A ‘Show-stopping’ meal at The Lowry
The Lowry certainly delivered its promise of a Night of Fine Dining at its waterside restaurant last Thursday. From the ultra modern setting of the Salford Quays venue to the fantastic display of culinary delights on offer-it proved to be definitely worth me and ‘Mr E’ (the hubby) donning our best togs for the occasion.
We were greeted at the entrance and led first to the galleries for a tour of some of LS Lowry’s finest work along with viewing their visiting exhibition ‘Warhol and The Diva’. Quaffing Perrier Jouet champagne seemed to fit in with our surroundings and the innovative canapés we were served up included one called ‘Lancashire bomb’ (Lancashire bomb cheese that had been soaked in pineapple juice, covered in a balsamic syrup skin and moulded into a lollipop shape) – a true taste explosion!
After our gallery visit we were escorted to a table in the restaurant to begin our 5 course feast, it was here that the Lowry’s wine expert Michael Gibson talked us through the accompanying wines to the dishes with some entertaining anecdotes.
‘Act 1’ the starter was a delicious squash veloute served in a delicate teacup with swirls of cream and seeds to decorate. It was a lovely light dish, complimented by an Australian chardonnay called ‘The Bandit’ which I managed to steal a second glass of.
‘Act 2’ brought with it a conflict of opinions as me and ‘Mr. E’ failed to agree on our verdict of the potted ham salad. Whereas he felt the dish was a little heavy after the softness of the veloute, I enjoyed the generous amount of ham served up. The subtle use of herbs in the salad proved a great match to the strawberry undertones of the Ochre Mountain Rose we were washing it down with.
The main event of the evening was ‘Act 3’ or as Mr E called it ‘the posh mans surf and turf’- wild sea bass, braised chicken wing, on a bed of brown rice and lentils. This course received a definite ‘thumbs up’ from the both of us and despite my disliking for Sauvignon Blanc wine I felt the New Zealand Silverlake with its gooseberry notes and ripe flavours was the perfect choice to compliment the richness of the food.
The talking point amongst most of the diners was what the fourth course – ‘Act 4’ was as it was described on the menu as grilled Kidderton Ash. Was that a kind of Lancashire Hotpot? Something bacon based maybe? The result was revealed to be a serving of mini circular brushettas topped with a type of goats cheese and a tasty chutney. It was a lovely surprise which left us feeling satisfied but not too full to miss out on the dessert which was to follow.
Sweet tooth lovers could not fail to be impressed with what the new executive head chef Oliver Thomas served up for pudding. Old favourite Manchester Tart was given a modern twist with its square shaped presentation and elegant draping of raspberries on top of the custard and coconut layers. It was ‘a bit special’ by all accounts. The final treat of the evening, hailed as the Lowry’s ‘Curtain Call’ – was some hand made truffles served with a glass of smooth Grant Burge 10 year old Tawny. It was a great end to a perfect night of some delicious food and splendid wine.
If this evening had been a show ‘Mr E’ and I would have given it a standing ovation…albeit a wobbly one after all that alcohol!
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