16 FOOD AND DRINK
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Ado (4)
3 Overshadowed (8)
8 Rove (4)
9 Series of military operations (8)
11 Meal in tray (anag) – relating to
nourishment (10)
14 Lugubrious (6)
15 Bedlam (anag) (6)
17 Pizza topped with mozzarella,
tomato and basil (10)
20 Hostile – unfavourable (8)
21 Hindu spring festival in honour
of Krishna (4)
22 Coiled fossil shell – met Naomi
(anag) (8)
23 Fingered – matted material (4)DOWN
1 Personal guns (8)
2 Man of La Mancha, say (8)
4 Talkative (6)5 Simultaneously (2,8)
6 Peel (4)
7 All over (4)
10 Jane Austen novel (10)
12 It will eat anything (8)
13 Impractical person (8)
16 Horrified (6)
18 __ Simone, US singer,
d. 2003 (4)
19 Resistant to pressure (4)SOLUTIONS
TRINITY HAS a reputation as one of
Edinburgh’s most desirable residential
areas, with its semi-detached villas and
quiet leafy streets.
The railway paths that criss-cross
through it give it a ‘rus in urbe’ vibe.
What it doesn’t have is a reputation as
an obvious destination for eating out- or for those looking for specialty
coffee. Mostly the best places for
specialty coffee tend to be in Leith,
Stockbridge and Abbeyhill - and near
the University. But specialty coffee is
available in the area - at places such as
Milk at Edinburgh Sculpture
Workshop on the Hawthornvale Path.
The leading specialty coffee
destination in the area is Mr Eion on
East Trinity Road. Begun by Eion
Henderson, their original roastery on
Dean Park Street has been part of the
Edinburgh scene for a decade. Their
large Dietrich machine roasts a range
of excellent beans (imported by D.R.
Wakefield), sold in the shop and used
in many Edinburgh cafés. Walking
past the shop you often get an enticing
waft of what’s being roasted.
Since 2019, Mr Eion has also had its
café and roastery in Trinity. The
location was previously Filament, one
of the pioneers of specialty coffee in
the city. Filament is now a fading
memory, and its closure opened the
door for Mr Eion. Their initial period
was badly affected by the pandemic,
but Mr Eion Trinity is back to opening
on a regular basis (8-3 Tues to Fri and
10-3 on Saturdays).
On my visit, the place was
particularly busy and the welcome
warm. With only nine seats, the
emphasis is on takeaway. Luckily there
are some lovely spots nearby to enjoy
your coffee, including the upper part
of Starbank Park where you can sip
your coffee in peaceful, beautiful
surroundings.
Those able to sit in at Mr. Eion will
appreciate the airy feel of the café, and
those near the window can enjoy the
sun streaming in - and admire the
elegant terraced houses and tenements
opposite. A calming, contemplative
spot on a quiet day.
Also on offer in the Trinity café is a
range of beans: from the house
Stockbridge Blend to the rich and
powerful Moustache Twirler. They
stock single origin beans (currenthighlights include a Kenya Asali
Estate), as well as seasonal specials,
such as a blend for Spartans FC, and
the recent Spooky Blend, ‘the
spookiest and friendliest blend in
town’. As the chatty barista put it, this
one is “really something a bit different”,
with its combination of beans from
three different countries (Brazil,
Kenya, and Costa Rica) and its slightly
spicy notes, with a subtle, subdued
citrus element. It made for a
memorable drink with the satisfyingly
thick crema evident even in a drink
with milk (a cortado in my case).
Staff happily give advice on what
beans may suit particular home
brewing methods and will grind your
beans appropriately. Mr Eion stocks a
good range of brewing equipment abd
the café offers bakery, including vegan
options. It is well worth a trundle
through Trinity’s peaceful leafy streets
and ex-railway paths. Walk from their
Dean Park Street shop to the Trinity
branch along the railway path - an
interesting and satisfying journey.
Mr Eion
44-44A East Trinity Road EH5 3DJ
http://www.mreion.comA fixture on the coffee scene is a bit of an outlier in Trinity
Full of beans
CAFÉ REVIEW: Mr Eion By Charlie Ellis
Savour a sandwich at Spence
THE SPENCE restaurant within
the Gleneagles Townhouse has
partnered with one of Scotland’s
most iconic sandwich shops,
Alby’s, to create a festive
breakfast sandwich, which is
being served from 1 November.
A Christmas cracker of flavour,
this menu special will be a
bespoke breakfast sandwich
crammed full of porchetta filled
with pork, sage & cranberry
stuffing, The Spence brown
sauce, matchstick crisps, celeriac
& apple remoulade and rocket.It will be served on Alby’s
signature focaccia, baked in
house by the Spence team.
For each sandwich sold, The
Spence will donate 50p to Social
Bite – a charity on a mission to
end homelessness.