Showing posts with label northern quarter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label northern quarter. Show all posts

Crazy Pedro's! I'd only heard about this before but never really got chance to look into it. Looked online and saw that there's now two branches, so thought I'd pop into the Northern Quarter branch, which was a little tricky to find, but is basically nestled behind Affleck's, next door to Dive.



Their decoration seems to be this weird quirky blue guy... is this Crazy Pedro? Lives up to his name anyway from what I can see. But moving on. You enter down some stairs into a basement space, which is dark, modern, and very Northern Quarter, right down to recycled aluminium lighting and filament light bulbs against bare brick. I like the colourful artwork though, and the music posters on the ceiling. It also has pinball machines, which is always a plus. It has a nice atmosphere too, friends meeting up to laugh and chat over big ol' pizzas, nachos, cocktails, and beer.



As we enter, a friendly staff member at the bar welcomes us and lets us choose from the menu, giving us some advice on the pizzas, and when we decide we want to share a pizza, he lets us know that we can even have half-and-half on a pizza, so we can try a couple of options. Great idea. What's even better is that we appear to have arrived during Happy Hour, meaning a 16 inch freshly made pizza was only £10! Bargain!

We opted for half pepperoni (classic!) and half The Cuban. Both arrived in decent time, and were hot, fresh and tasty. I particularly liked that the base tasted toasted, and wasn't soggy in the middle with the toppings sliding off into a fatty pile or anything like you tend to get with a lot of pizza places.


The pepperoni was great, can't fault it, but The Cuban was really REALLY good! Ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles (gherkin slices) and mustard, and it was perfect. It wasn't greasy, it was full of flavour, and all the flavours worked together really well. I would DEFINITELY order this again!




So although it was a fleeting visit, I was really impressed. Good atmosphere, friendly staff, surprisingly good prices for the Northern Quarter, and damn good quality pizza! Go! Go now!

Crazy Pedros NQ
1 Short Street
Manchester
M4 1AA
(0161) 359 3000
www.crazypedros.co.uk

Crazy Pedro's

by on 11:59
Crazy Pedro's ! I'd only heard about this before but never really got chance to look into it. Looked online and saw that there...
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Northern Soul is the UK's first gourmet grilled cheese restaurant, and sits in a shack of small shops near the Arndale, in the trendy Northern Quarter of Manchester City Centre.

The place genuinely makes you smile as soon as you approach and hear the music playing, and people inside chatting, laughing, and the staff themselves smiling and laughing too. They've embraced the casual rough-and-ready style, with chunky wooden furniture and exposed roofing, and bar seating giving full view into the kitchen, giving the place the feeling of a classic American diner, but with a modern twist.


The clever way this place is set up means that as well as bar seating and "booth" or table seating, there's also seating allowing you to sit outside and face inside, or inside and face out, to watch the world go by, and on a summer's day like today, the open feel of the place gives it a pleasant and happy vibe.



We took a seat at the bar, and were asked if we'd visited before, which we haven't. We were told to check out the main menu chalkboard, and when ready, simply order at the main till, give our name, and wait for our food to come out. The menu is hugely appealing, with simple "cheese toastie" style offerings such as "The Soul", to full meal sounding offerings such as Tandoori Chicken, as well as sides and soups, and nothing costing more than £6.50, which is very pleasant indeed. There was also a separate drinks prep area with a blackboard offering teas, coffees, and hand made loaded milkshakes.



We decided that we both fancied the Ham & Swiss, and ordered at the till, where it was nice to see that despite the place looking simple and rustic, we were able to pay by card. Drinks-wise I went for a pomegranate San Pellegrino, and my partner went for a Cookies and Cream milkshake, which at £5 seems a little pricey compared to the rest of the menu, but was very good quality, and thoroughly enjoyed.


It was satisfying to be able to sit at the bar and watch the kitchen team in their black and yellow aprons preparing our sandwiches, and using heavy presses to keep them pressed down onto the cooking surface to cook to perfection. This made me feel like watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on Food Network, and I really liked that; it made the place feel genuine and unique. I could imagine Guy Fiyeri watching the sandwiches being made, and tasting them with satisfaction.


Our name was called out, and our grilled cheeses arrived in front of us, presented on gingham paper wrap with a pickle spear and a side of freshly made coleslaw. Just from looks alone this was no simple toastie, this was a big grilled cheese sandwich that meant business, oozing the secret three-cheese blend, and packed with delicious ham. The toast itself was perfectly smooth and crunchy from the sandwich-press method on the cooking surface, and gave a hugely satisfying crunch to bite through, followed by the warm and gooey delicious filling.


We both thoroughly enjoyed the sandwiches, and agreed the quality was superb. Even whilst munching our way through, we looked up at the menu, deciding what we fancied next time. I definitely fancy The Classic, with caramelised red onion chutney!

Looks can also be deceptive. Sure this was a toasted sandwich, but by the time I was half-way through my second half, I was getting full! This was a FILLING sandwich... when has that ever happened for under seven quid?


Northern Soul isn't fine dining, but it's simple and good hearty comfort food which makes for the perfect freshly made lunch that won't break the bank, which for Manchester's Northern Quarter is pretty rare, and as they also have a loyalty card, it's very tempting to make it a regular thing instead of just bobbing into the local Tesco Metro for an overpriced plastic packaged sandwich, or a lukewarm sausage roll from Greggs.

Love you, Northern Soul. Back soon!



Northern Soul Grilled Cheese
Church Street
Manchester City Centre
M4 1PN
http://northernsoulmcr.com/
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But Adam, dubTAP is a new tap room and bottle shop from the guys behind Drink Up Brewing, and you don't drink, so why are you doing a review on dubTAP?

