The Lower Turks Head To Re-Open By September
At last a pub fight back. The classic boozer The Lower Turks Head has been around on Shudehill since 1822, although the building was constructed as a house in the eighteenth century. Now it's about to open as a pub again, a proper pub with real ales, good wines and whiskies and 'chophouse' type food. Think The Deansgate or, indeed, Thomas's Chop House. There will also be four letting bedrooms and one large suite. Given the lack of real pubs, aside from The Hare and Hounds, along the length of Shudehill and Withy Grove, and given the fact that this was always a pub, the re-opening by September is very welcome.
How the Lower Turk's Head may look
Solita: The Bar With The Mad Menu
Sole in the Northern Quarter is soon to re-open as Solita. The difficult to find place on Turner Street might now prove a destination with its crazy menu. The main picture at the top of the page is of 'Jacob's Ladder' which is made up of 'very special short ribs' and costs £13.90. There's also chow chow slaw, triple cooked chips, and deep fried coke - the latter of which was clearly ingested by the creators of the menu, although they might not be referring to that type of coke. The name means south of Little Italy - Solita, geddit - although the menu probably isn't typical of say the Calabria region.
Solita menu
Jack Spratt Gets Fat With Evening Food
We've been enjoying visits to Jack Spratt on John Dalton Street recently. The relaxed restaurant has a proper laid-back Northern Quarter feel to it. In an area of the city with a dirth of funky places Jack Spratt is packing them in. Full review of the evening menu soon, although these nut-crusted lamb lollipops have already been much enjoyed.
Nut crusty baa-baa bits
Call to arms - come on down you producers and buyers
Visit Manchester is hosting an event to encourage hotels and restaurants in the city to buy local produce. On Monday 23 July, from noon there’s a boat trip down the Irwell where producers and buyers can meet up. This embarks from the Mark Addy and chef, Robert Owen-Brown will be on board to create dishes using the ingredients brought on the day by the producers. The free event is open to professionals in the food industry and further details are here on the VisitManchester website. Or call Deanna Thomas on 07966 233 391.
Cord
TNQ Gets All Caribbean For One Day
The Liars Club, Tiki Dive Bar and Caribbean Rum Shop, is shipping across town to The Northern Quarter Restaurant and Bar for a Caribbean Rum & Food Fiesta on Tuesday 24 July. Head chef Anthony Fielden will be cooking sweet corn fritters with hot and spicy relish, ackee and salt fish and grilled snapper with papaya salad and more. There'll be a host of rum cocktails, plus jazz and blues from Jermone McMurray. Later there's free transport to The Liars Club. Tickets are £50 per person inclusive of food, drink, music and general rum related nonsense and can be booked by contacting the restaurant on 0161 832 7115. Festivities start at 7.30pm and the dress code is shirts, shirts and more shirts.
Confidential’s Most Annoying Current Bar Phenomenon
Right let’s sort this dear bars.
If you’re going to do effing cocktails then set aside a part of the bar so that the mighty ‘mixologists’ of your establishments can set about their alcoholic experiments with petri dishes, Bunsen burners, pipettes and all the arcane paraphernalia involved in messing about with drink.
The beer drinker has to wait Then have another area for bar people to serve quick drinks – beer, wine and so on.
When ordering a beer takes twenty minutes because of a backlog of complex liquid experiments taking place nearby then the soul sags, the motivation dies and we bugger off somewhere else.
This happened to Confidential on Friday in the Alchemist. But it’s happened to numerous staff and readers across the city over the last twelve months.
Ok, it’s not up there with the problems in Syria or the Euro crisis but.....
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter on@JonathSchofield
