IT had been a long hot day and the Moll and I were entertaining that night, an old cat who had flown in for business from the Emerald Isle. We were ravenous though, so it was time to ditch him and get busy with some detective work in Glasgow’s newest diners.

It was one of those days where I knew I’d be leaving the Buick. An Old-Fashioned or two was on my mind.

After last week’s vegan trip I suggested to the Moll a few other meat-free joints that might tempt her. But after a hard day doing whatever it is the Moll does, she was hankering for a big hunk of meat. Apparently, I wasn’t enough.

We decided on Finsbay Flatiron on Woodlands Road, a low-key sorta place where I knew I could hang my trench coat and slip in unnoticed from any street cats. Toots had decided to bring her gal pal along, which was a sweet deal for me.

There were no starters in a place like that, it was just a case of diving right in to enjoy the good stuff.

To whet her appetite, Toots ordered a Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade because she was off the sauce, but then changed her mind and had an Eden Mill Love Gin.

I had a Brockman’s Blood Orange Gin that really did raz my berries. The joint had a real good menu of different choices and it was a tough gig to pick just one.

We plumped for two flat iron steaks, medium rare and rare for the Moll (to cure her seemingly insatiable carnivorous craving that evening). The diner’s big selling point is the price. You can dine on a slice of prime beef for £8. Arriving with a bed of salad and crushed salt on the top, these were cooked to absolute perfection and a brilliant size to boot – not too much and not too little. A bunch of sides came to order and share: Mac and Cheese with pancetta, double dip hand cut chips, and seasonal greens – a really sweet old mixgreen peas and broccoli and salty marine vegetable samphire.

It was a lovely addition; salty and crunchy too. The chips were big thick monsters and  nothing was a chore for the staff of the evening.

The Moll rubbed her tummy and I thanked my lucky stars that her bloodthirst had been quenched.

Desserts were out the question as I couldn’t have squeezed something else in if I could try – the belt on my trench coat was busting at the first hole.

Toots and her pal were in the mood for a night on the tiles so it gave me a chance to walk off that delicious meal.

Food

2 Flat Iron Steak £16

1 Market Greens £3

1 Hand Cut Chips £3

1 Frites £3

2 Mac Cheese Pancetta £10

Drinks

1 Fentimans Rose Lemonade £3

1 Beefeater Blood Orange £3.20

1 Eden Mill Love £3.40

2 Dash Soft £1.40

Total £46