Per Tutti

Liverpool Road, Manchester

Per Tutti is an authentic Mediterranean restaurant which brings a hint of holiday to the streets of Manchester.  Located in the heart of Castlefield, just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Hilton Hotel, it’s the perfect place to indulge in a spot of Mediterranean cuisine at any time of the day. Per Tutti aims to create a dining experience which is home from home, whether it be for a power breakfast before work, a morning coffee with clients, a late lunch with friends or dinner with the family.

We visited Per Tutti on a sweltering Sunday in June. With the doors flung open onto an al fresco dining area, I felt like I was abroad. As we moved inside to avoid the sun, it felt like we were in a restaurant just off a little winding side street in Italy. It had a real summer vibe. It was nice and quiet when we arrived too, ideal for having a nice, long catch up. The staff were very attentive.  I’d booked the table for 1.30pm, but, en route, we stumbled across the Manchester Day Parade. We found a relatively quiet spot in the shade outside the restaurant, so I popped in and asked if we could delay sitting down so as to continue watching. They were absolutely fine about it, and we meandered in once the parade was over. 

Per Tutti means ‘for all’ in Italian, and their impressive menu certainly boasts something for all. It merges together flavours from across the Mediterranean,, although I noticed the majority of the main menu definitely has an Italian feel to it. There are pizzas, pastas, salads, meat and fish dishes, all sounding delicious and averagely priced.

We kicked off proceedings with garlic bread, because in an Italian it has to be done. Now, when my foodie friend and I eat out together, this is the one foodstuff which always causes fierce debate. Why? Well, because my friend likes it with cheese, whereas this would be my last choice. In my opinion, tomato is the way forward. If not, then plain will suffice. On this occasion, we solved all our problems by splitting the difference, literally. We requested a half ‘n’ half. Well, that’s all the rage with pizzas these days, so why not do the same with garlic bread? We had half cheese, half plain. It was perfect. Granted, I am, sometimes, apprehensive about plain garlic bread, as it can be quite dry, and sometimes there just isn’t enough garlic – especially if, like me, you like it to be overloaded. This was quite possibly the most delicious garlic bread I’ve ever eaten. It was bathed in garlic butter. 

Half 'n' half garlic bread

Our main course was a classic with a twist: Surf & Turf Carbonara. Carbonara is one of my favourite pasta dishes, and, let’s be honest, you can’t really go wrong with it. It’s not something I tend to order when I’m out, as I’d eat it at home. However, this was so much more than your regular carbonara. There were strips of fillet steak, tiger prawns, smoked pancetta and red onions tossed with spaghetti, egg yolk and parmesan. The steak was deliciously succulent, grilled medium, which made cutting through it very easy, whilst the prawns were juicy. Both added an extra depth of flavour to this tasty classic. That said, I like my carbonara to be creamy and rich. This surf and turf version wasn’t quite creamy enough. It did, however, make for a lighter lunch in the blistering heat. Every cloud. 

As is typical with a pasta dish, there was much more than there looked to be when the dish was first placed in front of me. The strips of steak and the prawns helped to bulk out it, making it much more substantial, so the cream wasn’t strictly necessary. Topped off with a huge king prawn, it was beautifully decorated too.

Surf & Turf Carbonara

My friend was stuffed to the point of bursting after we’d finished our main. As it was my first time at Per Tutti, I couldn’t possibly leave without trying a dessert. So, ever the trooper, I took one for the team. Somebody has to do it.

The dessert menu was uninspiring. There was nothing on it that jumped off the page and made me really want to try it. I toyed with the idea of the Lemon and White Chocolate Pavlova, before settling on the Black Forest Brownie. Chocolate brownies are never my first choice, but this was a brownie with a twist. It was tasty and certainly rounded off the meal very nicely, but it was nothing exciting.

