Winter weather - we love it!

Scotland is a place with a well earned reputation for being cold at this time of year. Well it is Winter! But what people fail to report is that whilst it is ear reddeningly cold it also clear, crisp, fresh air which is perfect to inhale to your boots to freshen you up and make you feel 100% ALIVE.

The photo above illustrates a lively wafer eared Lurcher just 2 days ago catching her breath and enjoying a Zen moment.

A brisk walk on a blue sky, clear air day is the way we choose to start our days. Most of us walk to work and by the time you arrive you are ready to take on the world. Well certainly the day- I don't want you to think we are a bunch of megalomaniacs after all!

The other great thing about this rosy cheeked experience is you feel you can justify something tasty, Warming, comforting and in most cases perhaps decadent such as this  Howies Macaroni Cheese. It is simple and yet sublime. You can have bacon or chorizo on top or of course the purists version.  Here is the chorizo one for your eyeballs delight and delectation. I am not suggesting I have this for breakfast - but I could it tastes sooooo good. So if you are heading to this part of the world in the winter take a serious cosy jacket, gloves and a silly hat. You will be in good company and the smiling face when you start to indulge in some of the comfort food that abounds in this area will make it all worth it.

No macaroni monsters were hurt in the making of this dish.

Here at Howies we love the oval ball.

We love the rugby at Howies. Being a Scottish Restaurant we do support Scotland but we love the whole lot of then. Frankly, its just the whole atmosphere  in Edinburgh round the matches that just raises he fun of being in the restaurant world up another notch. The great smiling sweater wearing crowd swarm in to eat and drink heartily before going to the match to keep them warm during the walk to and from the match as well as the game itself.

England V Scotland this weekend. Before the match tables of folk dressed in Scotland colours sitting cheek by jowl with those in English colour all enjoying the bon homie and mutual love of the game.

Everyone then walks the main road to Murrayfied Stadium where they sit and stand and shout and sing and cheer their respective teams. At the end the losers shake the winners by the hand and wish them well. Then retire to the pub friends.

Frankly we can’t wait until the next one.  

Whoever wins it’s a cracking day out.

January in Scotland - our survival tips!

Well it all seems a bit of blur really. The maddest busiest time of year was followed by more madness and business as we opened in Edinburgh for the first time in our history on 1^st and 2^nd January 2014.

The thing is Edinburgh is packed with so many things still in full swing that it is madness not to open our doors and be part of it. The fairs still run, the big wheeel, the theatres, the rosy cheeked visitors wrapped up in bright scarves and cosy jackets are wandering past our door on their way to and from the hot spots of the city. So we threw open our door and invited them in.

We were delighted to be snuggled down into our banquette seating with the heating roaring and the head thumping as other like minded souls wandered in and we were collectively brought back to life by some great food and drink.   The atmosphere was crackling and smiles broad so if you didn't make it this year then make a date for next. 

And now it is the 6th of January and yesterday was of course the 12th day of Christmas has come and gone and we are back into the real world, whatever that it. The great big spiky, sweet smelling Christmas tree has been recycled back into the earth from whence it came and the baubles are wrapped in paper until their next appearance in December 2015. But well, we had a chat between us and agreed the twinkling lights outside should be left up for now. Well it is so darn dark and cold and well Januaryish we need something to lift our spirits, make those passing smile and to remind us that though the festive frenzy may be over for another year you really don’t need an excuse to get out and have a good time.

On the note…..there's our game dealer at the door with our pheasant so I must away…..details to follow….and 'til then….Happy New Year!!!  Mmmn pheasant…...

And don't forget it's £7.95 for two courses for lunch at Howies in Edinburgh from now until 31st January-and that includes the whole menu not just a wee short cheaty one.
Early dining as well if you're wanting to be tucked in early doors £14.95 for 2 courses Sun- Thursday - now you can't say fairer than that.

Well here we go! Hogmanay and Blogmanay in Edinburgh 2013.

Edinburgh is a cracking place to be for Hogmanay and this year will be no exception.

The torchlight procession kicks things off which can make grown men as well as hormonal women cry and consists of a long trail of rosy cheeked folk, walking through the most historical parts of this beautiful city holding aloft a flaming torch. Sparkly eyes, romantic notions and chilly toes are the theme and being surrounded by such historical beauty can feel rather profound. The Torchlight Procession is now sold out but even watching it gets you in the mood. So t speak to coin a phrase. Anyway here's the link if you fancy joining in Edinburgh's Hogmanay. And if you do - please wrap up very well indeed. Balaclavas are quite the thing round here at this time of year. You may laugh? But when your extremities are numb you will be coveting that man over there in his  hilarious home knitted balaclava as he will be smiling and cosy  and smiling in there.

A good way to defrost is head our way. We are open at the bottom of Calton Hill at Howies Waterloo Place – you can’t miss us as you turn towards Princes St that’s us on the corner. It is where you can be assured of a warm welcome, twinkling lights, a huge Christmas tree and some great Scottish food and warming wines too. We are taking part in Blogmanay by hosting a table of intergalactic bloggers from all over the world - if you are a Twitterer then we're on @HowiesScotland and we will keep you up to date with the night as it progresses. 

