IN retail it was out of fashion for years.
It’s a consciously 'fun' place, a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously but seriously wants people to have a good time.
This was the WHSmith principle of trying to please several different markets all at the same time with books, games, IT, stationery, mags, papers, sweets, pens and so on all clamouring for attention. Retail wizards had declared this a big no-no by the nineties and shops and stores were told to specialise so Waterstones sold just books, Monsoon just clothes and so on.
The WHSmith ideal has been flooding back in recent years, certainly in middle to large stores. So in Urban Outfitters you can get clothes, lighting, bedding, novelty gifts and furniture, likewise in Next. In the larger Tescos these days you can buy a low-grade world of everything except military hardware and spacecraft.
Modest entrance
The ‘crazee’ mix has been an industry constant in food and drink for decades. As with retail it may fade but it always comes back.
The most typical representative in the city centre is Panama Hatty’s on Brown Street, part of a mini-chain in the North West with other branches in Tarporley and Prestwich.
People seem to like it very much indeed.
The basement venue has one of the easiest to miss entrances in the city yet always appears to have healthy levels of custom. It must be doing something right.
This is where we come to the word ‘eclectic’, a marketing and design cliché par excellence. The management of Panama Hatty’s must have set up a temple somewhere to the word 'eclectic', where they worship it with the zeal of fanatics.
The decor is a dizzying array of fabrics, colours, furniture and lighting. The food is described on the menu as ‘taken mainly from the Latin countries, Mexico, the Caribbean, the American South West and a few other exotic places to spice things up’. In otherwords anywhere.
'Eclectic'
The range on the menu is vast. From sharing platters to a fine kids menu via linguines, tagines, risottos, salads, ribs, fajitas, burritos and so on - the fridges must be huge
This could be a problem.
Normally ‘eclectic’ is a substitute for ‘clueless’. It says, ‘Listen we haven’t got a single idea of how to do things so we’re going to chuck everything in just hoping customers will like some if it’.
Panama Hatty’s could have gone that way but there is such a determined over-the-top verve to the place it becomes endearing.
And hence popular.
Especially coupled with the enthusiastic, attentive, if a shade inexperienced, service. And the clever pricing of food.
On our visit we started with the hot 'n' sticky shrimps, an apricot, ginger and sweet chilli pepper glaze for £6.75.
Hot'n'sticky shrimps - shrimps is American for prawn
Then we had the jambalaya, ‘Cajun spiced rice simmered with firm tiger shrimp, juicy Atlantic prawns, mussels, marinated chicken, chorizo sausage, fruit de mer, coriander, chopped jalapenos and red chillies, served with spicy tomato crustini’ for £14.25.
There was also the 'gourmet chop-steak burger', seasoned ‘100% pure British Beefsteak mince’ with Emmental cheese for £11.95. This was described as ‘hand-made’: thank God for that.
What to write about with this food?
JumbalayaWell it was all on the money for the price paid - wholesome, solid, a definition of decent mid-range dining.
The jumbalaya was the best thing with a menagerie of ingredients that worked a treat. Jumbalaya is essentially paella from Louisiana spiced up with hot things such as jalapenos. The Panama Hatty’s version was entertaining and filling.
For dessert I had the traditional cheesecake for £5.95 with berries, sauce and whipped cream. This was a bit of a let down. The cheesecake was too solid for me, I prefer my cheesecakes softer and sweeter.
The winelist reflects the menu, with a crowd-pleasing random drift around the New World plus the odd Old World representative. Typical - and at the top end of the price range - was a Pinotage at £20.95 from South Africa, which was a little blurred in definition but a comfortable enough drink.
Solid cheescake
Panama Hatty's is a massive hit with office parties and the weekend shopping fraternity. You can see why.
It’s a consciously 'fun' place, a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously but seriously wants people to have a good time.
It's also a trip down memory lane for me.
The first time I ventured there was in 1990 when under previous management it was called Brahams and Liszt (ho, ho).
With some friends I watched England draw 0-0 with Holland in the 1990 World Cup. Stuart Pearce scored a goal (I think) but it was disallowed. England's next football match in 2012 is a friendly with Holland and Stuart Pearce is the stand-in England manager.
Plus ça change as they say.
Aside from the shiver 22 years passing gives me, the way Panama Hatty’s does things has a certain sense of ‘eclectic’ timelessness.
Jamie Oliver’s Italian and L’Entrecote’s arrival will blow a gale through the food and drink in the King Street area. I predict Panama Hatty’s with its popularist appeal, will still comfortably pull in the punters.
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter here @JonathSchofield
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Panama Hatty's
43a Brown Street, Off King Street, City M2 2JJ, 0161 832 8688
Rating: 13/20
Food: 6.5/10
Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3/5
Burger, simple does it
Menu wearing a head
Hey, look we've found some furniture that doesn't go with the other furniture, let's chuck it all in
