WASHHOUSE - Manchester got incredibly giddy last week when it was (hastily) revealed that a new hush-hush bar had opened in Manchester's Shudehill area. The WashHouse, from the chaps behind Chorlton's Laundrette (more from them at the bottom), looks like a tiny, bog-standard laundrette out front, though the bald, squfiffy-nosed heavy regurgitating 'it's just a laundrette, mate' outside is a bit of a giveaway.
Northern Quarter's new fried chicken gaff, Yard & Coop, will open on Edge Street in less than a month
Since the story broke everyone and their Nan has bombarded the bonafide speakeasy (bonafide because it's actually tricky getting in unlike most of those spurious, open-door, waxy-tached 'speakeasies') with calls demanding one of very few tables. Kind of defeats the object, doesn't it? Still, if you can get in (you might have to touch squiffy nose up a bit first) there's a deft hand at work here. Veteran Manchester bartender Chris is turning out some remarkable stuff. Order the 'Thyme is of the Essence' and revel in the clandestine wankery.
Wash HouseWORD OFF THE STREET - We've banged on considerably about the bastardisation of 'street food' and the dillution of its nomadic, antiestablishmentism... so let's not bother here. Here's the latest:
Mowgli Street Food last week announced they'd secured one of few remaining units in Manchester's redeveloped £25m Corn Exchange later this summer following a successful seven months on Liverpool's booming Bold Street. Mowgli is the baby of former barrister and self-proclaimed 'curry evangelist', Nisha Katona, who admits to being 'pathological' about legit Indian food; not least her Himalayan Cheese Toast, 'the best cheese on toast you'll ever taste,' she reckons. Ballsy claim that one. We'll get back to you...
Continuing the Liverpudlian street food charge on Manchester last week was Bakchich, also of Bold Street fame, who just announced plans to open in The Quadrangle (Zouk, Nando's) just off Oxford Road. Bakchich is a well-regarded Lebanese outfit that'll hopefully join London-based Lebanese group, Comptoir Libanaise (soon to open in Spinningfields), in establishing a worthy Levantine scene in the city centre. Tom Hardy is a fan, apparently. I dare you to tell him he's wrong...
Finally, former street food event darlings, Rudy's Pizza, who spanked much of the competition during last year's Guerrilla Eats series, have started work on a permanent site in Ancoats' Fairbairn Building after four years of scrimping and saving. Rudy's will feature an open kitchen, centrepiece Italian domed wood-fired pizza oven (naturally) and seats for around 30 bums. Ancoats is rising folks.
MowgliSUB CLUB - Cheshire's flash WAG-happy Suburbia basement club will launch later this week in the former Avici White site opposite Grill on the Alley on Ridgefield. Living Ventures (Alchemist, Manchester House) first opened Suburbia in 2009, but LV have since offloaded the glam club to former GM, Tom Thornton Brookes, who'll be looking for a sweet slice of that table-dancing, bottle-popping Panacea/Neighbourhood/Tattu pie.
WINGING IT - Looks like Northern Quarter's new fried chicken gaff, Yard & Coop, will open on Edge Street in less than a month ('the third week of July,' we're told). Laura Morris, formerly of Terrace bar across the road and Simon Rimmer's Greens in Didsbury, is behind the new venture and couldn't have a more textbook affinity with the bird. "I have family in Kentucky," she told me. No not the Colonel. And yes I did ask.
Suburbia, HaleLOBSTER IS THE NEW... Everyone in London has ditched burgers for lobster, apparently. A bloke in GQ said so. Probably why nobody can afford a house. Still, price is not headache at Burger & Lobster, who this week announced they're to finally throw a 'housewarming party' in Manchester's Ship Canal House sometime this July. It's £20 either way, whether it's minced Nebraskan moo or snappy Nova Scotian chappies. It's been nearly ten months since the insanely popular London/NY concept by the Russian-owned Goodman steakhouse group (Yep. Russian-owned American steak and burger restaurants) announced their plans for Manchester. Anything but snappy then...
Burger & LobsterLEAN, CLEAN & MEAN - Bosu Body Bar continues to 'smash it' on Chorlton's Barlow Moor Road, and could scarcely be busier. The popularity of the clean-eating diner and 'protein bar' signifies the death of dirty food and the birth of 'virtuous eating', according to our L'Oreal Blackett. They may specialise in build-your-own salad boxes, but this food has muscle.
IN-FAMOUS BURGERS? Speaking of dirty food, this lot clearly think there's plenty of legs in Americana. MAD Ltd (Walrus, Rosylee, Hula) will open their new retro American diner, Infamous, this July in Basil Chambers on the fringe of Northern Quarter (behind Blue Pig). The diner, they say, will be 'Manchester's first retro American Diner'. Hmm. They clearly haven't spotted Harley's over the road. And can't imagine Famous Burgers around the corner are too chuffed with the name...
BRIMFUL OF... It's been a year since the ARIL group announced the arrival of Asha's in Manchester - the Indian restaurant chain with restaurants in Birmingham, Dubai and Bahrain - and they finally look to be making some progress. Inspired by legendary Bollywood star Asha Bhosle (who also inspired Cornershop's 1997 hit 'Brimful of Asha'), the new £2m, 6000 sq ft, 160-capacity restaurant and bar should open on Peter Street (in the former Baby Grand nightclub) this September. Bhosle, the most recorded artist in music history (having recorded over 12,000 songs), will be at the Manchester launch. Singing, probably.
Infamous, Basil ChambersTHE RUMOUR MILLS...
We hear Leeds-based Arc Inspirations - who'll soon be launching a Banyan bar in the Corn Exchange - have pulled out on a deal for the hefty site beneath Hawksmoor on Deansgate. Too pricey, apparently, and with that lot upstairs you better be on your game.
Rumour has it Theo Randall - the British-born Italiano chef who bagged a Michelin star for London's River Cafe and later set up his own restaurant at the InterContinental London - has been sniffing around sites in Manchester.
He's not the only one. Confidential recently spotted Russell Norman, owner of London's genius Polpo restaurant group, wandering down King Street. Oh lordy lord, please...
OH STOP IT...
The Laundrette in Chorlton have gone to the ultimate extreme this week to ensure nobody bonks anybody else over the head with a glass... by serving drinks in sandwich bags.
At least, we hope it's a safety measure. Surely that isn't by choice? No. Really? Jam jars, plantpots, now this? But why? I mean... Wh... Bu... That's it. Stop the world. We're getting off...
But why?DEAL OF THE WEEK... £25 CHATEAUBRIAND
The Malmaison hotel are celebrating the launch of their new summer menu with this belting offer; two courses for £19.95 or three courses for £24.95. They're also offering Chateaubriand with a portion of fries, bearnaise sauce and a bottle of Malbec for £25 pp (min. two people - Mon to Sat lunchtimes, Sun to Thurs dinner until 7pm). Can't knock that.
DISH OF THE WEEK...
Bangers & Bacon's porchetta roll with herb and garlic rolled slow-roasted middle pork and salsa verde (£6). Ace. Available now at @_TheKitchens
Porchetta roll - Bangers & Bacon
