This article appears as part of the Food Matters newsletter.

They say that you always remember your first time.

In the context of my beloved Paesano Pizza, I know this to be true.

Bonfire Night. 2015.

En route to the now-defunct Glasgow Green fireworks display on a typically grim November evening, the plan was to swing by a new restaurant on Miller Street for a chance to line our stomachs before braving the cold.

(Image: newsquest)

We’d seen the queues of course, and knew they operated a walk-ins-only policy (yet to catch on in the wider city) meaning there was no guarantee of exactly when we would eat.

But the promise of authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas fired in ovens imported directly from Italy, and hushed whispers of a full meal for little more than a fiver had us convinced it would be worth it.

And oh, it was.

The place fizzed with energy as waiters zipped up and down the space, stopping only to scribble order numbers on the menus of customers who sat shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers at the long, shared tables.

Vegan at the time, my choice was limited to a simple number one with Sugo, “EVOO” (extra virgin olive oil, don’t you know?) and a few basil leaves.

Still, from the moment our pizzas arrived all blistered slow-fermentation crust and thin base close to melting into rich tomato above, it was love at first bite.

In the years that followed, it became my go-to for impressing visiting family on a budget, impromptu late-night feasts and even a welcome comfort during the pandemic as the team delivered build-your-own-style pizzas at home.

(Image: Newsquest)

I have a similar affection for Sugo, a pasta-focused just-as-fast-paced sister restaurant which opened on Mitchell Lane in late 2019.

Serve me their Panzanella by the bucket load, follow that with a number nine (Chitarra with sea bass and chilli) and finish it all off with a soft serve ice cream drizzled with sticky Amarena Cherries.

It’s fuss-free affair that still feels special and a surefire way of turning around even the toughest of days.

That’s why this week, as the Herald broke the news that both brands had been bought by the DRG in one of Scotland’s biggest hospitality deals in recent times, I was struck by instant dread.

Expansion is on the cards. And with that, concerns naturally arise over whether the team will be able to recreate that same magic time and time again and if bigger is ever better when it comes to the restaurant experience.

Take for example Six by Nico, which once felt like an intimate, fine-dining affair.

Sister branches and spin-offs seem to be popping up in new neighbourhoods at the same rate as any big-name coffee chain, dulling more than a little of its sparkle.

Time will tell, and for now, I choose to remain optimistic. Especially with the original owner Paul Stevenson staying on in a consultancy role and the undeniable wealth of experience that the DRG group brings to the table.

And hey, if not?

Consider this my love letter to Paesano as it was.

We’ll always have that night in 2015.

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