Tag Archives: Manchester

Four Day Tea Tour of Manchester

August 15, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

During the traumatic week that The Cooktwit was left marooned and had to fend for himself with a five day breakfast blitz of Manchester (see here) he also had to endure eating out straight after work for his tea as well. These things are sent to try us, but you’ll be pleased to know I gave it a good go. I deliberately chose either quirky, relatively new, or just plain different from my normal fayre.

If you’re canny Monday night in Manchester can yield a few bargains. I figured the 50% off food deal at Tariff and Dale, hip new pizza joint in the Northern Quarter would be a good start. And indeed it was. £9.60 all in for a rather fine Outstanding Brewery IPA, a rather generous plate of hot Njuda sausage and chilli pizza and a rather fine tublet of slaw. The pizza was a belter, typified by the rather fine ‘leoparding’ around the edge, ensuring the excellent dough base had been ‘caught’ at just the right time. I ate downstairs in the ubiquitous, NQ, industrialised decor. A thoroughly pleasant teatime feast.

Tuesday, it was over to another new, Northern Quarter outfit. This time Yard and Coop. It’s modus operandi is to ply the locals in buttermilk fried chicken. I’ve become fairly addicted to this stuff via streetfood favourites Mumma Schnitzel, so I was quite looking forward to compare. I had two decent chunks of boneless thigh. It comes with a much darker (and hence different tasting) crumb than Mummas, but it was nonetheless rather good. The chicken beautifully succulent. I had a couple of sides, a bean salad with creme fraiche which was rather good and a spicy slaw which was not. There was no mayo in it, so it was curiously dry, livening up only when a kick of spice became apparent. Had a corking vanilla milkshake with it. All in around £14. Loved the place, anywhere with a cartoon fox on the wall and some chicken coops to sit in has to be good right?

Sticking to the Northern Quarter I then nipped into El Capo for some Mexican tapas (via a rather splendid Seven Brothers Pale ale and a mojito at Beef and Pudding!). I can’t really tell you much about the decor. It was so dark down there I had to use my iphone torch to see the menu! That said I enjoyed the food. I had three plates, balls, heart and cheesy fritters. All really good actually. The cows heart with chilli was particularly good. Subtle liver taste and texture. The meatballs were massive. I imagined that size they would be too dry, but they weren’t. The cheesy fritters provided a lovely contrast to the other two spicy dishes. All in with a Shipyard IPA £18.

Heart balls and fritters. It's dark so apologies for the crap pics! — Heart balls and fritters. It’s dark so apologies for the crap pics!

A final touch of indulgence. Nipped into Hawksmoor (review here) for a lobster roll and chips. Slushed down with a Buxton IPA it was my biggest expenditure at £27.50, but Ye gods it was good. I recommend all to do this at least once! A lightly toasted brioche elongated roll (hot dog roll?) came stuffed with luscious chunks of sweet, garlic buttered lobster and a dish of buttery béarnaise sauce. I have waxed lyrically at the triple cooked chips before. Given it was sixish I had the exquisite restaurant to myself, I felt like a Lord! Forty five minutes of pure bliss.

The Flame came back Friday so it was back to a comforting salad for tea! Only kidding, we actually treated ourselves to a chippy tea. Rather good though I say so myself. Top week had by all. Spent a few bob but it was worth it. The new boys on the Manchester block delivered. Plenty more to come……..

http://www.tariffanddale.com http://www.elcaponq.co.uk www.yardandcoop.com http://www.thehawksmoor.com

Eating Out Reviews

Breakfast in Manchester – A Five Day Tour

August 10, 2015 thecooktwit 1 Comment

“It seems you can get an early breakfast in Manchester, great start to the day”

The Cooktwit only earns his keep in Manchester. It’s an hours jaunt to the ‘metrop’. Breakfast is normally an early morning affair comprising semi skimmed milk and some wheat grains. For variety the grains may be flaked, branned, crusted or boiled.

The Flame took off for a week leaving the hapless cooktwit marooned. However, he doesn’t quake, he dusts himself down, gets out his credit card and hits town. An experiment ensued, what can Manchester offer for a mid-week pre office feed?

