Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 30 October 2017

"One can hardly do anything productive when one knows there is cake in the fridge."

 Joyce Rachelle, author

Revolucion de Cuba

Deansgate, Manchester

Revolucion de Cuba is one of the most bustling spots for nightlife on Deansgate. By day, it’s all about Cuban cuisine. By night, it’s a bustling cocktail house and cantina, the go-to place for live music and late-night partying. Revolucion brings the fiery Spanish fiesta to the rain-sodden streets of Manchester. Set across two floors it boasts live entertainment until the early hours of the morning. There’s also the Havana Club Bar, which serves some of the world’s finest rums.

The art deco walls, floors and tables create a wonderfully authentic interior. It was fairly quiet when we arrived, around one o’clock, but it quickly began to fill up, presumably with folks wanting a power lunch to get them through what was set to be a dreary afternoon. Revolucion’s menu does, after all, promise ‘free sunshine vibes with every meal’. What more could you ask for on a Monday?

For me, however, it’s all about the food. If you’re after a quick lunch, there’s the Fast and Fresh menu, offering you a choice of four lunchtime bites for £6. There’s a sandwich, a wrap, a burger and a burrito, all the usual Mexican/Cuban infused favourites. That’s served until 3.00pm, after which it’s replaced by a two-course set menu, priced at £10.95 – both sensationally good value.

On the main menu, there’s a fine selection of tapas dishes, as well as main courses, so whether you like sharing or not, there’s plenty to choose from. You can choose three tapas dishes for £14 – three is the recommended number per person if you opt for tapas your main course. We ordered three each and shared the six between us.

Our tapas selection

There are all the classics alongside some more curious choices. Patatas Bravas and Chorizo are absolute necessities on any tapas table. The Patatas Bravas was delicious and it was an extremely generous portion, although they were ever so slightly too spicy for my delicate palate. Don’t let that put you off, though, as my tongue is laughably feeble. A little bit more garlic aioli on the top would have gone a long way to diffuse the spice, whilst complimenting the flavour. The chorizo was chunky and smoky, one of the best I’ve ever tasted, and the red wine and honey sauce was sticky and rich, so good I polished it off on its own after we’d eaten all the meat. The third obligatory classic was Arroz con Padron – the good old-fashioned paella; aromatic rice, mixed with Padron peppers, Spinach and crunchy hazelnuts, it’s the perfect accompaniment to the other dishes. I’ve never had nuts in paella before, but the crunch added an extra dimension of texture.

Now, next up, wait for this: cheeseburger tacos. Oh yes. Something I’ve never seen on a tapas menu before, but they leapt straight off the page and I knew I had to sample them. Served on tortilla wraps, they were more like an open fajita topped with succulent, homemade burger meat and melted Manchego cheese. Alongside the spicy potato and chorizo dishes, they were mild but very tasty. I would have loved to have eaten a supersize one of these as a main course.

Our final two choices were Cajun creamed mushrooms and Mojito prawns. The mushrooms were exactly as the title suggested – slices of mushrooms sautéed in a creamy Cajun sauce. I adore mushrooms in all forms, and these were something else. There was plenty of excess sauce, which we were warned about when we ordered – our waitress enquired if we’d like to order any bread to mop it up, although, obviously, not in so many words. Whilst I appreciate that this would have been a good idea, it served just as well to be poured over the paella on my plate. I’m full of these little tricks.

Finally, the Mojito prawns were juicy king prawns fried in Mojito flavoured batter. The Mojito is a vintage Cuban cocktail made from white rum, sugar, soda, lime juice and mint. The citrus flavour of the lime certainly came through and complimented the juicy prawns beautifully. It was another generous portion, with five reasonably sized king prawns between the two of us. Lovely. 

