Spring had well and truly sprung and after a few days off over the sunny Easter weekend, I was like a new man.

“Hey toots, it just shows you what a few hours of sun-worshipping can do. I mean, look at this tan. I feel like a movie star.”

“Oh yeah, I was thinking that myself. You’re like one of those oompa loompa’s from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” came the Moll’s response. “So, why don’t you march outside and fire up the Buick so we can go somewhere for dinner?"

Speechless and with my tail firmly between my legs, I did just as her majesty commanded.

Before I could say ‘doompa-dee-do’, we were pulling up to a little Italian eatery in Rutherglen called Padano.

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As we entered, we were pleased to see a busy, atmospheric buzz about the place and, more importantly, a smiling young gentleman ready to take us to our seats.

He brought over the menus and it wasn’t long before Goldilocks and I were on the same page.

To start, we both went for the mozzarella carozza. These deep-fried cheese sandwiches were served in breadcrumbs and with a delicious tomato sauce. The sweet flavour of the sauce went beautifully with the melted cheese and the dish wasn’t too greasy.

It was a lovely start to the meal and the Moll was very impressed by what she had eaten.

As we waited on our mains, the aromas from the kitchen had us smacking our lips in anticipation. So, we were excited to see how our mains would turn out. And we were not disappointed.

We shared a side of patatine fritte – that’s chips to you and I. These were thick, fluffy and very tasty.

For her main, dollface chose the spaghetti allo scoglio which was pasta topped with mixed seafood, garlic, chilli, white wine sauce and a touch of tomato sauce. The pasta and the meat were perfectly cooked and tasted amazing in the white wine and tomato sauce. And the chilli added a nice kick to the dish.

As a man of simple pleasures, I plumped for the pizza incazzata, which was topped with tomato, mozzarella, spicy salami and chili oil. The pizza base was light but held well under the moisture of the sauce and the crust struck a perfect balance between crispy and doughy. Again, this dish had a spicy kick – this time from the salami and the chilli oil.

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We were both hugely impressed by the food, service and family-friendly atmosphere at Padano and would highly recommend this place.

BILL

Starters

Mozzarella Carozza x 2 - £12

Mains

Spaghetti Allo Scoglio - £10

Pizza Incazzata - £8

Sides

Patatine Fritte - £3.50

Drinks

Red wine x 4 - £17

Total = £50.50

REVIEW

Food - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Service - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Atmosphere - ⭐⭐⭐⭐