First up Pot Kettle Black, bit of a cheat this, I go here quite a bit for a ‘52diet’ porridge. Lovely little independent coffee stop in the Barton Arcade. I’ve tried a few porridges in town. I reckon at £2.50 its good value for money, so I reckon this is the best. A good portion, still with a bit of bite and comes with a cup of honey and dried fruit. Could do with being hotter but you can break walls down with this. Good start.

Tuesday I nipped down to Wholesome and Raw, one of the six new outlets awarded a stab at setting up full time at The Kitchens in Spinningfields. As the name suggests they specialise in organic, good for you grub. I had what turned out to be a cross between a salad and a toastie. Toasted sourdough bread with super scrambled eggs on one and sliced avocado on the other. Flanked by tomatoes and shrubbery dripped in balsamic and oils. An unusual breakfast but nonetheless another super start. Copped me £6.90 though.

Wednesday over to surprise entry Per Tutti. An Italian restaurant by trade, but here it is offering a super breakfast menu from 8am. I dined alone in smart surroundings with great coffee. I plumbed for a smoked haddock, kedgeree scotch egg. Set on rocket it was a fair size and was very tasty. Came in at £8.50 with the brew. A surprisingly good start.

Thursday its over to Bills. First chain of the week, but one I’ve always thought seems a bit better than many. Been to a few around the country. They all seem well thought out with an eclectic interior and a good menu. I had the eggs benedict. I love eggs benedict. I’ve had better than this to be fair; I prefer a thicker hand cut ham, rather than the thin sliced stuff. But I’m quibbling, there’s quite a few in here, the service is perky and smart and it’s a great view onto John Dalton Street. All in Dearest of the week £9.30.

Final day, it’s a sunlit Carlucci’s in Spinningfields. Another chain, but again another quality one in my opinion. Had a corking fry up in Leeds once as well as several decent pastas around the country. Had a simple muesli and yoghurt which came with a dish of honey and a dish of berries. Good portion, great crunch and taste. Lasted me well into the day. Coffee always decent as well, spent many a time in Piccadilly waiting for train with one. All in £7.35.

Have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my little tour of early doors eating in Manchester. Couldn’t fault any of them. If you’re on a budget probably best to stick to a simple independent. All in all I spent £34.65 but each time I was well set up for the day. Ill certainly be giving this a try again as a little treat.

http://www.bills-website.co.uk
http://www.potkettleblackltd.co.uk
http://www.pertutti.co.uk
http://www.carluccios.com
@wholesomeandraw

Eating Out Reviews

Hawksmoor – Manchester

July 22, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“It would seem all the hype was right, a simple menu done extremely well”

It was The Cooktwit birthday, mid-July as always. My aim was to hit two Manchester biggies! An afternoon with the boys yielded a long sought after sortie to Iberica. That was brilliant. For the big day itself though, The Flame treated me to my other ‘on the list’ eatery ‘Hawksmoor’. It was heralded by many as Manchester’s most eagerly awaited restaurant opening. Its original London based versions are still lauded as places to be. Lots have been written about this Manchester version. I doubt I can add too much, but I’ll try!

It’s a grand space. Housed in an, old, former, Victorian courthouse on Deansgate. The grandeur is replicated within. Mahogany panels and leather seating defines the look. You enter the dining area via the bar and the spectacular pass. The gentlemen’s club persona continues. One could easily imagine Bertie Wooster treating Gus Finknottle to a snifter and a scotch egg whilst Jeeves* waits outside with the umbrella. Our Jeeves operated indoors by the name of Alex. Wearing a spectacular beard he sat down and explained in perfect detail as to how best to negotiate the evening ahead.

A Buxton IPA was his first recommendation. Needless to say that worked. He then led both The Flame and I through the card before delivering a stunning, three course meal. It’s a fairly simple menu. Meat or fish with all the trimmings. The only complication is working out whether to buy your steak by weight (about 10 pence per gram!) or as an individual cut and which sides to add.

For starts I had the scallops. Four massive roasted scallops, scalded to their shell with a crumb and tarragon, garlic butter. They cost £14 mind but blimey what a start. They were plump and delicious. The flame had the smoked salmon and soda bread (£9). Again, simple quality.