Cajun Creamed Mushrooms and Patatas Bravas

Cheeseburger Tacos and Chorizo

Arroz con Padron and Mojito Prawns

I never fill up on tapas to the same extent that I do on a main course. It’s the tried and tested buffet scenario, where you find yourself seemingly able to continue nibbling for hours and hours, wondering where on earth all of these empty calories are disappearing to. I could have managed dessert, but I resisted. First of all because my dining companion wasn’t interested - eating dessert alone never stops being awkward - and, second, because we’ve been working our way through a gargantuan birthday cake for the last seven days. It was a shame really, because there are two or three that I had my eye on – passion fruit cheesecake, the chocolate brownie and the churros. Skimming the menu once again as I write this, I notice that customers are advised to ‘save room for our famous churros’. How did I miss that? What a wasted opportunity. Still, there’s always next time.  

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 23 October 2017

"In heaven, after antipasti, the first course will be pasta."

Steve Albini, American singer-songwriter 

Rosso Restaurant

Spring Gardens, Manchester

Rosso is one of Manchester city centre’s leading eating establishments. The glitzy Italian restaurant is owned by former Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand and, since opening back in 2009, has become a favourite celeb haunt, with hordes of famous names regularly using the venue to host parties. The A-List guest list has included the likes of One Direction, Little Mix and many of Ferdinand’s former team mates.

I waited for a long time to try this distinguished Italian for myself. When I finally made it, last Christmas, it was absolutely worth the wait. Following the festive season, Rosso closed for refurbishment, in which the decor and colour scheme were completely overhauled. The original red and black colour scheme was stunning. The Grade II listed building is a former bank, so the ornate interior is already breathtaking, and was made even more awe-inspiring by the red and black design. ‘Rosso’, after all, means ‘red’ in Italian, and, of course, red and black are the United colours.

Following the revamp, the sophisticated red and black have been replaced by an entirely white backdrop. The design remains identical, it’s simply all had a splash of rather sophisticated paint. If I’m honest, I don’t like it nearly as much. It seems to have lost some of its character and charm. 

Predictably, on a Saturday night, it was packed to the rafters, with every table occupied and the bar area bustling. Our table was booked for seven o’clock. As it was early enough, we only had to wait a matter of seconds, but by the time we left, over two hours later, they were 16-deep at the bar and the wait times were significantly longer.

Red or white, the food is still just as outstanding. It was the first time I had dined a la carte, as last year we had the Christmas Lunch menu – which was sensational, but more on that later. It’s an abundant menu, with everything you’d expect to find in a top-notch Italian, but you’re not overwhelmed by too much choice. 

For starters, I had Gamberoni Alla Rosso: plump king prawns poached in lime and chilli butter, served with garlic and dill crostone. King prawns is one of my favourite starter choices, and these were the juiciest, most succulent king prawns I’ve ever tasted. £15 may seem expensive for a starter, but for five of these humongous prawns, it was worth every penny. The crostone (Italian toasted bread) was a wonderful accompaniment, making it more substantial, although a second piece wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Gamberoni Alla Rosso

Choosing my main course was stressful. I was unsure whether it should be pasta or a meat/fish dish. Pasta is my automatic go-to meal of choice in an Italian restaurant; I generally don’t consider anything else. I had Tagliatelle Con Gamberi E Pollo: ribbons of creamy tagliatelle with chunky garlic chicken, prawns and wafer-thin courgettes. It was my perfect kind of pasta: rich, creamy and flavoursome. It may have been a case of prawn overload, but I have no regrets, it was delicious. It was a very small portion, however. Priced at £18, it may have contained a generous handful of perfectly cooked prawns, but the portion size definitely needs increasing ever so slightly. In contrast, the Linguine Al Frutti Di Mare, with garlic, cherry tomatoes and assorted shellfish, was just £2 more expensive for a portion that was more than double in size.

Tagliatelle Con Gamberi E Pollo

Dessert was a Gianduja cheesecake. Gianduja is an Italian chocolate and hazelnut spread. The chocolate cheesecake was coated in a layer of solid chocolate, and was served with a homemade chocolate truffle for that extra little indulgence. Inside the chocolate shell, the cheesecake was the perfect texture. The dark chocolate covering complemented the rich, sweet centre, and the biscuit base was crisp and firm. 

Gianduja Cheesecake

If you’re celebrating a birthday, it’s worth letting them know, as the lucky individual receives a complementary dessert of profiteroles topped with toffee mascarpone and hot chocolate fudge sauce.

