THIS isn't the proper Manchester Confidential review of Jamie's Italian because it was hosted by the restaurant. We wouldn't want to be guilty of bias when scoring restaurants if we hadn't paid for the food and drink.
The squid ink in the pasta gives a wild exotic note to the flavour immediately enhancing the scallops, anchovies, parsley and capers. The garlic, chilli and wine reduction this sits in, blackened and flavoured by the squid ink, has to be spooned up like soup.
So treat this as a hint and description of the nosh, atmosphere and ramifications of this gargantuan new Manchester restaurant. In a few weeks time we'll sneak in like food thieves in the night and chuck a full critical analysis at the place.
The Night Flies By
What is clear is that Jamie's Italian is a game-changer in Manchester.
And it doesn't stop with the diamond geezer's gaff either. 2012 is going to be busy at the top-end of King Street, with the April launch of another 'name' in food and drink, L'Entrecote. The two new boys will bring more than 400 covers to King Street.
Add these to the larger cumulative number of covers in neighbour or near neighbour venues, Rosso, Room, Browns and Panama Hatty's and suddenly we're pushing beyond the 1000 customer level. (And that's not including nearby Piccolino, Sam's, Stock, Destino and Chaophraya.)
It's going to be either a battle royal around King Street, and across the city, to attract custom, or perhaps - and here's hoping - a perfect benign storm. Let's hope the older restaurants can soak up some of the overspill from the tsunami of Jamie's Italian.
As for this place, it's an immediate and stunning winner. The scale of the 1935 Edwin Lutyen's designed Midland Bank has been carefully preserved through the refurbishment - as shown in our picture gallery last week, click here.
What we have in Manchester is without doubt the grandest dining hall in the North.
The Bar Area
We ate on the balcony dining area over the deli bar on the east side of the building. There are three elevated areas which have a theatrical feel as though you're in a box watching the drama and performance unfolding on the stage below.
There are also two ground floor dining areas, one in the main hall of the building close to the kitchen and 'the pass'. The other is the one to be avoided, a low ceilinged space on the left as you enter the restaurant. To be stuck in there would be to miss out on the pageantry of the restaurant entirely.
The food has drama too and comes from Gareth Howard, the head chef here. The antipasti meat planks at £6.85 a person demonstrate this from the off.
Here's a short video of chef and business partner in Jamie's Italian, Gennaro Contaldo, introducing the meat plank. You also get part of Gordo's face and my voice interrupting.
The plank is fine grazing food, a fine conversation promoter. Standout elements include juicy caper berries, lush fat olives, moist cured meats particularly a cracking mortadella, gorgeous buffalo mozzarella and a clever crunchy salad of carrots, beets and mint.
By this time we were cooing over a 2010 Alto Adige region Rain Riesling Alois Lageder at £31. This was as cool and crisp as the Alpine region it hails from and is heartily recommended. In fact we preferred it to the 2008 Piedmont Fausto, Vigne Marina Coppi at £85. There are also more sensibly priced whites and reds from £15 a bottle.
Fresh as an Alpine stream
Next up we had the wild truffle risotto (£11.50 as a main), trout baked in a bag (£15.95), a side of swiss chard (£3.25) and a starter sized portion of black angel sphagetti (£8.20)
Putting the pasta dish with the rice and the fish worked beautifully delivering an array of textures and flavours.
The Black Angel Spaghetti - Quite Exceptional
You should try the black angel spaghetti people, it's exquisite.
The squid ink in the pasta gives a wild exotic note to the flavour immediately enhancing the scallops, anchovies, parsley and capers. The garlic, chilli and wine reduction this sits in, blackened and flavoured by the squid ink, has to be spooned up like soup.
The other dishes worked well. The truffle in the risotto could be smelled three metres away on approach but didn't overwhelm the dish. The trout in a bag (top picture on this page) came with a bundle of seafood, clams, anchovies, mussels and was given bite and character by fennel, and bulk with a mountain of cracked wheat. This was a properly hearty and filling meal, good value for its price.
Truffle risotto
The side of Swiss chard with chilli and garlic sums up the best qualities of Jamie's Italian, one which I've previously noted in Liverpool. While there is real skill in the cooking, there's also big, punchy, honest-to-goodness strength.
Not for me the desserts though. The coffee flavoured Tiramisu (£4.95) with chocolate and orange mascarpone I found too heavy. The peach and almond tart (£4.95) with creme fraiche and honey was good but as I was still trying to permanently commit to memory that black angel spaghetti it didn't really register.
Service from our waiter, Bradley, was exemplary - informed and enthusiastic at the same moment.
An irritant came in the form of an odd 1982 disco sound-track which as the place filled became a bassline lost in chatter. Jamie's Italian should turn the music off when two thirds full. The human voice provides melody enough.
At this point I'm going to say, damn - I seem to have done a sort of review after all.
Er...can we call this more of a guideline as to what to expect on a visit?
Anyway back to the game changer point above. The big openings in the first months of 2012 might be a measure of how far this city can push its food and drink offer. There's more to come this year too.
The question is, can Manchester's restaurant scene cope? Are there enough customers to go around?
Jamie Oliver's celebrity, and the magnificence of this building and the experience it delivers, will no doubt drag people in from the Shires as well as the city region.
It will pull them over the Pennines and from deep into the Cheshire Plain, but will Jamie's appeal make the dining scene cake bigger or just slice it thinner?
Either way it seems in Manchester we're in for a proper food and drink ride, Euro-crisis blues or not.
Jamie's Italian is at 100 King Street, City, M2 4WU. Open (from Monday 20 Feb): Monday-Saturday noon - 11pm; Sunday noon - 10.30pm.
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter here @JonathSchofield
Perpetual Motion
Jamie's Kitchen is at
Jolly Branding For New Jamie's Italian
Busy At The Food Bar
Waiting for the dishes at 'The Pass'
