Showing posts with label pizza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pizza. Show all posts

Chianti used to be a pub, and it's hard for them to escape that when you see the outside of it, looking very much like other traditional boozers in the area. However, when you decide to give it a try and walk inside, you realise it's a genuine nice quality Italian restaurant. It doesn't feel like a pub inside. It's warm, pleasantly decorated with wall murals and Italian themed artwork, and welcoming and friendly staff. Even the music that plays is a mix of both traditional Italian trattoria style music as you might expect, but also modern Italian music, which is a nice touch.




We're seated by one of the mural walls, and given some menus. The offerings are classic Italian, but at a reasonable price. When I notice that there's the option to have any of the pasta dishes as a starter option, I ask for a carbonara. The waitress tells me that it's actually the same price to go for a full normal sized carbonara, and I could simply take some home with me... I like her thinking! We order a garlic bread to nibble on, and a starter of carbonara, and the home made chicken liver pate.



Both arrive in good time. The carbonara tastes fresh and creamy, and is perfectly seasoned. The chicken liver pate is light and creamy, full of flavour, and served with light toasted rounds, and a fruit chutney. Really pleasant. I had to force myself to stop eating the carbonara so I would have enough room for my main course! The staff were happy to box up the remainder for me to take home.

For our mains we decide to order the penne pasticciata, and the pizza agrodolce respectively. As we wait for our mains, our drinks are kept refreshed, and we chat with some of the members of staff, who are friendly and warm, and happy to tell us about the decor and details of the venue.



The pasticciata was perfectly cooked, deliciously creamy, with plenty of meaty filling, and covered in a wonderful melted mozzarella. Very tasty, and a huge portion... very filling indeed. The pizza was definitely a hand-made base, which was perfectly crisp and had a semolina crunch to it. The ingredients were fresh and delicious, and managed to stay light, rather than many pizzas suffering from heavy and gloopy toppings. It was delicious, and also predictably, I also had to take some of this home too!

As I was now stuffed and content, I sadly had no room for one of the delicious looking desserts (I'd stood at the desserts chiller counter earlier, staring through the glass like a child at the window of a sweet shop). However my partner refused to throw in the towel just yet, and ordered some chocolate profiteroles.


The profiteroles were light and creamy and well complimented by the caramel sauce. The citrus zest grated on top of the cream was wonderfully fragrant, and gave the dish a fantastic little zing.

All all, the food was excellent and generously portioned considering how reasonable the prices were. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, and the staff were attentive and warm without being intrusive.

Image courtesy of the marvellous DollyBakes

We will most definitely return. Don't judge this book by its cover, it's not just an old pub, and it's not pubby inside, it's lovely, and a real Italian treat.


Chianti Bar & Restaurant
1133-1135 Chorley Old Road
Bolton
BL1 5SG
(01204) 846 777
http://www.chiantibarrestaurant.com

Chianti

by on 13:32
Chianti used to be a pub, and it's hard for them to escape that when you see the outside of it, looking very much like other traditi...
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Max Italia is on Lee Lane in Horwich. It's the source of some confusion at times as it was once an Italian restaurant called Max Max. Since Max Max closed, it reopened as the short lived Siam Balcony, before closing and reopening as the current Italian restaurant with the familiarly named Max Italia, seemingly wanting to hark back to the days of Max Max, and informing the locals of what they're about.

It took me a while to get to Max Italia, as I live very nearby it, but assumed it was the same people behind Max Max, so never really gave it much thought. However on one night we fancied giving it a try, and so called the number to make a booking. Oddly the phone was simply answered with "hello?", leading me to ask "uh... is that Max Italia?"  "yes" ... awkward. But still, we got a table booked, and went along.

When we arrived we realised how busy it was! We were greeted, and seated in a waiting area by the bar with a menu to look at whilst our table was prepared. It only took a couple of minutes before we were seated.




The decor is modern but simple, with clever tricks like stone effect printed wallpaper for texture (I thought it was real stone at first) and large mirrors on one wall to give the space a feeling of more room. Dishes are written across the top of the wall, a la Frankie & Benny's. The tables are simple white linen with red square accent cloths. Classic Italian restaurant with a slight modernisation. No Chianti bottles with melted candles here.. The only thing I thought spoilt the look a bit was plastic fake vines occasionally strewn around lampshades and around windows. It really doesn't need them. The bar area is white tiles, glass blocks, and blue lighting, giving a slight feeling of a swimming baths, but still functional and modern.

The menu has some great classic offerings without going too over the top. It also has several special offers to tempt people into giving them a try. On the night we were visiting, there were two long lines of tables celebrating a retirement, so it was loud but not terrible. We were worried about the time for food to arrive, but they were seemingly finishing their main course as we settled in, so that wouldn't be too much of an issue.

