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
Fumo For San Carlo
Sleuth loves the huge confidence being shown in Manchester from bars and restaurants. Latest city licence applications reveal Fumo, one of the San Carlo Group's brands, is aiming to move into One St Peter's Square. Fumo brings lots of San Carlo trading areas together, it'll be a bar (a 2am licence is being requested), a restaurant like San Carlo and a light bites location as with Cicchetti. Sleuth approves, an ambitious operator who'll deliver a grand design for an astonishingly good new building for the city - see the picture at the top of this page.
San Carlo Nosh
The CourthousePatty Goes To Court
Meanwhile down on the southern part of Deansgate, a Birmingham company is opening in the Courthouse building. The Handmade Burger Co will be bringing their own take to the city on how to give us good bun action. They pride themselves for their handmade and pressed burgers and they've got units all over the country. Sleuth worries about places shouting about 'handmade'. Aren't all reputable makers of burgers making them by hand - or are some using prototype Japanese robots? Or their feet. The Footmade Burger Co. Sounds interesting.
Handmade Burger People
Burger Bonanza For Those That Pine
The opening of the Handmade Burger Co means that should anybody have a Byron burger on the Deansgate/John Dalton Street junction and feel they miss those darned burgers after a fifty metre walk, they can nip into Handmade Burger Co for another. If then they feel like a burger top up after a further fifty metre stroll they can nip into Almost Famous Burgers in the Great Northern. Burger munchers of Manchester, you've never had it so good. Or so excessive.
Plastic Glasses And United
Sleuth is intrigued about a licence variation for Mulligan's, off Deansgate, on Southgate Street. Mulligan's is the best-known Irish pub in the city centre; leaving aside why Irish pubs can't just be described as pubs, Sleuth wonders why the policy is changing over glasses. From now on during United home games and United televised games it'll be plastic glasses not proper glass ones at Mulligans. Are management worried about a vengeful David Moyes swooping on popular United pubs to wreak havoc? Or is the pub worried about regular fans getting frustrated watching other English teams in Europe?
Mulligans, careful during that match
And Then There's Wahu
More food and drink openings with Wahu in Spinningfields. This is a strange name that might mean anything - is it Hawaiian? The 98 seater will take over a unit on The Avenue, Spinningfields. Boss Jamie Barr, speaking in the MEN, said: “The Wahu brand will be the first of its kind in Manchester, with our design-your-own concept allowing customers to create their perfect meal. We’re focused on providing fresh, tasty and nourishing food; whether it’s a quick breakfast on the go, a swift lunch, or dinner and drinks with friends.” But that name - Wahu? Sleuth thinks it's maybe what people are expected to shout as they skip from the premises with their perfect meal. "Wahu!"
The Avenue leading to the Wahu site
Sleuth And The Piccadilly Scarecrow That Has Opinions
Sleuth has to admire Cllr Pat Karney. The outspoken city council spokesman for the city centre is very direct, often very amusing and is a politician with that rare commodity, a personality. This means that lots of Mancunians who appear to love a whinge rather than give credit where credit is due don't seem to like him.
Sleuth admires that Cllr Karney talked to Confidential about Piccadilly Gardens knowing he would be attacked by certain ranters - click here. Then he suggested he have his photo taken as a scarecrow chasing pigeons off the re-seeded grass - see below. Brave indeed.
Shame that at Confidential we inadvertantly sent out the story on Easter Sunday. As one wag said: "Easter Sunday with that image? Appropriate? Looks like Pat Karney is being crucified on Piccadilly Gardens."
Probably a fitting image if you look at the rants, thinks Sleuth...
Pat Karney: An Easter Message
Sleuth’s Lies To Tell Tourists
Sunday Times food writer AA Gill is to be granted Freedom of the City. He will be the first food and TV critic to be granted the honour. A council spokesperson said: "AA Gill is being rewarded for raising Manchester's reputation across the country and the globe. We particularly admire how he has tirelessly worked to reduce the perception in the North that London writers can be high-handed, pompous and a bit thick. Through this he has assisted in the redevelopment of cities outside the capital and thus helped to spread wealth. He's a very honourable man and Manchester loves him."
AA Gill: "Where's Manchester?"
