Si Ferry to open Italian restaurant Grosso in Dennistoun
Si Ferry, assistant manager at East Kilbride FC and presenter of the Open Goal podcast, is set to open an Italian restaurant called Grosso at 424 Duke Street in Dennistoun.
The venue, expected to open in August, will occupy a unit that formerly housed a Lloyds TSB bank.
READ MORE: Foodies hail new Glasgow restaurant as 'fantastic addition' to busy area
Glasgow World has revealed early plans for the restaurant, which include striking tiled interiors, an open kitchen with a pizza oven, and seating for up to 50 guests.
Construction is currently underway, led by a team of builders working to a design created by Glasgow-based Lucid Interiors — the award-winning studio behind projects such as The Gleneagles Hotel, The Fingal in Leith, and Seamill Hydro.
Si told Glasgow World: 'When I lived in Dennistoun, this is the type of place I was looking for, somewhere everyone can come, really affordable, good food that folk will love.
"I want this to be for local people and I want people to come to Dennistoun for breakfast, lunch or dinner and go to some of the other bars as well."
READ MORE: Glasgow shopping centre welcomes exciting new food spot
Ferry, originally from Dundee, began his football career as a youth player at Celtic.
As host of the Open Goal podcast, he has interviewed many leading figures in Scottish football and taken the show live to venues including The Hydro and SWG3.
Now focused on bringing his dream restaurant to life, Ferry is curating a menu inspired by his favourite dishes, developed with the help of two talented chefs — pizza specialist Ally Beattie and award-winning pasta chef Chris Rouse.
The menu will feature a blend of comforting and elevated Italian favourites. Early dishes include prawn and crab linguine, 12-hour longhorn beef shin ragù, crispy roast chicken penne, and spaghetti rigate with vodka sauce.
Pizzas will range from classics like margherita and pepperoni to sausage and pepper, with room for more adventurous toppings.
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Ferry revealed that the collaboration with his chefs came about through a chance conversation with former footballer Aiden McGeady: 'I met Aiden McGeady, just by chance, and said I was thinking about the restaurant.
"When I said it would be Italian, he said Chris Rouse is your guy. Chris actually played at Celtic with me when he was a young kid.
"I didn't remember that, but I did remember him from when he was at Celino's. I tried a couple of his pasta dishes and I just fell in love with his food.
"The three of us have got together and we've come up with this concept of Grosso.'
Si's passion for food is deep-rooted and, by his own admission, played a role in his football journey.
He shared: 'Food was a big part of what happened in my football career. I was always overweight when I played football. I was told to stay on a strict diet but we had an Italian restaurant at the bottom of the road when I was at Swindon, Fratellis.
"I ended up being really good pals with the owner, I still speak to him now, they had a chicken and asparagus risotto that would blow your mind - full of cream and butter, I was eating that about four times a week.
'That's probably the reason my football career went the way it did - fantastic Italian food.
"So I may as well make a new career out of that. I think, for footballers, you live such a rigid life with food Monday to Friday, maybe on a weekend, you get some pizza or pasta and it's something to look forward to.
'Friends, I have in football like Scott Arfield and Charlie Mulgrew, they are excited about the restaurant.
"I've asked Slaney to talk to Kieran Tierney about visiting. I've invited Lewis Capaldi to come in as well.
"I'm actually doing a bit of training now to help out front of house. It will be nice to have people I've known for years coming in with their families and enjoying the food.
"Most of all, I'm looking forward to the people who live here in Dennistoun seeing what we are going to do.'
Grosso will join a strong lineup of local food and drink favourites along Duke Street, including Tibo, Redmond's, Zennor, Coia's, La Bodega, and Mesa — further cementing Dennistoun's growing reputation as a vibrant destination for dining and hospitality.
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