Four little brownies were served on an enormous plate, topped with a dollop of clotted cream and a scoop of what was supposed to be cherry sorbet but was actually more like ice cream, and the whole thing was drizzled in salted caramel. The brownies didn’t really taste much different from a normal chocolate brownie, which was disappointing. The cherry flavoured ice cream was delicious and was definitely needed to soften the stodge, as the brownies were very rich. It was nice enough, but not my favourite. The Lemon & White Chocolate probably would have been more up my street, lighter and more refreshing. 

Black Forest Brownie

The party at the adjacent table ordered Sunday Roasts, which looked scrumptious and are available as part of a special Sunday set menu – two courses for £15 or three for £20. If it’s a midweek lunch you’re after, they offer two courses for £10, which is sensational value. There’s also a morning menu, serving up both continental and hot breakfast choices, making it the ideal choice at any time of the day or week. 

Despite spending over three hours at Per Tutti in what became a very lengthy lunch, not once we were made to feel rushed. We chit-chatted for hours and the staff left us to it. It’s such a relaxing establishment, perfect for a top-quality, affordable lunch. Per Tutti succeeds in bringing the Mediterranean to the streets of Manchester.

All the menus can be found online at:

http://www.pertutti.co.uk/menus/

The Borough, Lancaster

Dalton Square, Lancaster

As I’m based in Manchester, I don’t often get the opportunity to write about places further afield. Last weekend, I took a trip to Lancaster to visit a friend who’s at university there. Lancaster has such a beautiful town centre, boasting quaint cottages alongside all your high street needs and a fine selection of restaurants, bars and cafes. Not to mention that it has a fascinating history, with an array of tourist attractions.

Naturally, the most important part of any day out is the long lunch in the middle of it. We certainly ticked that box when visited The Borough, a quaint public house in the middle of an equally charming town centre. It’s situated just off Dalton Square, one of the town centre’s quieter spots, away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping district and the market stalls, which were heaving on this particular Saturday thanks to the early summer heat wave.

It’s a restaurant, pub and hotel all in one, spread over three floors of a Georgian town house, so there’s an instant atmosphere where you step inside the place. In 2016, it was crowned the Best Pub in Lancaster.

As you walk through the pub into the main restaurant area, it has a slight grandeur to it. It’s far removed from a backstreet boozer. With its dark wood panelling, plush leather seating and pendant lamp shades, it has the ambience of a country pub. The walls are adorned with the suave and sophisticated Sanderson wallpaper, adding to the traditionalism. 

The main menu offers a huge array of dishes, including sandwiches, pub classics and fillet steaks. It’s tweaked on a daily basis to include specials and accommodate the local produce that is in season. I’d be quite happy to spend an evening there and go all-out with three courses, as the menu was a joy to read.

As it was lunchtime in the middle of a hot day, we weren’t looking for a feast. We selected from the clever ‘School Dinners’ section; lighter bites specifically designed for lunchtime. I had a roasted vegetable and hummus sandwich on garlic and herb focaccia bread, served with a basket of chips. There were peppers, onions and courgettes, all beautifully juicy and tasty, and the generous dollop of hummus on the bread complemented the flavours perfectly. I wouldn’t have thought hummus on a sandwich would work, but it does. Some might say it’s a case of carb overload, but if it tastes good, who cares? However, hummus is quite stodgy, so it was a little dry in places. The chips were proper pub chips and had plenty of substance to them: crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy within and a lovely golden colour. If you don’t fancy chips, you can swap it for coleslaw, but in my opinion that’s not a substitute.

Roasted Vegetable and Hummus Sandwich

Meanwhile, my friend enjoyed her first ever club sandwich. The humble triple stacker is one of lunchtime’s finest sandwiches. As I eat sarnies far too often during the working week, I avoid them wherever possible when I’m eating out, but a club sandwich is something special. Her reasoning was that she’d never fancied the idea of eating chicken and bacon together. Thankfully, her opinion changed. It looked more impressive than mine on the plate, and there was plenty of filling in it. Although I question why there were only three triangle segments? Surely there should have been four, otherwise it’s not the whole sandwich? I can’t help but feel we were duped.

