This week, you can never have too many Italians - two new restaurants arrive in the city - La Favorita and Gusto and I discover a Dumpling Monkey addiction.

La Favorita

La Favorita has been teasing us since early 2014. Posters sprung up in a shop front on Gibson Street, promising that the award-winning Edinburgh pizza chain would be 'Coming Soon'. It's taken a while (thankfully, they're much more timely with their delivery!) but, finally, La Favorita is here!

They may have taken their time to move west, but it could be because they don't do things by halves. If you have been, almost anywhere in Glasgow this week, it's likely you will either have heard of them or been offered a slice from one of their fiery crew. They handed out pizzas to weary Kiltwalkers in Loch Lomond last weekend, fed the fans in the queue to the Rewind and G-stars gig at the O2 Academy on Tuesday and flipped their hot stuff on the Riverside Show. Knowing their audience, they certainly know how to say hello!

La Favorita Delivered, is as it sounds, a take-away and delivery operation, however, they also have the capacity for 30 folk to sit-in downstairs, as well as a separate room for private functions: I can see wee Cubes parties here in the future! From the looks of the menu, their dishes don't seem too tightening on the pocket either.

It's not all about dough, though. This is award-winning food, gourmet grub, with separate chefs for pizza and pasta, and they consider what they do an art. They are also one of very few places in the city to offer both vegan and gluten-free pizzas. To retain the heat in the pizza they will offer you a free cutter to take home with your pizza. I live close to Little Italy on Byres Road and it was going to take a lot for me to switch allegiances, but as ever - for the purposes of research of course - I'm happy to give something new a try!

I had their Nduja pizza, full of delicious spicy Italian sausage, spinach, cherry tomatoes and nduja (spicy Italian paste). It was filling yet light for a pizza, seriously flavoursome and I didn't have anything like the horrible carb-crash you so often get from scoffing a pizza. Suffice to say, I think this place might be my new Favortita!

*La Favorita on Gibson Street will open fully from 4pm today, to serve the hungry hordes of Glasgow - with another four or five units planned in the not too distant future.

Gusto

Another Edinburgh-based chain making it's way to Glasgow this week is Gusto. It opened earlier this week in the old Clydesdale bank on Bothwell Street, with a VIP launch party last night: full of Glasgow's movers and shakers, although that could have been the free bar!

Also peddling Italian fare, but far from being a take-away joint, Gusto is a smart and shiny brasserie and bar. The building has had a £1.3 million makeover to turn the money-spinner into a European style grand cafe with smart leather booths, crisp white table clothes, 12 different types of pizza (including a truffle infused one) and some delightfully well-dressed (read good looking) staff. The owners - Living Ventures, who also own Grill on the Corner - see it as becoming one of the city centre's most sophisticated Italian restaurants.

It is sophisticated and I can imagine it being buzzy at the weekend, a fun place for dinner, drinks (and, depending on your bar bill) maybe dancing! Despite it's loveliness there isn't anything much that is unique about the decor, it's Browns, it's the Living Room, it's any number of gastro-brasserie chain restaurants. They feel their food sets them apart.

Last night I was only able to nibble on canapés so I can't really comment but I look forward to returning for a proper meal, with Gusto!

Dumpling Monkey

I have just discovered Dumpling Monkey on Dumbarton Road. It's so good, I've been twice. In the last week. So, despite the Italian flavour to my column, it thought it deserved a mention.

Dumpling Monkey has taken off where, perhaps, Asia Style left off; it's an Asian kitchen, serving authentic Chinese (Hong Kong) dishes, it seems popular with the Chinese com-munity and has some of the loveliest, smiliest waiting staff I have ever met. Having spent a fair amount of time living and working in Hong Kong and having family who lived there, this is genuine, bona fide, good Honkers grub - from the Dan Dan to the Dumplings, the Coffee Milk Tea (that's one drink, not three) to their brightly coloured bubble drinks.

Some dishes are better than others, however, and the clue is in the name. The dumplings are out of this world. Go there, order the Beef and Carrot ones, get pot-stickers (slightly crispy rather than boiled) and you will not regret it. You'll get twelve of the delicious little suckers for an incredible £5. And, as I might have mentioned, they're just a little bit addic-tive.

In addition to the dumplings, I'm also a big fan of their Fried Sauce Noodles. I realise the name isn't very appealing but then if we break down the word 'Dumpling' I'm not sure they are either! The Dry Sauce Noodles are a wee bit like an Asian Spaghetti Bolognese (I knew I could bring it back to Italian somehow!) and are tangily tasty, especially with a wee bit of their hot sauce.

Speaking of which, isn't it nearly time to eat again…

Wee Bird Recommends

Nothing to do this weekend? Aye Write! The city's annual book festival - Aye Write! - kicks off today. Almost all of the events are held in the fancy surrounds of the Mitchell Library, but don't judge a book by its cover! Wee favourites include interviews with the scallies of the literary world: Karen Dunbar (Friday 6pm), Irvine Welsh (Friday 7.30pm) and Helen Lederer (Saturday 7.30pm) - tickets from £9. Check before going as some events may be sold out.