As the food arrived, the guy next to us leaned over and said “mate, that sandwich is some piece”. He wasn’t wrong, the dish in question was a Reuben sandwich – hunks of pastrami and Swiss cheese between grilled bread. There were probably other things going on in there, we devoured it without too much analysis and there were pints of West beer and drams of Auchentoshan to order.
While the sandwich said New York, the drinks clinking in the background and accents of our fellow diners shouted Glasgow.
We were in The Winged Ox and there was a buzz about the place. A talk event was about to begin next door in the converted church of St. Luke’s on Bain Street. Crowds gathered in booths and at high tables as staff glided through with large plates of American soul food.
Almost at once the place emptied into the venue. It’s at that point that we could take a look at the place properly again. There’s a distinctive bar. It’s a focal point more because it draws the attention of the room rather than any particular design quirk but there are little touches that set the scene.
Bottles of Bourbon and gin rivalling the whiskies on display. It seems like more of a place where beer is enjoyed and they have a changing line up of local brews.
There are visual cues that hint towards the venue next door, reminders that you are in a very particular place, while a lot of the overall appeal of the space is that this is a version of the American bar you see in the movies – or in Shoreditch – where you can have good conversation, food and drink.
We’ve been here before. St. Luke’s had just opened after a meticulous renovation and had become one of the coolest venues in town. All of a sudden, it seemed like the utter transformation of the Merchant City over the last 20 years was trickling further past Glasgow Cross. We might start looking East, as well as West…
These things don’t just happen of course. There have been lots of plans. Some of them might actually start to take root. Change is starting to happen.
Brothers Michael and Tony Woods took on the task of breathing life into a dead space, hidden in plain sight across from the entrance to the Barras and a short walk from Glasgow Green.
Many people have passed through the streets near St. Luke’s and never noticed it. It’s been there for over 200 years.
That indifference changed pretty quickly when MTV and other music related brands started projecting their logos onto the imposing edifice before top events.
Recently, we asked to visit again to have a tour.
It’s a remarkable building really, they built churches well in those days and it remains a place where music or a message can be delivered in some style.
Michael Woods met us at the bar, he’s easy to spot – hirsute, enigmatic dress sense, an easy-going demeanor. You might mistake him for a life-long publican but actually both himself and his family have links in the local area from the building trade (he was also a decent goalkeeper when he was younger).
After a conversation at the bar, it’s clear that the desire to open St. Luke’s was borne out of a decision to create somewhere that would be a space for the local community.
This is a Calton place. If you go there during the week, it’s easy to see that is the case.
To clarify, a year after opening, St. Luke’s is still very fashionable. Fashionable places are great. Everyone wants to be in the trendy bar or cool venue. If you have that reputation – somewhere that people want to check in on Facebook – then it’s a nice way to start out. Trends change though and many of the most talked about places are often empty.
St. Luke’s has a certain cache, it means something to the Glasgow music community and it has become poster boy for regeneration in the area.
If you go here for a gig, you’ll see a certain side of it – the sound is excellent, the setting is exceptional. The building adds a sense of occasion.
Staff are friendly and well trained. It works for intimate gigs or weddings or symposiums or whatever anyone wants to put into a space that has a bit of character.
When you visit during the day, on a Thursday afternoon, then the adjacent Winged Ox pub and dining room comes to the fore. That’s when you see how this place has solidified it’s role in the area.
After he spoke to some of the regulars, Michael poured us a pint of St. Luke’s (their own version of a local craft beer is our favourite) and introduced us to chef Steve Martin. He’s from Glasgow and an impressive guy, very willing to talk about his menu. We chatted for almost an hour and the conversation took in many different food influences.
As a chef he’s worked in New York and South Africa, picking up a bit of culinary swagger to match his own outgoing persona. He loves to encourage his locals and get them enthused about the menu.
Burgers and mac ‘n’ cheese are very popular here. The cooks put on a substantial menu of specials each week. Steve spends time out of the kitchen taking in different ideas. The smoked chicken and haggis pie is a result.
Weekdays, The Winged Ox is where local families meet or folk pop in for an afternoon or an evening. Look around and you’ll see a lot of tattoos and the occasional dog in the bar – all terribly trendy in the bars of Brooklyn at the moment, but it’s more of a local thing (If you do have a dog, there’s a particular menu for canines so they can eat while you eat).
We had a look inside the venue, back stage, in the kitchen, then up to the balcony where you can gaze at the restored church organ that’s one of the emblems of this place as it sits behind the stage surrounded by stained glass.
The question sprung to mind: Michael, what was the moment you realised that refurbishing a church in the East End of Glasgow, opening a venue and a gastro pub would be a good idea?
He was silent for a moment, then mentioned seeing local bands on the stage for the first time but pointed to some of the original features in the church the team were able to restore.
Later, upstairs he pointed out some text on the back wall of the church, the wall that faces out towards the city.
The writing said Still I Rise. It’s a poem by Maya Angelou. Michael said that was something he thought about a lot when they were working on the opening.
Since we visited for a look inside St. Luke’s, we’ve returned a number of times since for the food. Like St. Luke himself, chef Steve Martin is a bit of an evangelist and his menu is worth exploring.
As we look around at what else is happening in Glasgow, the sense of purpose and pride in many of our new and old venues, restaurants and businesses, people making things interesting in our city, it’s an encouraging thought as Glasgowist celebrates it’s first birthday. As Glasgow continues to rise, Glasgowist looks forward to celebrating the Best of Glasgow.
Pictures by Paul Gallagher for Glasgowist