 

Anyway, here's a wee peek at Howies a Georgian Hall with a huge amount of history and we are so looking forward to giving them and your good self a great warming Scottish feast to remembered for a long time beyond. If you Tweet then use the hash tag Blogmanay and you can be part of it no matter where you are.

If you’re in town for the festivities our sister restaurant which is in a medieval building in the beautiful Victoria Street, just 2 minutes from the Castle and The Royal Mile. It is where our new manager Lara resides. Passionate about Scottish food and customer service pop in and say hello – she is a wonderful Irish woman and you will love her!

Once the big night is over we're still open! We’re informal at the best of times but on 1^st January – even more so. We will be up perky and ready to help you ease your way into what can sometimes be a difficult day! Bloody Marys, big smiles and a warming venison casserole will give you a flavour of what you might indulge in if you pop in.

So enjoy yourself and please stay safe. Warm. Happy. Well fed. And watered. And remember what we said about the balaclava! Seriously – you may look daft as brush but you will be as snug as bug in a rug.

HAPPY HOGMANAY TO YOU AND YOURS!

HANGOVERS SERVICED HERE!

A brief wee festive blog to say we are shut Boxing Day in Edinburgh but then we throw open the doors again on 27th right through the New Year fun!

Yes all sore heads and delicate wee flowers (but no dogs despite the adorable wee sausage in this photo) are very welcome to shuffle in on 1st and 2nd January and hand the recovery program over to us.

A bloody Mary?
A Hot steaming bowl of Cullen Skink?
Venison casserole?
A Berrocca?
All the goodies will be there with bells on!
Ah yes.


Enjoy enjoy enjoy and remember help is at hand!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is acoming and the restaurants are incredibly busy.
GREAT!

But exhausting.

Sometimes things go a little wrong. Just a little but funny! This happened this morning in Howies Waterloo and we rewound it and were delighted to find it on our CCTV this morning. Meet Grant, our lovely manager at Howies Waterloo. 

We describe him as a ray of sunshine, a smiling, good humoured guy. This is proof. This happened this morning in Howies Waterloo and he said he didn’t mind if we posted it. To give you a laugh. And me another laugh. And everyone else – em….a laugh.  Make the screen as big as you can and turn up the volume - its a family show but the reaction of person witnessing this may set you off on a sniggerathon.

Merry Christmas!!!

Trip Advisor A Love Hate Relationship

Interesting article in todays Daily Mail - August 5th 2013 very much along the lines of our post on 18th July below...

Reluctant to even write a post about Trip Advisor as it is like a giant, rabid snoring dog that you really don’t want to disturb. But as ever a big mouth and an opinion is why I will. And why those who write up their visits on Trip Advisor do too.

Fair enough.

The main issue is in order to write a review on Trip Advisor there is no palpable evidence that the reviewer has ever been in or even near your restaurant.

Yes I agree most of them probably have. But it is also a fact that some of them haven’t and those reviews are up there in the ether alongside the genuine reviews.

Once in a blue moon you get a vile, spitting toad, troll -  one which gives no details of when they were in, what they ate, its wrongly spelt, they have reviewed no other restaurants in the country let alone your local area and they tell you can get better food at ‘McD’s’  then you do suspect foul play. So you write to Trip Advisor in a calm and measured way and request the review is taken down – you never get a human it is all automated – and they send you an automated response saying it is within the guidelines of the review process and it will remain up there.

Anyone with a business will tell you how utterly frustrating this.  The write to reply is there yes but replying to someone who will never read it because it waas just on a whim they registered and wrote  it in the first place is a pointless exercise.

We recently adopted the Open Table /Top Table Booking system which manages our bookings for us. Once our customer has been in then they are automatically sent an email to ask about their experience. Good or bad there is no getting away from the fact the person reviewing you was there so you accept it and are grateful they took the time to respond.

Walk ins of course are not handled like this and I do believe most Trip Advisors are genuine but take a look at any businesses reviews and if you get a list of 5 great reviews, then one ranting lunatic one the chances are it’s someone with an axe to grind, a competitor or a troll with nothing better to do with their day. 

Just one negative review can plummet a restaurant dozens of places in the ratings and in reverse a new business with 12 great reviews can get to No. 1

The business of running a busy restaurant is paying personal attention to the customer, staff, supplier which is what we are not doing when so much time is spent online. It's fun to interact with our customer online but we love it best of all when they talk to us directly when here. Then we can thank them personally or sort any issues out before they leave. Disappearing off and writing a nasty review after the event does no business any good - the horse has bolted, the party is over etc. so do the business a favour and give them the opportunity to rectify whatever you perceive their mistake to have been then and there. That means everyone is informed, happy and the legacy of a a few harsh words written in haste are not left on line for the rest of time.

So whether restaurants, hotels or attraction take Trip Advisor with a pinch of salt. The good are good. The bad are bad. But who is writing  either? Well that is for them to know and us never to find out. 

Here are ours today....tomorrow....? Well who knows.

Trip Advisor Waterloo

Trip Advisor Victoria

Trip Advisor Aberdeen