SleuthSleuth is a sideways glance at the city every week, it's the truth, but Sleuth's truth. He's several people all at once. We give £25 for every story/rumour and piece of absurdity you find for us to publish. Sleuth sometimes even gets serious. We ask for the money back if any legal action follows. Follow Sleuth on twitter @mcrsleuth
Cane And Grain Opening Soon
Cane and Grain is fitting out in the old Thomas Restaurant site on Thomas Street. Yes, that’s in the Northern Quarter and this is our daily news about something opening in the Northern Quarter. This baby comes from the Black Dog/Liars Club/Dogbowl stable of food, drink, bowling, basements and terraces. Apparently they’re going to specialise in ribs, rum, beer and bourbon. They’re going to do this on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Umm, life can just be one long list sometimes can't it?
Former Thomas Restaurant
New Crocodile, Rice Crispy And Bomb Shop To Open In The Northern Quarter
It’s apparently a snap, crackle and pop up shop. Raymond Twix, the owner, said to Confidential, “I was just standing in Stevenson Square at the bus stop and realised there was a huge gap in the market for this sort of progressive outlet that would appeal to a long list of people such as policemen, concierges, bar and restaurant owners and fans of Paul Hogan.”
Crocodile Dundee - Paul Hogan will be at the launch
The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth
Of course the above story is entirely false but Sleuth just wants something to open in the Northern Quarter besides bars or restaurants.
Bez For MP
Bez, The Former BeekeeperThe greatest living North Westerner, man of the people and what-the-hell-does-he-actually-do Bez has put himself forward to be MP for Salford following Hazel Blears’ retirement. Attending the anti-fracking gig in a field just west of the city he said some jumbled up words that sounded vaguely English but were possibly Welsh. He's recently been living in Wales keeping bees. Then shortly before tweeting about the evils of ‘facking’ he indicated he was campaigning on a policy of ‘free energy, free food, free everything’. Sleuth blushes to see how the local media lap up Bez, just because he did very little in a fine Madchester band some decades ago.
The BBC And Sutherland
Sleuth wasn't sure about this BBC headline about the recently resigned boss of the Cooperative Group on its web pages last week. Of course Confidential never makes any errors in its copy.
Bit rude that BBC
The Beat Goes On: Wythenshawe
Sleuth has been pleased by the response to Confidential's Manchester Beat columns profiling the city suburbs. Next week we're doing Alderley Edge, this week we did a similar type of place, Wythenshawe. It was written by Phil Griffin, writer, broadcaster, pub supporter. Phil occasionally takes interested parties around Wythenshawe showing the place off. He doesn't do this by coach or on foot but by magic as this picture shows.
Phil Griffin about to move the group on
We're M62 Corridor Winners - Hurrah
Leading food and drink magazine Olive has spotted something. In its April edition it will highlight trends. One of these is the rise of food in the M62 Corridor - a glamorous sounding location if ever there were one. Yes folks we have good food up here. Sleuth wonders whether we should be happy with the attention or feel patronised? He'll leave that one up to the reader.
M62 Corridor - Just Eat Me Would Ya?
Here are some of the key trends in PR not Sleuth's words:
The M62 Corridor – mighty tasty: ‘Time was a northerner had to head to London to experience food’s cutting edge. No more. Now, the capital’s hip outfits are heading north, while, after last year’s headline-grabbing openings at Manchester House and the French, the hits just keep on coming.’
MELDs: ‘That Music Eating Late-night Drinking Spaces; those fast-rising, multi-purpose, bar-gig-restaurant venues where you’ll find craft beer, tattooed staff and often, great food at keen prices.’
See through kitchens: ‘Forget open kitchens, which merely offer a glimpse of proceedings. Now, it’s all about display-cooking, as seen at Manchester House (manchesterhouse.uk.com) or Bruno Loubet’s Grain Store (grainstore.com). At both, the kitchen is part of the dining room. The chefs cook right in front of you.’
Badass bar food: ‘Move over scotch eggs and sausage rolls; increasingly Britain’s publicans are inviting hot street food operators into their kitchens.’
Get ur freekeh on: ‘After the quinoa hoo-ha, chefs are taking a fresh look at the nutty, nutritional possibilities of ancient, unrefined wholegrains like freekeh, wheat berries and black barley. Superseeds like chia and flax are trending, too.’
Fearless street food: ‘Edgy experimentation and clever fusion is hardwired into street food’s DNA, and such creativity is no longer confined to London.’
Serious cider: ‘Craft beer is still the zeitgeist pint, but slowly, mainstream cider drinks are moving on from Magners. They’re being helped by venues which, rather than serving wacky flavours over ice, emphasis authenticity.’
Other trends highlighted listed include: fennel pollen, sherry, rock ‘n’ roll restaurateurs and barrel aged cocktails. olive also lists four trends that leave it cold, including robot restaurants, US burgers, bewildering botanicals and distressed dining spaces.
Apparently Gorilla's Eggs Benedicts are the best in city according to the piece. That's about right at least.
Sleuth Has Just Nipped Out Of The Room So Finally....
Every seven days or so Sir Howard Bernstein is asked by policemen, concierges, corridors, crocodiles, Twixes, Euan Sutherland, Bez and all the people in Wythenshawe, this question: "Where can we find in Manchester a wonderful, well-designed, central, probably hard-surfaced, square of the sort you might see in one of the best European cities?"
"Why," says Sir Howard (in this interview), "that would be Piccadilly Gardens. It is an undoubted success."
"Surely not," cried all the policemen, concierges, corridors, crocodiles, Twixes, Euan Sutherland, Bez and all the people in Wythenshawe, and showed him these pictures of the successful 'Gardens'.
"Coo, we love, coo, the bits of old burger we find on this, coo, mostly broken thingy, coo."
Beautifully maintained lawns
A nice place to sit
