Promotion

GORDO, who likes a bit of Twitter, decided to try out an FA-cup style knockout Twitter poll recently by pitting Manchester's best Italian restaurants against one another. This resulted in certain restaurants refusing to play because they felt above their competition (bit like Manchester United refusing to play Yeovil Town in the first round, a bit churlish) and others turning into raging lunatics.

This is not a common dish, but a plate of this lifts you up and drops you down onto a table by the Grand Canal in Venice

Gordo was getting calls in the middle of the night from famous footballers, billionaires in Dubai, an OCD-riddled CEO and housewives' favourite TV chef. The ongoing row finished up reaching an astonishing nine million people.

The point? The top five owners are competing like crazy to stay ahead of each other, and it shows when you have Rosso obsessing over their burrata (a dish which Gordo slated them for five years ago), as well as Don Giovanni showing a new love of food and a willingness to learn from others with their guest chef slots.

Marcello and Carlo DistefanoMarcello and Carlo Distefano

The masters have to be The Distefano family. Arguably the canniest buyers of produce, raiding the Italian markets on a weekly basis, they are probably the most ingredients obsessed pair Gordo knows. They are, of course, Italian, which helps. But what really pushes them apart are the regular tastings they do for the press, with group executive chef Fillipo Pagani in charge. Ever since Cicchetti, brainchild of the good-looking, wallet-bothering Marcello Distefano opened, these have happened on a quarterly basis to coincide with the seasons.

Yesterday was one of those, with the guys showing off the latest ideas hitting the tables. It's very Venetian this time round.

Cod Sapporo is a dish marinated for a couple of days with red onion, brown sugar and white wine vinegar. The Venetians have been at this since before Vasco da Gama and his gaffer, King Michael of Portugal, broke their stranglehold on the spice trade in the sixteenth century. This is not a common dish, but a plate of this lifts you up and drops you down onto a table by the Grand Canal in Venice.

Mashed broad bean, parmesan, mint and basil on grilled bread with matured salted ricotta from Southern ItalyMashed broad bean, parmesan, mint and basil on grilled bread with matured salted ricotta from Southern Italy

The pan-fried scallop with pea and mint risotto was so good Confidential editor, David Blake, managed to stop looking at his reflection in the glass wall for fifteen minutes.

The black salt baked seabass, a whole fillet with peppercorns, lemon and parsley, was lifted from good to spectacular by an ingredient so fresh it still thinks its swimming in waters off the Cornish coast.

Best of all (in Gordo’s mind) was the fish stew with a pizza lid. Take a look at the pictures, this, at less than £11 quid for a portion large enough for two, will have Gordo coming back on a good few civilian visits.

If you have forgotten about Cicchetti, with all the shiny new things knocking about the city, then get back in. It’s well on form.

Happy trails, Gordo

Carpaccio of beef marinated in red wine with artichoke and beetroot dressing Carpaccio of beef marinated in red wine with artichoke and beetroot dressing
• Beef Calabrese with Sicilian tomato tartare and Stracciatella (the creamy part of burrata) from Puglia Beef Calabrese with Sicilian tomato tartare and Stracciatella from Puglia
Fish stew with lidFish stew with lid
Fish stew without lidFish stew without lid
Lamb with black riceBlack rice lamb
White radicchio salad with vinagrette, Italian eggs, bacon and red onionWhite radicchio salad with vinagrette, Italian eggs, bacon and red onion
paghetti alla Cipolla – 24 hours in the making, a traditional comfort food with onion and monks beard from TuscanySpaghetti alla Cipolla with onion and monks beard from Tuscany
.Cod lasagne