THE transformation of Hyndland’s Pizza Magic takeaway and neighbouring Tabak local store was supposed to take three months but ended up as a six month fit-out.
However, pizza boss Marco Stevenson has been here since 1989 so he considers it worth the wait. Nostrana, which means local in Italian, will open on September 1.
The refit has been sympathetic to the elegant original J C McKellar 1911 sandstone shop design and the wider Hyndland Conservation Area.
A steel fabricated bar with tiled frontage, modern pendant lighting, and reclaimed ornate mirror panelling is a new feature.
The wall space will eventually tell the history of the area, reflecting the area’s railway heritage – Hyndland Station which stood next door was demolished in 1970.
There will be seating for around 100 guests, a bright and open modern interior alongside outdoor seating on Hyndland Road.
Neapolitan pizza with dough made fresh daily to a traditional recipe will be available with a speciality rustic-style pizza made for sharing and served on boards alongside pizza by the slice.
A wide selection of new pasta dishes, haddock suppers and scampi are on the menu with mac ‘n’ cheese, loaded fries and salads, plus a new cocktail menu and organic wines. Tiramisu and gelato are listed for dessert.
Marco is full of enthusiasm for his latest venture. Fourteen years ago he bought the newsagent next door to his already established Pizza Magic. “I wanted to communicate better with my customers so the business appealed to me.
“I joined a committee called Friends of Old Station Park to regenerate the park, we were able to transform it into a community asset and I always spoke about doing something so there was a place beside the park but I always found an excuse not to,” he said.
Eventually Marco’s wife encouraged him to start building. He explained: “She said it has to be now, regardless of what else is happening in the world.
“My wife Angela works with schools and she doesn’t really have a lot of time but she has picked all the interiors, the bar, the tableware, everything she’s done herself. She’s incredible. Neither of us have done anything like this before and it has taken a tremendous amount of work by a lot of people to get to this stage.”
Marco lives in Newton Mearns but after 33 years as a business owner in Hyndland he considers it home. “When I ran Tabak, the first 18 months it was just myself and I got to know all the Westenders, it was the cornerstone of Hyndland.
“It’s hard work but I feel privileged to be part of the neighbourhood. With Nostrana, people can now just drop in, enjoy the park and the area,” he said.
Marco will still be in the kitchen but now has a head chef. He said: “He tells me he is going to make me famous for pasta. It means I can spend more time talking to the customers but I will still be making pizza.”
Marco’s mother, who came to Scotland at the age of 16 from Monte Cassino in Italy and later met her Scottish-Italian husband, gave her son a love of good food and hospitality. He said: “My family are everything to me and my mother was an amazing woman who led a remarkable life. She was all about people and caring. She was cooking for the family from an early age.
“I’ve taken what she taught me and run my businesses with a strong sense of community.”
A committed evangelist for Glasgow, Marco remembers explaining the spirit of the West End to delegates awarding the European City of Culture title for 1990. “We went to a restaurant, Sanjeev Kohli was on the other table and had everyone laughing. I had the head of the delegation sitting with me and I went on and on about how we support each other and the mix of businesspeople in the area and the university. I actually thought I’d blown it, but we won the title and I continue to fly the flag for the West End to this day,” he said.
At the age of 62, Marco shows no signs of slowing down and is energised by the new project.
He said: “There are about 15 different types of pasta here now that are ready to go on the menu.
“My mission is to make this the best pizza and pasta place in Scotland.
“I’ve been down south training with the world champion, trying to get some new ideas and recipes.
I think the pizza here is going to be special.”
Nostrana is at 72 Hyndland Road.
nostrana.co.uk
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