For mains we went for the royal sea bream with rosemary, garlic and chilli (£18). It came whole ‘en papillote’ with sweet potato side and buttered greens (£3.50 each). Cooked to perfection, the flame stripped it bare in no time. I went for a medium/rare rib eye steak (£26) with triple cooked chips (£4) and an anchovy hollandaise sauce. Hawksmoor is renowned for its steaks. It was easy to understand why. I’m struggling to recall a better steak. I’m not sure I’ve had one, it was off the scale tender. A word about the side. Chips for me nowadays are a rare treat. In the words of Michael Winner these were ‘historic’. A mild crunch outside with a soft centre, pure bliss. It’s worth coming here for these!

As ever desserts were called for. The flame opted for a very neat cheese selection (£10) complete with Apple and walnuts, whilst I went old school with a sticky toffee pudding and ice cream (£7.50). Both great.

If you’ve been adding up whilst you read, you may have noticed the cost was racking up! The bill came in at £121. Now that’s quite a lot. If you reckon on £80 for a good ‘gastropub’ equivalent you are looking at a good thirty percent more here. Is it worth it?…..I reckon so. We both thought it was a superb meal. Everything, as you would expect, was presented piping hot, cooked to perfection. Service was impeccable. Atmosphere in the grand room was electric as the punters gradually filtered in. A simple menu, all done remarkably well. If you like good honest grub, it can’t really be beaten. Book in as soon as you can. Don’t wait as long as we did……

HAWKSMOOR MANCHESTER
186 DEANSGATE,
MANCHESTER M3 3WB
0161 836 6980

http://www.thehawksmoor.com

*Anyone under thirty google PG Wodehouse!

Eating Out Reviews

TNQ – Northern Quarter Manchester

July 1, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“Another good feed in Manchester. Nice view too….”

Every once in a while The Flame and I entertain a rather super Yorkshire couplet. A touch of jovial rivalry ensues. We take them to a Lancastrian offer whilst they treat us to a Yorkshire trek. See here for previous encounters! It was our turn this cold, blustery Sunday in June. We met in a (fairly) central location…Manchester! I decided to stick to the Northern Quarter end.

First stop (the now famous?) Port Street Beer House. We take a fine window table on the first floor. A pint of Bread and Butter! settles the nerves, the conversation flows. Next stop Ply. Charlie is impressed by the ale and the plain wooden furniture. It’s all going well. Three o clock dawns and we hit our preordained slot in TNQ. It’s been ‘on the list’ for some time now.

We enter the smart, green corner plot and nestle into our superb table for four. Right in the corner by the big front window. A fine view of the old Smithfield Market façade. The Yorkshire folk are chuffed. Charlie is quite particular about his table. We all issue a sigh of relief. It’s a great table set in a simple room. Green dominates outside and in. Simple wooden furniture keeps us and our plates off the floor. A nice IPA and some red wine have us purring, we flit down the simple Sunday roast menu. The menu is set out beautifully; its rear side boasts its local provenance. There’s plenty to go at for a quick Sunday menu and we all soon know what to have. Its good value too £16.95 for three courses.

The Yorkshire contingient went fishy for starts. One went White bait with a cheeky, chilli and paprika mayonnaise, the other salt and pepper squid, which arrived with a noodle salad and a chilli and lime dressing.
The Flame went for the healthy beetroot and goats cheese salad whilst I go very safe and play with the asparagus veloute. It all looks well and the report card from all has a big tick on it. My soup boasts a quails egg. I think there was one somewhere but it was severely deformed and didn’t have a yolk. The soups was good though, very nice.

One half of the Lancashire and Yorkshire contingent went chicken pie whilst the other went traditional roast. I say chicken pie, it should more accurately read goosnargh chicken with wild mushroom pie. It came with some super chips. The pie had a puff pastry lid. Lifting up revealed a big tasty filling packed with chicken and flavour. I’m sure there was some tarragon in there during my customary mouthful. Wonderful stuff.

Such is my lust for conversation and all round bonhomie I’m half way through my roast before noticing that my freshly ordered pink Cheshire lamb is in fact a few good slices of medium Cheshire beef! Feeling a little perturbed I plough on. My fellow roast compatriot goes for a sensational looking ‘Barry Pughs suckling pig’. It’s a decent roast, no danger.

