people do enjoy their pork cooked like this.

For pudding, the hubby and I shared as we couldn't really fit one in! But since it was a special evening, we decided that we needed too. We had the chocolate semifreddo, which came with honeycomb, chocolate soil & cocoa nib wafer. It was basically what I thought it would be, a mousse. Only its part frozen. It was nice and light which is just what we needed after the starter and main course. So if you are looking for something light and chocolatey then this is the pudding for you! It wasn't too sweet and sickly at all.

Prices
Breakfast Menu
(Buffet Style, Mon-Fri 7-10, Sat & Sun 8-10)
Full Scottish Breakfast- £9.95
Continental- £7.50
Drinks- Roughly £3
Add ons- £2.95

Lunch Menu
Starters- Roughly £6
Cooked Mains- Roughly £13 (except the steak)
Sandwiches- Roughly £8
(also with chips & coleslaw)

Dinner Menu
Bread & Nibbles- £3.95 (except oysters)
Sides- Roughly £2-3
Starters- Roughly £7
Classic Lodge Starters- Roughly £5
Mains- Roughly £15
Classic Lodge Mains- Roughly £13 (except the steak)
Dessert- £6.95 (except cheese board)

Afternoon Tea
Tea or Coffee- £22.50
With a Glass of Fizz- £26.50
With a Glass of Champagne- £29.50
(With a choice of sandwiches and 5 out of the 10 options for sweet also included)

Personal Thoughts
From my first look at the menu, I thought it was actually going to be a lot more "fancier" than it was. Just because of the ingredients & descriptions being used as well as the photos from the website. Chris (my husband) also said the same, he's a bit of a burger connoisseur and wasn't particular blown away by his burger. There wasn't anything special or different about it. There were aspects of each dish I had that I really loved, like the turnip jam I had with my starter and the black pudding tots I had with my pork. I would still say they were traditional dishes with a difference. So if you are looking for good pub style food, then I would definitely check it out. From looking at other peoples dishes they seem to do a great fish and chips! As well as a decent sized steak. As I said earlier, if my pork chop had been a little less well done then I think I would have been raving a lot more about here! Sometimes, the way things are cooked are down to preference! So if you happen to be in the Scottish Highlands anytime soon, pop in at any time of the day.

Location

Luss, Argyll, Scotland

Rating

6/10