Fire Braised Milk-Fed Lamb Leg with Pomegranate and Red Onion
Baratxuri @ Escape to Freight Island
The absolute MVPs of Escape to Freight Island – Ramsbottom’s Basque BBQ legends – Baratxuri – have a new menu – sing it from the bloody rooftops! The second we heard about it we were down there like a shot – fork in hand, bib wrapped securely around the neck and love handles. Was it good? Errr… course it was good. So good in fact that I’m still thinking about it now, salivating onto my keyboard and making a right mess. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be the Fire Braised Milk-Fed Lamb Leg. Stunning.
Baconed Burger
Burgerism @ Trof
Only usually available on the usual delivery channels, Burgerism’s delights will now be available at Trof in the Northern Quarter – but for a short time ONLY! They’re setting up shop this Monday & Tuesday at the NQ institution, serving up what Mana’s Head Chef Simon Martin proclaims to be “Manchester’s best burger”. Well, we got our hands on ’em this week and I can attest – these burgers are MEGA! The chips too – they’re like a cross between chippy chips and French fries. And the dips are mint too. Basically – just go.
Dipped Churros & Gelato
Whipp’n Charcoal & Churros
Marsei’s on Kings Road in Old Trafford is no more. Fear not – the original owner has just changed the name and the concept every so slightly – you can still get those banging BBQ wings and Jerk Chicken that got you through lockdown. Now though they’ve added churros and real Italian gelato to the menu – meaning if you’re in the mood for a bit of the old ‘sweet-sweet’, then you’re in luck. Everything is still made from scratch and the churros are sublime. Worth a trip down to Old Trafford this weekend for sure.
Buffalo Fried Chicken Poutine
Kong’s Chicken Shop @ Foundation Portland Street
Most people would choose Kong’s Signature Burger for this section, but I’m not most people – I’m a maverick, someone you can rely on to order something truly odd off a menu – usually so it’s not the same as anyone else’s choice. I’m a man who orders the Chicken Livers at Nandos – yeah, that guy. Well, when I was at Kong’s Chicken Shop at Foundation on Portland Street I ordered the Fried Chicken Poutine and frankly, I’m never going back to the usual chicken sandwich ever again.
Broccoli, Chilli & Sausage Slice
Slice Pizza
It’s BACK! Yep, Slice have vacated Stevenson Square and have moved to a lovely little unit right at the entrance of Oxford Road Train Station, a space that was once a newsagents if my memory serves me correctly. It’s a proper mint set up they’ve got, with loads of brekkie treats as you rush to work, superb Roma slices throughout the day and proper Italian coffee for when you’re getting the train to a meeting. It’s great to see them back, and (as always) get yourself at least 2 slices from here.
£10 bottle of Crémant
Elnecot
You’ve probably never heard of Crémant before, and that’s because everyone is OBSSESSD with Prosecco, and has been for the last 8 years or so. Crémant is 100x better though, for many reasons, a few of which I’ll outline to you right now. First of all, Crémant is made in France, essentially exactly the same way as Champagne, except because it’s not made in the Champagne region – they’re not allowed to call it Champagne. It’s Champers in everything but that name though, and you can get a bottle of it for a TENNER at Elnecot’s mega new Happy Hour every Friday from 3pm.
