Scotland’s youngest ever Michelin starred chef has returned to Dundee to embrace his next challenge.
Graham Campbell is fresh from taking part in Netflix’s “The Final Table”, one of the world’s highest rated culinary and is new Head Chef of Dundee’s Italian Grill.
He joins husband and wife restauranteurs, Jonathan and Martine Horne, in developing the bar & grill, which offers Italian cuisine with a Scottish twist.
The restaurant is a redeveloped former council tax office with an open kitchen allowing its 150 diners to watch the chefs go about their work.
Making the very most of Graham’s calibre as one of the country’s top chefs, a two seater Chef’s Table has just been installed at the bar & grill, just in front of the open kitchen.
Diners can now join Graham and his brigade for a unique food and drink experience, as he chats to them, and cooks whatever they would like from his new menu, leaving them able to observe the bustling kitchen.
Along with revamping the menu to include new signature dishes such as Highland Venison with butternut squash, Pave of Cod, Pork Cheek, and Wild Halibut with Parsley Broth, Graham has introduced an exemplary seven course taster menu with matched wines.
His 2019 Festive menu has also been launched, and Italian Grill continues to offer its popular and informative Cocktail Masterclasses, which make an ideal group activity, and include a choice of snacks and meals to enhance the experience.
Although many of the dishes at Italian Grill have the contemporary Scottish twist, with Graham’s expert eye for detail and flavour combinations, traditionalists of Italian fare will not be disappointed with a wide selection of fresh egg pasta dishes appearing on the menu.
Pizzas, with a huge variety of toppings, are prepared fresh in the traditional wood stone oven, and fantastic steaks are another popular menu staple.
Graham said: “I am delighted to be on board here at this fantastic Dundee restaurant where I am confident I can enhance the superb reputation it has earned over the past five years.
“Although I am actually from Oban – Scotland’s seafood capital – Dundee is my culinary home and I am well known here, having been Head Chef and then part owner of Castlehill Restaurant in Exchange Street for four years.
“Taking part in The Final Table was a phenomenal experience for me, and I am still honoured to have been the only Scottish chef selected to take part. I am now more than happy to return to Dundee, which holds many happy food memories, to continue my career here at Italian Grill.
“The continuing explosion of TV programmes about chefs has certainly fuelled the desire the dining public has to engage with us wherever possible. Not only that, but diners want to be able to observe us in our natural environment that is the busy kitchen during a frantic service!”
“With this in mind, my new Chef’s Table will see me in my element!”
“I think it will definitely attract people to come in who want to learn about what they are eating, and wish to be part of what is really a type of interactive performance, as my chefs and I bring the menu alive for them.”
“We can chat about ingredients and food provenance – I am a great mushroom forager and have introduced a new cep gnocchi to the menu. They can watch us plate up dishes, and discuss presentation. Food is certainly theatre nowadays, and this is our stage.”
Together with Jonathan and Martine, Graham has lots of additional fresh ideas about the business still to bring to the pass at Italian Grill, as the Dundee dining scene continues to be at its most vibrant for many years, fuelled by the opening of the V&A.
Jonathan Horne said: “Graham joining us is a huge asset to our business at this time, as we gear up for the traditionally busy autumn period, which seems to lead into the festive season earlier and earlier each year! This is certainly no bad thing, and already we are experiencing a boost in bookings.
“Dundee has certainly become something of a dining hotspot. We are very well placed to capitalise on this, with our superb new Head Chef, new menu, and Chef’s Table all raring to go.”
