In August, the most stressful meals are inter-show on-the-hoof eats. “Let’s just grab something,” they say, all casual, before you both head to The Emu War, The Sex Life of Puppets, or whatever other daft Edinburgh Festival Fringe ticket you bought online the night before, after panicking that everything would sell out. It’s not that easy.
There are huge queues outside your usual dependables and street food would be lovely, but you want a loo stop and a comfortable seat. I don’t want to be the saddo who takes a cheese sandwich or Scotch egg, but I have considered the packed lunch option. It’s that or I’ll be the only hangry po-face in a comedy audience.
Again. Hooray, then for Coop which has popped up at Potterrow corner cafe, Fettle. It’s the newest project from Tomas Gormley , formerly of Leith’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Heron, and owner of tasting menu venue Cardinal, as well as small plates destination, Skua in Stockbridge.
You’ll find this pop-up in situ until the end of August, all week from 6pm until 1am, after which it’ll sadly melt away, like the current influx of lanyard-wearing luvvies. Coop doesn’t take bookings, but we easily grabbed a cushioned window seat that gave us an elevated view of the crowds streaming along from George Square Gardens. It was something of a surprise that word hasn’t gotten out yet .
The space, which includes some outdoor seating, was barely a fifth full, and it was 7pm. We’d just been to a show at the Underbelly, and had about an hour before the next one started at Assembly on The Mound Time was tight-ish. Thankfully, the menu here is straight-to-the-point.
There are just five main options, including three types of flatbread, with toppings including nabulsi cheese and parsley, and four side dishes, plus a drinks list that includes Newbarns’ Brewery beer, Vinca organic wine and cocktails in cans. You order at the counter, and, after our pager started jumping around like a wasp in a sardine tin, we collected our tray of food about 15 minutes later. At this point, I stopped watching the clock and let my adrenaline settle.
We would be fine. I could relax and concentrate on the Skua fried chicken (£12), which was served in a basket lined with checked paper. I’ve had a version of this dish before, at their restaurant.
It was a massive portion - easily enough for two, with about a dozen baby-hamster-sized hunks of toasty hot thigh meat in a thick, craggy and salty crumb, all topped with a skoosh of hot sauce. After that protein feast, my electrolytes were fully restored, and I felt as if I could weather any sweaty venue or flyer purveyor without too much irritation. Finger-licking good, as the colonel says, though what does he know? This is obviously the hero dish.
However, we also tried the smoked lobster roll (£18), which was more of a glossy-lidded and bouncy brioche sub, with a toasted inner lining. It was filled with a layer of soft pink and sweet mashed meat and a few salad leaves, for something simple and luxurious. It was the silk opera glove to the fried chicken’s punchy boxing number.
I suppose you’d have this if you were off to an Edinburgh International Festival show, rather than a Fringe shenanigan. As far as sides go, we had to try the hash brown with Sriracha (£7). This was a good choice, if I say so myself.
These four sturdy potato triangles were fluffy-middled slices of crisp-surfaced carb heaven, all topped by a chiffonade of chives. There was also a pot of togarashi fries (£6), which were decent skinny minnies. You can also have ones sprinkled with nori.
In lieu of dessert, since there isn’t any, we had a couple of their mini cocktails in a can. The negroni (£8) and the Margarita (£10) were both pretty heady. After just one of those, I was getting a little too chilled.
Quick time check, and away we streamed in a panic, with not much time to spare. Still, we got there, laughed at all the jokes and clapped enthusiastically. No Scotch egg required.
Coop, At Fettle, Marshall Street, Edinburgh, www.chickencoop.scot.
