Is the new Southside Paesano better than the original?

The Herald Scotland

2 days ago

It was not a drill. Paesano was coming to Shawlands.
(Image: Newsquest)
A Southsider myself, I have no shame in counting myself among those who scoured the Facebook community pages for updates on opening or snapped pictures of the unit's progress almost daily to share on the family group chat.
Of all the wonderful restaurants and bars opened in the area of late, this one felt different. Not just the first major move since the brand was taken over by the DRG group last summer, but a demonstration of confidence that a high-volume operation like this could thrive on this side of the river.
The often-regurgitated sentiment of the Southside morphing into the 'new West End' doesn't seem quite as glib now that we too have a Paesano branch to call our own.
If you caught our recent Lunch Review of the original city centre restaurant, it will come as no surprise that I am thrilled to welcome the team to the neighbourhood.
(Read more: Paesano is going UK wide: Is their pizza still worth the hype?)
I love their fuss-free approach to Neapolitan Style pizza and will point-blank refuse to engage with anyone who claims their liberal use of tomato sugo makes for too soggy an affair.
It's delicious, affordable and above all, reliable. In over a decade since my first visit, I've never regretted a meal on Miller Street.
So, how does the new kid on the block compare?
(Image: Newsquest) Well, for one, it's noticeably smaller. Though no less busy, the long shared tables don't stretch quite as far as those in place at the skinny city centre unit, and cleverly positioned mirrors play their part in making the place seem less tightly packed.
A difference in layout further means that the Pollokshaws Road restaurant is filled with natural light from a wall of windows looking out towards a busy junction.
It feels more open, and therefore less frantic, but an industrial-looking lighting fixture spelling out Paesano with exposed bulbs is a nice nod to the same one used to illuminate their big sister restaurant in town.
A scroll of brown paper hung on the far wall showcases today's specials including a 'Carbonara pizza' with guanciale, pecorino and plenty of black pepper, but Paesano purists will be delighted to hear that otherwise the menu is a near carbon copy of the city centre and West End units, with options numbered one to 10.
Pictured: The pizza from our Paesano city centre lunch review in February this year (Image: Newsquest) Keen to test the new restaurant under the same conditions as my previous review visit, I order once more the number five of cotto ham with mushrooms, tomato sugo, fior di latte mozzarella, basil and EVOO.
There's snacking on sweet and tangy balsamic onions, firm nocellara olives coated in a thin sheen of oil and beautifully fresh slices of vibrant plum tomatoes cutting through creamy burrata to be done while waiting.
It's all shared, because instead of my usual solo mission, this week's review mixes business with pleasure as a birthday is marked within my friend group.
There are seven of us, but Alessio, our server for the evening, remains unfazed by requests for added chillis or extra dips and sides. He's a jolt of energy on weekday service – and will later make the experience all the more special when catching wind of cause for celebrations in our group, leading the whole restaurant in a spirited rendition of 'Happy Birthday'.
Though I've never found fault with the service at Paesano before, none can compare to this team member's show-stealing performance.
Pictured: The new Southside Paesano lives up to expectations, and then some (Image: Newsquest)
But let's get back to the pizza, shall we?
For the sake of this review, I'm glad to notice straight away that there are a few subtle differences between the number five in Shawlands and the one I devoured in the city centre a few months ago.
There's still a generous amount of cheese here, but it's not quite the thick blanket of fior di latte that I had tackled the first time round. It feels lighter and better balanced, allowing that salty cotto ham that's just started to curl and crisp at the edges in the intense heat of the oven its chance to shine.
The pillowy slow-proved crust, however, is less blackened, robbing the dish of that intense element of charred flavour but still suitably bubbled and blistered.
Thankfully, there's the addition of a truffle aioli for dunking, which more than makes up for any peely-wally-ness. Never mind its intended purpose as a dip, I would happily take a teaspoon to this pot of punchy goodness and eat just that on its own as an appetiser.
I suspect there's slightly less EVOO glugged across this pizza as a finishing touch, but every Paesano veteran knows that adding your own liberal amounts of the chilli oil which sits alongside seasoning on the tables, is a must anyway.
Read more:
There's a sense of relief as the final bites are finished, knowing now for sure that this new restaurant lives up to expectations. But beyond that, I'm surprised to find myself questioning whether it could even be better than the original?
My intention for this week's review was never to play favourites. I only hoped to confirm that standards had carried over to the new home.
So, at the risk of sounding biased, I'll simply sign off by saying this is very much the case, and then some.
How soon is too soon for the next visit?
Price: The number five pizza is priced at £12.50 - worth noting that this is 60p more than what I paid in the city centre branch for the same toppings in our February review.
Wait time: Around 25 minutes after ordering.
Rating: 5/5. I might anger some by giving this experience 0.5 points more than the city centre restaurant, but the team truly deserves it.
Only time will tell if this is opening week magic or not.
Paesano Southside is located at 1038-1040 Pollokshaws Road in Glasgow.