Whilst all around pale and quake, The Cooktwit presses on. A salted chocolate and honeycomb cheesecake with pistachio sauce rounds off a very pleasing luncheon. We all agree the Lancashire bar has been set high once again. It’s up to Leeds next time! I might have lamb next time…

TNQ
108 High Street,
Manchester M4 1HQ
0161 832 7115
http://www.tnq.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

Filthy Cow – Manchester

April 14, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

STOP PRESS – this restaurant is now closed

“Danger, there may be images of lightly cooked mince in this review!”

Not sure what else I can add here. It’s another burger joint in Manchester. It’s good though. It’s called Filthy Cow and it’s on Tib Lane in the old Lounge Ten gaff.

Ginger Comfort Vanilla Shake, Jeeps and branding

I do recall the last time I was here. An olive skinned lothario crooned sweet nothings down my lug ‘ole whilst trying to woo The Flame over an incredibly expensive medium rare steak. Lounge Ten, ten years ago was the place to be for a while.

It was a bit of a shock when I romped into the old place now though. It’s been stripped of its soft furnishings and transformed into some sort of dungeon. A girder construction hovers down the left whilst a suspended, industrial scale hoover hose joins outside to the backstage griddling deck. Graffiti covers the walls whilst small, screw top stools dot round a collection of dated tables. It’s a transient space this, not designed for comfort. Still it does the job. I suppose that’s the plan, get them in, get them out. It’s not for loitering.

It must work though. It took a few visits to actually get served at lunchtime; such was the numbers wanting to try it out. It finally succumbed on a glorious sunny Friday. Even then it filled up quick. It does have an upstairs but it was shut when I went.

I ventured in with work chum Kev. He likes a burger. We sidled up to the bar. A rather pleasant young lady laid down the procedure. We ordered up from the limited card. We avoided the ‘special’ pork and chorizo burger and went for two ‘standard’ Filthy Beasts, a portion of chips, a guava pop! and a Ginger Comforts vanilla milkshake. £24 the lot. Burgers £7.50. We sat down by the window (the only light) and sat patiently with our very own flashing, warning disc.

Bit of a masterstroke getting local ice heroes Ginger to stump up the ice cream for the shakes. Bit steep at £4.50 but boy it was good. Glorious, creamy filler for the main event. After a few minutes our flashing alert disc sprang into action. The filthy beasts duly arrived. They were sheathed in their own ‘izal’ bog paper wrap, each topped with their own ‘filthy’ badge. Once unravelled we both marvelled at the spectacle. Moist, pink patty, crisp lettuce, crispy bacon and lashings of cheese. No question it was a great burger. I would say as good as I’ve had at other famous establishments in the city. We wolfed the hot salty chips and wiped ourselves down with the branded napkins. We left some twenty minutes later very happy indeed.

I’d have to say I was pretty impressed, clearly young Jordan Gallimore, proprietor and inventor of the breed has done the homework. It all works well right down to the clever branding. Even the jeep outside had it. You could argue the offer is a bit limited and that continued success relies on our continued insatiable appetite for the humble gourmet burger. But being honest I don’t see a break in that for some time yet. Roll on.

Filthy Cow

10 Tib Lane
Manchester
M2 4JB

Call us: 0161 8395498

filthyfood.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

The Grill On The Alley – Manchester

March 2, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“Has the old favourite still got what it takes to take on the new boys?”

Bear with me here a touch of preamble before getting to the food. I’ve worked in Manchester for two years now. The recent rapid fire expansion of the Manchester food scene is well documented. Before this explosion, living in the sticks, I was used to having my steak on a white porcelain disc (do you mean plate? – Ed) And get this you used to get the chips on the same disc!! However, The Grill On The Alley offered a sumptuous new way of doing things. Steak was delivered on a plank, the chips in their own steel net alongside. This was sophistication; this was where you came for a posh, slap up feed. It was a firm favourite for years. And so it was recently that The Flame was in town and suggested we give it another go. We settled for a six thirty rendezvous.

