WestEndGirl Shops: Forever 21 at Buchanan Quarter

 
It was with a massive build up and blaring fanfare that Glasgow's first branch of Forever 21 opened up it's doors yesterday morning.It also signalled the opening of Buchanan Quarter, a slick new addition to Buchanan Galleries shopping centre. Situated across the street from the main mall, Buchanan Quarter boasts a 'runway' of new stores including Gap, Vans, Sketchers, Office, Fat Face, Watches of Switzerland, Paperchase, Evans Cycles and Forever 21. It is part of a larger development that also includes luxury apartments, coming in at a whopping £70 million.

Some of the stores we already have in the City Centre, and some of them are the first branches to be opened. With it's print-heavy advertising campaign, it was clear to see that the most anticipated store to open would be American fast-fashion giant Forever 21 with the 10AM opening being marketed as an event in itself including entertainment and giveaways. I headed down later in the day to check it out.

Upon entering the store the first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the place. Apart from department stores, it is surely one of the largest retail premises in the city (along with Primark & TK Maxx Argyle Street. The only other shop I've been to that made me physically react to it's vastness has been Topshop Oxford Circus (AKA the mother land). It was also very busy with excited shoppers, which was to be expected on it's first day - I can imagine it will be as busy for some time as shoppers - local folks and tourists alike - travel to the City Centre to see what all the fuss is about. It was clear that the staff were working very hard to make sure customers were being attended to, they seemed to be a blur as they moved around the store checking stock and helping people.

The store is also very clean and bright with attractive visual merchandising, making it easy to browse and navigate through the selection of products. I particularly liked the accessories department which was decorated to reflect a dressing room with pretty chandeliers and ornate feminine detailing on the walls. The men's department located on the ground floor was a little smaller than I was expecting but still looked like it had a decent range of clothes.

Shopping-wise, I had set myself a budget for the visit but it turned out that I never even came close to the limit as I never bought anything! I seen a couple of fun items that looked OK but just never seen anything I liked enough to buy. When I normally visit Forever 21 in America, I can easily buy a couple of bags worth so I was surprised that I didn't buy anything. It could be down to how busy the store was, or even the clothes they have this season might not be my thing. I know that Forever 21 can pull it out the bag (I adored their collaboration with Sanrio last year and could have easily bought most of the things in that collection) so I haven't given up on them. I am confident that I will make purchases from the store in future visits.

Overall I'm impressed with the new store and from the public reaction to Buchanan Quarter  it seems to be a welcome addition to Buchanan Street, helping cement it as the most popular shopping destination in Glasgow.

You can find Forever 21, along with the rest of the stores at 185-221 Buchanan Street.

Have you visited any of the shops at Buchanan Quarter yet? What did you think?

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WestEndGirl Eats: Smoak @ Variety Bar

One of the best things about visiting the States every year is the food. When I'm not there, I miss it and at home I try to recreate the taste sensations I experience across the pond with mediocre success. I watch episode upon episode of Adam Richman's Man Vs Food staring dreamily at the meals being dished up and count the days until my next trip abroad. I particularly miss dinners at the House of Blues, where the pulled pork barbecue sandwich is a must-try. It's such a shame we can't eat food like that over here, right? Wrong!

Over the last 6 months I've noticed southern style pulled pork pop up everywhere from pub grub menus to high end restaurants and it has been a welcome addition with ever-growing popularity. A year ago I used to have to explain pulled pork to the same work colleagues who are now suggesting it as a post-work bite to eat on a regular basis, and I think it's great that people are enjoying it - the more popular it gets, the more likely it is to stick around. Although after a trip to Smoak at Variety Bar it is clear that this is no food fad.

I was walking past Variety Bar on Sauchiehall Street when I first noticed the sign in the window saying that Smoak Food had opened a pop-up grill and were serving up gourmet Texan BBQ and street food-style grub. Now, I will admit that I had to convince myself that it wasn't a mirage - after all, Variety Bar and gourmet eating hardly go hand in hand (sort of in the same way Iggy Pop and a trip to your mum's wouldn't fit together, at least not before he did those insurance ads). But, after a bit of research into Smoak's already sterling reputation I was dying to go and try it for myself.

This weekend, The Boy and I paid them a visit. "I want everything on the menu", "I can't decide", and the ever famous "we can always share..." (famous as in, famous last words) were all phrases uttered by us in a meat-hungry daze until we finally made up our minds. I knew instantly that I wanted to try both the pulled pork and the brisket so opted for a pulled pork glazed brioche bun (£4.95) and a single brisket soft taco (£1.50, although if you want it for your main you will get 4 for £5.50). Both were delicious and generously portioned with yummy toppings like sour cream, salsa (the taco), in-house slaw and dill pickles (the brioche). Both came with nachos on the side, which was a refreshing change from the usual fries you might expect.

I also loved the 'Glasgow Mega Death' hot sauce on offer. Not the taste, you understand (too spicy for me) but the excellent name and packaging appealed to me!

The Boy decided to try both the brisket and the pulled pork too but opted for sliders (£5.50) - a brilliant touch to the menu. He managed to eat the three of them (two pork and one brisket) before I could photograph them but assures me they were very tasty.  Most of the menu is priced around the £5 mark, a very fair price considering how much food is jam packed into each meal and the obvious care that has gone into preparing them. Smoak use high quality ingredients such as rare breed pork from select British Farms and Pedigree Aberdeen Angus Brisket, and it certainly shows. The proof is in the pudding sandwich. 

Delicious food, made with attention to the details that matter and priced very reasonably. That's all there is to it. It's the closest thing to the House of Blues that I've come across back in Scotland (and believe me, I've tried a few) and I will most definitely be back for more.

Are you a BBQ lover? Have you visited Smoak at Variety Bar? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!