There’s no denying that Rosso is truly outstanding. It’s easy to see why it’s one of Manchester’s most popular restaurants. It may be expensive, but it’s a unique dining experience that you won’t forget in a hurry. Alongside the bill, we were given a sneak peak at this year’s Christmas Lunch menu. Having dined a la carte, you realise the incredible value of the festive special, at just £25 for three sumptuous courses. I’m already looking forward to returning to Rosso to kick off the festive season in style.

Rosso offers superb food, stunning surroundings and excellent service, making a special occasion extra special. 

Website: http://rossorestaurants.com/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 16 October 2017

"Breakfast is everything. The beginning, the first thing. It is the mouthful that is the commitment to a new day, a continuing life."

A A Gill, British food and travel writer

Bill's Restaurant

Trafford Centre

It may seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas. In previous years, that has been exactly my thinking right the way through until mid-November. Then, suddenly, you realise you have only a handful of weekends before the big day and consequently have palpitations when you discover you are yet to even write a shopping list, let alone start ticking items off it.

This year, I was determined things would be different. So I took an early morning trip to the Trafford Centre, stopping at Bill’s Restaurant for a late breakfast. ‘Brunch’ is such a fashionable meal these days, but I have to confess I’m not really a fan. I mean, why would you choose to combine two meals? I need my fuel thrice daily, thank you very much. 

Bill’s is a modern and stylish cafe-come-bistro which began life as a farm shop in East Sussex. A family business, selling primarily green groceries, the business grew and expanded until the shop was forced to close after flooding at the start of the new millennium. It reopened with an accompanying cafe, with a simple aim: to serve really good food and make sure every customer has a good time. Who can grumble at that?

The interior nods to its roots, keeping its farm shop feel and mixing it with industrial decor, with the plumbing and bare bricks on show. Despite the quaint cafe feel, the food is more like bistro standard, but is still reasonably priced. 

There’s plenty of choice on the breakfast menu, which is served until midday Monday to Friday and one o’clock at the weekend. There’s everything from Bill’s Breakfast, your regular Full English with a few sophisticated twists – the pesto roasted plum tomatoes sound very appealing indeed – to coconut porridge and buttermilk pancakes, so you can enjoy whatever you like to wake up to.  

I had Bill’s Omelette, which was served folded, like a calzone, and stuffed with kale, edamame beans, lemon feta, spring onions, smoky tomatoes and olives, accompanied by a Pico de Gallo salsa. If you’re a fan of the trendy ‘superfoods’, then this is the perfect breakfast for you. Cooked with just spring onions inside it, the rest of the toppings were tucked away inside the folded omelette. The textures and flavours complemented each other beautifully. I wouldn’t ever think to add lemon to feta cheese, but it was beautifully zingy and worked really well. The beans were hearty, the tomatoes were tasty and the olives were pungent. I prefer my kale slightly crispier, but that’s the only way it could have been improved.

Bill's Omelette

Priced at £7.95 (you can add smoked streaky bacon for an additional £1.55), it’s very reasonable for a healthy yet hearty breakfast. The coffees, however, are a little steep. I also don’t appreciate the fact that a 10% service charge is added to every bill, regardless of party size. Yes, it’s discretionary, but it’s the customer’s prerogative to decide if, and how much, they’d like to tip.

Casting my eyes over the specials board dotted around the place, Bill’s offer some truly scrumptious sounding desserts, so that alone would make it worth a trip later in the day. They have an equally varied daytime and evening menu, which both change seasonally, as well as a set menu available during the day.  The Christmas menus also sound very tempting indeed. 

Bill’s Restaurant is perfect for casual, daytime dining. Given the competitive marketplace, it’s reasonably priced and if the breakfast menu is anything to go by, it’s superb quality.

All menus are available online at: https://bills-website.co.uk

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 9 October 2017

This week's quote marks National Chocolate Week...

"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate."

Linda Grayson, author

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 2 October 2017

"I love sleep because it's like a time machine to breakfast." 

Anon