Well I'll tell you why, you little scamp, you! Because I thought the same thing! I thought dubTAP were just a new drinking hole, and so despite the popularity and praises being sung, I didn't visit until recently, because I found out that they also do food, and also serve soft drinks and hot drinks. Hooray!

 

The venue itself is on Lee Lane in  Horwich, in a former small take-away unit, but despite their small size, they've used the space well, and I'm told have further plans to open the first floor for a more specific dining space, showing that they have every intent to keep the food coming, rather than it being an afterthought at a bar. 

As you walk in (mind your head, the doors are low in this place!), the first thing that strikes you is that with the wood cladding on the walls, lamp shades made from reclaimed metal containers, aspace saving seating, and long bar, it feels very much like somewhere you would find in Manchester's Northern Quarter, but slotted into Horwich.


The welcome is warm, and as we walk in we notice a family on the left hand side sharing a table with some parents and their little girl, everyone having breakfast. This is a good sign. At some bars which are just simple boozers, you expect to walk in at 10:30am to simply find middle aged blokes called Frank sat around on their third pint, but dubTAP have realised that you can have a drink based venue, but one that still appeals to families and the non-drinking crowd by offering things like food, Fentimans soft drinks, and tea and coffee.


As I mentioned, there's not a huge amount of seating in the downstairs space, but the best has been made of the space to allow people to sit without chairs and tables cramming all into the space. We sat on a side-bar with stools and read the food menu, which sounds very good, some really nice ideas for simple lunches, such as steak Canadian and black pudding scotch eggs, but today we fancied a bit of breakfast, and so opted for some toast, and the full breakfast, as well as a pot of tea for two.


The tea came promptly, in a funky teapot and Le Creuset mugs, which kept them hot for ages, very nice. Breakfast however on this instance for us was a bit of a miss. We found the food to be a bit greasy and not of the highest quality, and also the toast was burnt, both the toast with the breakfast and the toast I had myself. But this of course is just our opinion, for a lot of people this would be just fine, and a good price. It's certainly on a par with many of the other breakfast offerings in Horwich.


The reviews of the place for drink offerings are nothing short of stellar, and both the food reviews and photos of the general menu are also very complimenting, and look amazing to boot, but I think they've only just started doing breakfasts, and as the place has only been open a very short period, it stands to reason that they are still finding their footing in some regards, so I wouldn't judge the place on this one miss (for us). I think once they've been doing them for a while longer, and they turn the toaster down a bit, they'll be on to a winner.


The service was friendly and efficient, and it was nice to hear the plans for the future of the place, with a bigger focus on dining. And don't worry, dubTAP, even with the breakfast hiccup, I'll definitely be back again to try some of those other dishes on the menu! 

What's also nice is that as it's right in the middle of Horwich, there's plenty of free parking on streets and free parking all around the area making it easy to visit. 




But clearly, dubTAP is aimed first and foremost at drinking, rather than eating, and for those visiting to try out the alcoholic refreshments on offer, I think you're in for a treat, as there is a massive selection available, from the cans and bottles displayed in the large chiller units opposite the bar, to wine menu, and the blackboard boasting the daily offerings such as "Beelzebub's Tears" and "Big Bertha". How could you resist? Why not give this new local independent a try sometime whilst they're finding their feet instead of going to that chain pub and drinking that same old drink you always have?


dubTAP
179 Lee Lane
Horwich
Bolton
Greater Manchester
BL6 7JD
(01204) 397 440

dubTAP

by on 12:17
But Adam, dubTAP is a new tap room and bottle shop from the guys behind Drink Up Brewing , and you don't drink, so why are you doin...
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Cane & Grain only opened recently in Manchester's trendy Northern Quarter, and billed itself from the beginning as being a bar and rib joint, spread over several floors, including a tiki lounge.

I decided to pop in for lunch one day whilst I was in the city, and was pleased to see there were some tasty and very affordable lunchtime offers available, so I wandered inside.

The décor is that modern-hipster style of rough-and-ready, distressed paint and textures etc, but still spacious and colourful with art on the walls. Also it's not really related, but I love their logo!


From the lunchmenu I ordered the rib-roll and fries, which I thought for £5 was very well priced! I also ordered a lemon-lime Ting (£2 a can, but hey you can't win them all), which was perfect for the sunny hot day, which also prompted me to sit outside in their outdoor seating area, and people watch... which in the Northern Quarter is a bit more interesting than in the rest of the city!

The staff are young, friendly, and professional, which is pleasant and welcoming to those of us who might otherwise feel a little out-of-place in modern and dare I say "hip" places. Yes I said hip. Shut up.

My food arrived looking delicious, and served on a metal tray and with a metal mug of fries (hipster places don't like plates). The pork roll was succulent and tasty, served with red onions and gherkin slices. The fries were seasoned absolutely perfectly, with "tiki salt" according to one of the staff. They were hot, crisp, and very tasty indeed!


I only popped here for lunch during the day, and I imagine when it's busy at night and the cocktails are flowing in the Liars Lounge it may have an atmosphere different altogether, but I think it's one I'd be quite happy to check out sometime, as this came across as a friendly and good quality venue which I can imagine hanging out in with my friends.

I'll definitely be back for that fabulous lunch deal again! 7 quid for a large freshly made pork roll with seasoned fresh fries and a drink in the city centre is a steal!




Cane & Grain
49-51 Thomas Street
Northern Quarter
Manchester City Centre
M4 1NA
(0161) 839 7033
www.caneandgrain.co.uk

Cane & Grain

by on 19:57
Cane & Grain only opened recently in Manchester's trendy Northern Quarter, and billed itself from the beginning as being a bar ...
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