To start we ordered plain garlic bread topped with oregano and Fungo Al Pepe, which is a large mushroom topped with black pudding and blue cheese in a creamy pepper sauce.



The garlic bread, although a nice texture, was quite subtle in terms of garlic. It was however still pleasant, and worked very well dunked in the sauce that came with the Fungo Al Pepe, which in itself seems a little bit Italy-via-Lancashire. I'm not sure if it's a classic dish you'd find in bistros in Firenze, but despite the appearance, it was bubbling when it arrived, and was in itself very tasty and enjoyable.

For our mains we decided on Penne Gratinate, which is penne pasta with onions, mushrooms and peas, in a creamy sauce, topped with cheese and cooked in the oven, and a classic spaghetti carbonara.

 These too arrived in pretty good time from the open-fronted kitchen at one end of the restaurant.



Suffice to say, both of these dishes were superb. Fresh, creamy and tasty, they were satisfying right down to the last forkful, and then to the last spoonful as we finished every last bit! The penne gratinate was satisfying and creamy, with wonderful flavours, and the carbonara was fresh and nicely presented.

At this point we could see that the large tables with the retirement party were eyeing up the dessert menus, so we got our order in quickly. We chose a simple vanilla ice cream, and the chocolate profiteroles. Again, both arrived in good time. The ice cream was good, topped in a chocolate sauce, which although nice, I didn't ask for (I'm not usually a fan of chocolate sauce), and the profiteroles were delicious and very chocolatey!




Service was friendly but very busy (presumably due to that retirement party), servers were hard to get hold of at times, especially when we were trying to get the bill, but those who we did speak to and were served by were friendly and polite. As we had trouble getting the bill, we weren't sure whether we would be paying at the table with a card machine, or if it best to head up to the bar. We did the latter to be safe.


We really enjoyed our meals, and although busy, the experience itself was very pleasant. We were flabbergasted that for our entire meal of starters, main courses, desserts and drinks, the bill came to only just over £31! We at first thought perhaps we hadn't been charged for our desserts, but we were told by the friendly barman that it was part of a mid-week offer. Well that's just dandy!

We had a great meal at a local independent restaurant within walking distance, and it didn't even disturb the bank, let alone break it. We recommend it if you're in the Horwich area, and definitely to any locals unsure of whether to give it a try.

Picture used with the kind permission of the fabulous Rachel Burns, from www.dollybakes.co.uk

Max Italia
94-96 Lee Lane
Horwich
Bolton
BL6 7AE
(01204) 469 094
www.maxitalia.co.uk

Max Italia

by on 11:47
Max Italia is on Lee Lane in Horwich. It's the source of some confusion at times as it was once an Italian restaurant called Max Max...
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I'd heard plenty of praise for Rudy's, including claims of it being some of the best pizza in Manchester. I've tried plenty of good places so I didn't really take much stock in this until I gave it a try myself.

It's in Ancoats, but in a quiet section off a modern square, seemingly away from everything else. It's an unassuming small shop front, with a little blackboard outside saying to come in and try the pizza. I always listen to little blackboards.


Rudy's has gone one step further than the general Northern Quarter style of decorating. Instead of bare brick and filament lightbulbs, Rudy's is wholely industrial, with unfinished concrete walls and floors and floodlight uplighters. Seating is made from a solid wood construction built against the walls, as indicated by marker tape and spraypaint which is still in place. Other tables are more traditionally modern, as well as bar seating.

As you walk in, you see a seating area on the left, along with bar seating around the kitchen prep area, where you see the pizza being hand made, and shovelled into the giant flaming pizza oven. If you progress further back, you find more seating including bigger tables, and modern artwork on display for both enjoyment and purchase.





The menus and a chalkboard on the wall explain the ethos behind Rudy's style of pizza, classic Italian Neapolitan pizza from Naples, made by enthusiasts. Dough is made on site and proved for 24 hours before being cooked for just 60 seconds. They explain that this means the pizza is 'floppy', not crispy like American style pizza, and so can't be ordered "thin and crispy" or "deep pan". They recommend using a knife and fork to eat it, which might send some people into meltdown, but  if the experts say that's how to do it, just give it a try.

It was also an interesting aspect to see that the venue appears to be dog friendly. A dog sat on a man's lap at the bar seating, and another sat under the bench on the table next to us, as a member of staff brought it a bowl of water. I personally love this, but I imagine some people might find it uncomfortable.



The menu is simple, showcasing the traditional pizza options that Rudy's wants to present, including the option to have a 'white pizza' which is without the usual tomato base. The menu also offers some smaller nibbles, and has a good wine, beer, and general drinks offering.

I opted for the Prosciutto Cotto, which is tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, cooked ham, basil, oregano, sea salt, parmesan and garlic oil. All wholesome traditional ingredients, no modern additions like BBQ sauce or pineapple or pulled pork here.

Staff are young friendly types, being both professional whilst still remaining casual and relaxed in style.