The old place hadn’t changed. You sweep down the long narrow room to the exposed kitchen and servery, via some neat light oak tables, some brown booths and some neatly arranged wall hung pictures. No scaffolding and neon signs here. It’s totally ‘trad’. We settled into the menu, while William, our highly efficient, aproned waiter, enlightened us, most informatively about the wines and higher bracket steaks on offer.

The old favourites are all still there. In fact, I reckon it is the same menu. I don’t think it’s changed in years? Heavily bent on steaks, burgers and grills (as you would expect) it didn’t take long to pick out some winners. I must admit I had some difficulty understanding the difference between the basic, bog standard steaks at £14-22 plus sauces and the premium steaks on a separate menu at £30+ and the ‘wagyu’ steaks at £50+. Surely they’ll all high quality? It would be interesting to compare, but sadly a test I can ill afford and didn’t do on this occasion.

Starters for me curried mussels (£8) with coconut and wilted spinach draped over. Plump mussels in a tasty, light spiced broth. Good stuff. The Flame had asparagus soup (£5) which again was very good and presented as well as you can for soup! For mains I had a burger with bacon and cheese (£11 + £2). The chips were great, the burger was pink in the middle as ordered, but a little dry round the edges. It wasn’t as good as some of the ‘experts’ I’ve tried, Byron, SoLita, Gorilla and Almost Famous. The Flame had chicken fajitas (£12) which she thoroughly enjoyed.

I finished with a superb Black Forest cherry trifle (£6) with lashings of fattening cream set in the obligatory clamp top jar. I noted looking with some envy to a neighbouring table demolishing a superb looking fish and chips. Still maybe another time!

It all came in at a fairly whopping £62, which for a quick standard burger tea with no wine is right up there. I think therein lies the problem for me. The food was good, not the best ever, the ambiance is good, but just a bit uninspiring for the fairly top end pricing. I just feel that with the myriad of alternatives in Manchester there are places doing this for better value. To name but a few you have Beef and Pudding, Fazenda, and now with Hawskmoor coming on stream I think it will be some time before I’ll be giving The Grill another go. I reckon I could have eaten for less at Mr Coopers which I feel is way above the standard here.

To be fair, the vibrant, avant garde, mismatched furnishings of the new boys is not to everyone’s liking. If you like your food and surroundings no nonsense, straight down the middle, The Grill Is for you but I think I prefer a little more choice and excitement now.

THE GRILL ON THE ALLEY
5 Ridgefield
Manchester
M2 6EG
0161 833 3465

http://blackhouse.uk.com/grill-on-the-alley

Eating Out Reviews

The Richmond Tea Rooms – Manchester

February 3, 2015 thecooktwit 2 Comments

“Our very own Alice in Wonderland adventure park right here in Manchester!”

It does beg the question whether accolades really do enhance the reputation and service of a restaurant or whether it ruins it? The Flame and I have held in our grasp a significant portion of gift vouchers for The Richmond Tea Rooms in Manchester for quite some time now. However our ability to purloin a table for two on a suitable afternoon has proven to be somewhat fraught. It would seem that ever since it won the tea room of the year everyone wants to try it! Good for business I suppose but somewhat frustrating as a would be punter.

That said last Saturday we decided to crash on and get ourselves into town and wait….. and wait….. and wait. We wound our way down the backstreet, past a rather splendid exterior graphic and up the grand steps. The good lady at the reception pod pronounced that it was a mere two hour wait before we could be seated! Unperturbed we added our data to the ever-growing list on the good ladies pad and set off for an alcoholic relaxant (at Beef and Pudding if you must know!). With some glee the call came some forty minutes later. With the relaxant sunk we hared off back across town once again.

This time it was mere moments before we were set down at our cosy retreat amidst a riot of flamboyance, gladioli, swooshes and swathes. The place is festooned with nods to Alice In Wonderland. Facsimiles of playing cards, diamonds and dripping clocks. The tables are set with spotty tableware and the finest China. It’s all rather engaging.

Im feeling slightly nervous though. I’m pretty much the only male in the house. Females dominate, either in pairs or in banks of six or more. Possibly on pre alcohol hen do’s? The Flame reassures me, I’m in good hands. We order the Richmond Tea. Top of the pile this, which means we soon have a glass of bubbly to quaff. Very pleasant too. A strong, decent black coffee accompanies whilst The Flame mollycoddles a battery of implements to administer her equally fine green tea.