The Borough Club Sandwich

On a previous visit, my friend fondly remembered seeing a towering stack of onion rings across the room. As they seemed to have left such a lasting impression, I was adamant we had to give them a try, so we shared some as a side. When they were delivered and placed in front of us, I immediately sensed her disappointment. ‘Well that’s not a tower’, she pointed out as we looked at the basket of large, crispy beer-battered rings. They were nice enough, but we could have done without them.

Our sandwiches were reasonably priced, at £7 each. I like the idea of the ‘School Dinners’ section. Offering specific lunchtime dishes widens the appeal of a pub or restaurant, as you’re not forced into spending a fortune for an over-facing meal in the middle of the day.

I cast my eye over the dessert menu and would have loved to have sampled the cheesecake of the day: Nutella with banoffee brittle and honeycomb ice cream. However, our plan for the afternoon involved a visit to local ice cream farm, so listening to my head rather than my heart, I declined.

The Borough was a sophisticated, vintage pub which made for a relaxing lunch in the middle of a busy day. The food was of good quality; while they may not have been the best sandwiches I’ve ever had, they were perfectly pleasant. The service could have been slightly more attentive. Although, to be honest, we were sat there for so long, the waiting staff probably decided they’d just leave us to it.

Website:  http://www.theboroughlancaster.co.uk/food-and-drink/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 26 June 2017

"I've never been in love...but I imagine it's similar to the feeling you get when you see a waiter arriving with your food."

Anon

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 19 June 2017

"Humour keeps up alive. Humour and food. Don't forget food. You can go a week without laughing."

Joss Whedon 

Take the plunge...dine alone

When I ate out by myself for the first time, I realised the only person with the problem had been me

Have you ever eaten in a restaurant on your own? I know what you’re thinking. ‘Of course I haven’t’. ‘What a ridiculous question’. ‘I can’t think of anything worse’.

Dining alone is very much taboo. It’s something that’s not really socially acceptable. I can see you now, shivering at the sheer thought of sitting in the corner on your own, feeling like Billy No Mates, thinking everyone is looking at you. I used to feel exactly the same. 

That was until a week ago, when I decided it was time to be brave. I dined out alone. I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t nerve-wracking, because it was. In fact it was damn scary. But I did it. And I’m so glad I did.

It’s not like I don’t have the confidence to go out alone. I do. I regularly attend the theatre on my own, but that’s different. You don’t necessarily go to the theatre to socialise. There’s the initial humiliation of walking into the auditorium and showing your solitary ticket to the usher on the door, then sitting down on your own in the middle of an otherwise empty row of seats. Once you’re settled in, however, you can bury your head in a programme for a few minutes until the show starts. Then, as soon as the curtain goes up, everybody is focused on what’s on stage; who you’re with becomes irrelevant. You can get through the twenty minute interval with a bag of chocolates that are really intended for sharing or a tub of the extortionately over-priced ice cream that’s sold in-house. Then, when it’s over, you can make a swift exit. You’ve enjoyed the show, being on your own hasn’t really hampered your night. But when you’re eating out, socialising is as big a part of the experience as the food itself. Surely you’re going to look sad, lonely and desperate?

On this particular Friday evening, I had to pick up a ticket from the box office at the Manchester Opera House by 6.30pm. The show didn’t start for another hour. What was I to do? That was too long for me to hang around in the bar with no pals. So there was only one thing for it. I was going to do the one thing I’d always been afraid of: I’d go and have my tea. On my own.  

I walked down the road to the Great Northern Warehouse, home to one of my favourite eateries, Home Sweet Home. My heart raced as I gingerly approached the door. The bar area was packed with colleagues enjoying post-work, pre-weekend drinks. Great, I thought, a welcoming walk of shame. As I approached the front-of-house greeter, it was time to utter the dreaded words: ‘Table for one please’. If you ever find yourself in this situation, be confident when you say this. Don’t do what I did and let them know you’re aware of feeling lonely and pathetic. The words that came out of my mouth were: ‘Just one, if you can, please’. If you can? What was I expecting? For them to turn round and say: ‘Oh no, solitary diners aren’t allowed in here, please make your way back through the bustling bar and we’ll have a good laugh at you.’ How embarrassingly ridiculous.