The pizza was really good. Fantastic flavours with really fruity tomato and top quality tasting ingredients. The base was soft as promised and rustic, but also thoroughly delicious. This was a hand-made, 14 inch, fresh, Naples style pizza made to order, in the city centre of Manchester, for less than 8 quid. It was superb, filling, and genuinely on a par (if not better) than pizza I tried when in Rome and Florence! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a great lunch or dinner, and I will most definitely return. Benissimo, Rudy's!



Rudy's Neapolitan Pizza
9 Cotton Street
Ancoats
Manchester
M4 5BF
07931 162 059
www.rudyspizza.co.uk
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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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L'Olivetto sits on an unassuming street in Mossley Hill, Liverpool. In passing you might think it was a coffee shop or the sort, but it turns out to be a real culinary jewel, and one of those rare ones... an independent Italian restaurant that does Italian food properly, and well.


As you walk in, it strikes you that the space is larger than it looks from outside, with slate floors and tables in similar tones with simple wooden furniture, but the restaurant is dominated on one side by the giant ornate wooden bar, which takes the centre stage. The rest of the restaurant is decorated in shades of olive (a natural choice, with "L'Olivetto" translating to "The Olive Grove"), but is rather minimalist, meaning that it can feel a little stark. I think if the tables had simple white tablecloths, or if there were some curtains or plants, it would make the venue feel a bit more cosy, and would absorb the echo a little bit. Not to say that it's not pleasantly decorated, with some fab quirky decorating features!




The bar also had some great little additions that you might not think about. There is a glass containing reading glasses, for those who inevitably forget to bring theirs and have to squint at the menu, as well as two variations of a loyalty card, one for the daytime crowd, promising free coffee and cake, and the other for the evening crowd, offering a free bottle of house wine. A nice touch!

The menu is split into several options, including a lighter meals section, set meals, and general a la carte. The tables also have promotions on them, mentioning how each night there is some variation of a special offer, such as 20% off on tuesdays, and a half price bottle of prosecco with your meal on "Fizzy Fridays". The prices generally are very good too, considering everything is made fresh to order.


We chose to start with Funghi Impanali, breaded mushrooms which gave a good crunch before giving in to some incredibly tasty and juicy mushrooms that had been sauteed in garlic butter. When somewhere can take something as simple as breaded garlic mushrooms and make it truly tasty and impressive, that's a good sign!


For our mains, I chose the Pollo Saltimbocca from the light lunch menu, which comprised of chicken fillets wrapped in parma ham sautéed with olive oil, garlic and sage. I accompanied this with a couple of side dishes of Patate Saltate, which is potatoes sauteed with onions, garlic and parsley but which visually was a bowl of absolutely mouth watering looking little roast potatoes! They were crunch and delicious and very moreish! I could eat a whole bowl of them for a snack! I also had the spinach tossed with onion, garlic and parmesan, My main and sides were delicious, and I was really impressed with both the taste and the price.



My partner opted for the classic Spaghetti Carbonara; spagetti with diced pancetta in a rich cream sauce with parmesan, he was also given the option to add additional chicken to the dish, which he did gladly. For his side, he chose to try the zucchini fries, which came with a garlic aioli for dipping, and which were unsual but pretty tasty! We'd seen them appearing a lot in trendy restaurants, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to give them a try (try them, seriously!). My partner was completely taken aback by the quality and flavours of his pasta, and was singing its praises and making happy noises throughout. We've been to Rome and Pisa and eaten *actual* Italian food, and he didn't sound as impressed then as he did by this meal! Well done, L'Olivetto!



We were given dessert menus, but had already been sneakily noseying at the cake chiller cabinet in the corner of the restaurant, and had made up our minds already! I chose to go for the cherry crumble, served cold, with cream, and my partner chose to go for the triple chocolate gateaux. We were both smitten with our choices, which were delicious and great quality. We were told they were from an actual nearby Italian bakery, keeping the Italian flavours going throughout. Some of the desserts were prepared freshly in house too... we'll try them next time!


The service was friendly and professional, the food was absolutely superb and of a great quality and value, and the venue was bright, modern, and spotlessly clean. It was also nice at the end of my meal to see that they had a selection of teas available, so I had an Earl Grey to round it all off. Perfect.




If you're near Liverpool, go along and give them a try, they're really worth it. We decided that we'd be happy enough to drive over there from Bolton if we fancied a nice meal and experience, because that's one thing they really delivered. Bravissimo, L'Olivetto!

L'Olivetto
193-195 Rose Lane
Mossley Hill
Liverpool
L18 5EA
(0151) 724 5169
www.lolivetto.co.uk

L'Olivetto

by on 17:23
L'Olivetto sits on an unassuming street in Mossley Hill, Liverpool. In passing you might think it was a coffee shop or the sort, but...
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