Soon the main event appears. Three China tiers of savouries and sweets are gently lowered mid table. We were hungry, we fleetingly admired the vision, exchanged a few pleasantries and dived in bottom first. Finger sandwiches in brown and white. Egg mayo, beef and horseradish and Brie. A spinach and feta pastry completed the savoury ensemble. All very nice, fresh and tasty as you would expect.

Next up a mini strawberry eclair. Gone in a mouth full. Then a verdant cube of sponge topped with lemon icing. Lovely jubbly. Sweets are my thing, so I’m doing nicely here. My favourite sweet is trifle and here as the finale on level two is a trifle taster. It’s perfectly fine, but there’s no booze soaked sponge wallowing at its base. A teaspoon is needed to wheedle out the full contents.
Finally, the finale, a wonderful, sweet warm scone with strawberry jam and a healthy dose of clotted cream. The highlight for me. Rich and crumbly, a cracking end. I washed it down with a mouth full of bubbly.

As I mentioned we had £50 worth of gift vouchers to devour. The Richmond Tea takes it all with a small tip. For all the wait we were only in for forty minutes. As I say we were hungry, so we didn’t hang about. One might suggest it was little expensive (just over a pound a minute!) but we had a lovely time. I’d try and call in again for something less exotic. It’s a great space to while away some precious time. You should try it once at least!

Richmond Tea Rooms,

15 Richmond Street,
Manchester M1 3HZ
0161 237 9667
http://www.richmondtearooms.com

Eating Out Reviews

The French – Midland Hotel, Manchester

January 19, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“Its food Jim, but not as we know it”

The Flame and I had the very good fortune to experience the phenomenon that is The French. I’m sure many know it is one of the restaurants overseen by chef extraordinaire Simon Rogan. It is set in a grand room within the equally grand surroundings of The Midland Hotel in Manchester City centre. We graced the hallowed theatre a few minutes before our allotted start time of 7pm.

It was a Saturday night which means your choice is taken away. It is preordained that thy shall have the ten courses listed. Drinks however, are a different matter. You need to plough through at least two handsome volumes to determine what you want to drink. We each settled to a ‘livener’ of our choice. A “down the rabbit hole” and a “Perennial Julep”, both absolutely delish. Whilst The Flame selected a water, I plumbed into the £60 option of a five glass ‘wine flight’. Each selected by the sommelier who explained which tree each glass had come and when. I’m not a wine buff but they were all excellent.

Soon things got underway. Swarms of ruddy cheeked, young waiters set to the task. Nothing seemed too much trouble, brows were mopped, napkins were folded, glasses re-filled and prongs of cutlery were placed at a prescribed jaunty angle at a pre-set time. They did however struggle to stop the intermittent waft of chilled air that swept over us when the air conditioning kicked in!

But then to the food. I’m not about to wax lyrical about acidity, sweet, sour, crunch and texture. I don’t think my palate knows enough about that, but I know a man who does! Hence the reason we were there. I left all the taste and texture matching to Simon and his team. Suffice to say it was incredible.

The first course was effectively three! A trotter coated in breadcrumbs with ham fat cream and sage, a shrimp, celery and tomato salad on a chick pea crisp and a baked potato filled with soft cheese in a sack of soil made from beetroot dust. What a start.

Trotter, Chick pea crisp, Potato in a sack, The Bread

We then had the only dish that The Flame wasn’t too keen on. It was turnip dumplings, marrow and horseradish with a beef and onion broth. The turnips were so soft they simply melted. The broth so beefy.

Next one of the highlights, the raw Ox in coal oil with pumpkin seed, kohlrabi and mustard leaf. The coal oil brought an amazing smoky tinge to the whole dish.

One of the weaker dishes next, a breaded oyster with butternut squash with bacon buttermilk and mint. It was still great though.

Next up was another surprising highlight. Pickled red cabbage with beenleigh blue cream cheese, some violet mustard, linseed sand and walnut. Texturally this was incredible; it had everything, crunch, soft, sour and sweet. Superb.