I was shown to a table, where I consciously made the decision to sit facing in the direction where there were the fewest number of people. It made logical sense: if people are going to look at me, there are fewer people for me to notice this way.

I buried my head in the menu. It didn’t take long for me to decide what I wanted, but of course I continued to read. I absorbed the description of every single dish on the menu. When the waitress came to take my order, she actually treated me like a normal human being. Imagine that.

Once I’d ordered, I panicked about what I was going to do next. Do I just sit here and stare into space? Out came my phone. Ah, Home Sweet Home have free WiFi. It’s like they knew I was coming. I could feel my awkwardness drifting away. I started to relax.

My food came really quickly. I’m not sure if it’s kudos to the Great Northern version of Home Sweet Home for exceptional service or if they just felt sorry for me and told the chef to get a move on. Either way, I was very grateful. If you’re interested, I had the Pulled Pork Pile Up. I figured I should probably tell you that, given that I normally write about what I’m eating as opposed to feeling like a misfit while I’m eating it. It consisted of juicy, slow-cooked pork shoulder heaped on top of crispy sweet potato fries, with barbecue sauce, pico de gallo, jalapenos and picked onions, with lettuce and coleslaw on the side. It was delicious.

Pulled Pork Pile Up

Now here’s the thing. Being on my own meant that I was even limited when it came to food choices. Burgers, sandwiches et al require fries to accompany them (it’s the law). But you have to order them separately, which generally means it’s the kind of portion that is not acceptable to be eaten by one person. I figured that the Pulled Pork Pile Up was a safer option, given that the fries were a part of it. Who knew ordering from a menu when alone could be so convoluted? Don’t let it put you off, though.

Once I was eating, nothing else mattered. I was focused entirely on what was on the plate in front of me. I didn’t even feel the need to pick up my phone. To be completely frank, it was quite nice to have no distractions. It was just me and my food. So settled into my solitary dining experience I became that I even hung around for dessert. Well, a trip to Home Sweet Home wouldn’t be complete without it. I had a slice of carrot cake covered in disco frosting and topped with a white chocolate wheel. 

Carrot Cake with disco frosting

The sponge was a little dry - not the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted - though the deliciously sweet, but not too sickly cream cheese frosting made up for this. It may not have been my favourite Home Sweet Home gateaux, but it was perfectly satisfying all the same.

Choosing my cake, however, was slightly awkward. ‘Pop over to the cake counter and have a look at the range we have on offer’, my waitress told me when she brought me the dessert menu. This isn’t normally a problem, except, on my own, how do I confirm that I’m not getting up and trying escape, without paying? As you’ll have gathered by now, I was over-thinking everything.

Just over an hour later, I was leaving Home Sweet Home, feeling content and much more confident. I’d done it. I had dined out alone for the first time. People may have looked and thought it was strange, but how would I know if they had? I was blissfully unaware. Believe it or not, there was somebody else in there on their own. Not just me. I didn’t judge them. They probably weren’t judging me. My irrational worry of looking like a misfit has dwindled slightly. The next time I do it, it’ll be even easier. And the third time, well, it’ll be a doddle.

Next time you’re out shopping and you fancy a bit of lunch, don’t go hungry just because you’ve got nobody to eat with. Don’t settle for scoffing a dry sandwich from the closest coffee shop while you’re on the go. Go into a restaurant, sit down and have a meal. Trust me, it’s really not that bad.

Go on, boost your confidence. Forget about what everybody else thinks. If you want to do it, do it. Take the plunge. Dine alone. 

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 12 June 2017

"Chocolate comes from cocoa, which is a tree. That makes it a plant. Chocolate is salad."

Anon

Quote of The Week - Week commencing Monday 5 June 2017

"Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate."

Alan D. Wolfelt