Then it’s the fish course. Plaice, barbecued purple sprouting broccoli, chicken fat potatoes and pennywort. I’ve never had potatoes like this, soft and so much flavour. By this time I’m on the third glass of matched wine!

The main course. Reg’s duck, roast parsnips, cavolo Nero with old tom vinegar. The duck beautifully soft and pink. A meaty jus spooned over gently by one of the waiters adding the final touch. A robust, red Syrah accompanied.

We then got on to the first of three sweets! Beetroot meringue crisps with sheep’s milk parfait, frozen blackberries and chestnut. Absolutely gorgeous.

Sweet number two. Another wine. Quince, pear, ginger and butterscotch set on a slate. Superb. Apologies for the basic adjectives.

Last up ‘Sass n soda’. Basically this was a sandwich of sarsaparilla meringue, a sarsaparilla lollipop and sarsaparilla juice to finish. Astounding.

I then snuck another bourbon on at the end just to sooth things down. The Flame had a coffee with chocolates. Needless to say another winner.

The food part of the scheme was presented as a gift and cost £170. The drinking part was funded ourselves and added a further £105 to the bill. All in all we are talking the thick end of £300 for two at The French. Whilst not necessarily a once in a lifetime event it is nonetheless a ‘special occasion’ one for us. If you’ve not eaten like this it is an unforgettable experience and one that I urge all to try at least once.

Any ideas when L’Enclume next has some tables free?

The French
Midland Hotel
Peter Street,
Manchester M60 2DS

+44 (0)161 236 3333

http://www.the-French.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

Gusto – Manchester

January 16, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

We all like a bargain when we see one. January tends to shout out a few more than usual as an antidote to the ravenous Christmas binge. A mindful soul had the good sense to order seven place settings on a round table for a busy Friday lunch at the recently opened Gusto on Lloyd Street in Manchester. Ostensibly Italian, we pre-booked on a deal. If you book during January for slots outside the busy weekend, you bag your grub for half price. As it is set approximately thirty paces from the office it was the work of a moment to get down there. Good job really as it was absolutely tipping down!

It’s an impressive place. An understated entrance from the street gives way to elegance personified. A grandiose, central, square canopy delineates the bar area. Padded stools line up all round in readiness for the cocktail crowd. Our table was up on a side mezzanine which was filling up nicely with business clients and lunching ladies. Chairs in orange and green with matching dark wood tables, crisp linen and sparkling tableware sets the scene. We settled whilst a bright, uniformed, smiling waitress brought us a sobering dash of water and the odd ‘full cooking’ coke. The days of a long, lazy, boozy lunch are sadly long gone for us flashing young interior types!

As an added point of interest we were sat next to a roped off bit. Inside a clearly talented young cove was delicately touching up some cobbles with a long brush. He was quietly fettling the ‘Coronation Street’ section of a huge Manchester scape that was morphing before our eyes. It was only in sketch form with a few splashes of colour, but it will be an impressive adornment to the Gusto legacy sometime soon.

We were presented with two menus, the specials and the a la carte. It was sometime before we ordered food and as it was a quick lunch we all simply ordered a main course each with the odd side from the a la carte which is the one that attracted the discount. As the crowds were gathering for the bargain lunch, it was a fairly lengthy stretch before the goodies arrived. But boy they were goodies. Everyone was pleased with their offer.

Pick of the bunch was Dom’s seared tuna steak marinated in balsamic and soy with a fennel and orange salad and green gazpacho (£18.95). Cooked to perfection, a rare centre with a seared outer.

Paul’s Baked fillet of seabass (£17.95) with roasted pepperonata, drizzled with lemon purée looked a picture as did Mel’s salad of home-cured salmon, shaved fennel, orange, radish and radicchio with a crème fraiche dressing (£10.95). They all hit the mark. I myself (as a crab addict) had the white crab, chilli, garlic and fresh lemon spaghetti (£15.95).

We all concluded that it was a fine feed and a stunning location. Once we’d finished taking pictures of the interior! we coppered up and went on our way. Including a take out there was eight of us. With the 50% deal in place the bill came to £70. Less than a tenner each. Given the surroundings and the quality I would have happily paid the full price. Give it a try.

http://gustorestaurants.uk.com/restaurants/manchester/

GUSTO MANCHESTER

4 Lloyd Street
(off Deansgate)
Manchester
M2 5AB

T: 0161 832 2866

Eating Out Reviews

The Laundrette – Chorlton, Manchester

January 7, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“No you can’t bring your smalls for a quick spin, but you can get a decent feed”

I have mentioned in a past scribe that The Flame is rather partial to the John Lewis retail emporium in Cheadle. Sharp eyed cartographers will be aware that JL is a mere five miles or so from the ‘fashionista’ foodie haunt of Chorlton. I have had my stomach set on an award winning Sunday roast at The Parlour for some time now but never got in. This day was no exception! so it was a weary and hungry twosome that trundled down the hip thoroughfare of Beech Road in search of some sustenance. To the rescue came The Laundrette.

Set in a corner plot, it makes for an attractive settlement just yards from local greenery. It cut a pleasant dash in the low, mid winter sun. A jaunty logo set on a battleship grey surround, above the door echoes it’s themed, former soapy past. Like The Parlour, it seemed to be suffering from the lamentable plague of too many customers! But being a cheeky twosome, we managed to bag the last two seater by the door. A booming Ellie Goulding dance track allied to the ‘saloon like’ outside door, wafting the December breeze into The Flame’s lap, all contrived to make the early running tetchy at best. The Cooktwit having realised his spot was bathed in the warming busom of a well oiled blast heater made a timely swap with the loving relative and all was calm. A pint of spin drift and a black coffee soon got the pleasantries going.

A review of our surroundings confirmed it was in keeping with the urban trend. Exposed brick, tiles from the past, schoolboy chairs, welded frame tables and of course the obligatory jam jar water vessels. It’s all here. In contrast to some though the long, narrow dining area is significantly boosted in capacity by a healthy outdoor section. Festooned with awnings and polar bear sapping heaters many of the trendy throng imbibed their luncheon alfresco. One can only imagine the size of the scrum to get down here on a barmy, summers eve.

By this time a review of the menu and a nod at some of the scran emanating from the kitchen had us purring in comfort. For me one of the finest inventions of the gastropub scene is the plain black on white menu which then doubles up as your placemat. The Laundrette thankfully honours this tradition. Perked up with some soapy humour and vintage adverts it is a fine document.

Whilst pizzas dominate, The Flame went for her standby dish, lasagne (£9) taken from the ‘Full Load’ part of the card. A mixed salad (£3) settled alongside. It arrived in a ‘Le Creuset’ type casserole dish with lid. Made with homemade fresh pasta it was dubbed ‘The best lasagne I’ve had in years’. I was allowed my standard fork full, to confirm that it was totally delicious. Bags of beefy mince and Italianate flavour. The salad was also up to the mark.

I went for the ‘famous’ Sunday roast (£10.75) built up with porchetta rather than my standard beef. It arrived on an organic plank. A porcelain disc turned up as well. This meant I could gently transfer elements of the substantial feed onto a more manageable palette. Long, well cooked carrots and parsnips mingled with broccoli, roast potatoes and two nice slabs of pork each complete with a pleasing blister of fat and crackling. A boat of hot gravy completed the offer. And what an offer. As good a roast as anywhere. No wonder it’s famous. I watched with a little envy as many others shared a rare beef version. I’ll be back for that.

For research we shared a ‘Calzone Dessert’ (£6). It arrived hot. A folded pizza filled with Nutella, banana, marshmallows and swathed in salted caramel sauce with a blob of vanilla ice cream to mop up. It took some eating. Apparently it’s the best seller and why not? Due to a mix up in service we waited some forty minutes for it. But fair play the chap in charge ‘comped’ us the dessert and threw in two coffees. Can’t say fairer than that.

Have to say having settled on The Laundrette as second best we left feeling we have found another gem. With lots of January being left as I write the £10 voucher to spend again will come in very handy. Another free dessert at least!

The Laundrette

32 Beech Road, M21 9EL

Phone: 0161 88 15777

E-mail: info@thelaundrettechorlton.co.uk

http://www.thelaundrettechorlton.co.uk

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Tag Archives: Manchester

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Gusto – Manchester

The Laundrette – Chorlton, Manchester

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