DAMN this was good.
Sam's suits breakfast well, it defines fine weekend morning descriptors such as 'snug', or 'cosy'. Sitting there with the morning papers making the world turn slow was good, chatting with the family, laughing.
Normally on a Sunday morning my mind is filled with football. As the coach of the u15s Oswald Road team by 10am I'm usually standing in mud.
I'm standing in mud on one of the many school playing fields, recreation grounds, parks of the Manchester area. I probably know them all.
In fact I'm thinking of writing a guidebook. Dean Sports has the worst playing surface; Unicorn Athletic's pitch is the deceiver, looks flat but close examination reveals a miniature Somme; the two Wilmslow teams have conveniently placed the pitch next to a bramble and nettle blighted ravine.
We have the best pitch in Chorlton Park. I may be prejudiced or deluded. At least it's close to home. My home.
But on a recent waterlogged weekend the footy was off so instead I found myself in Sam's Chop House eating a big, bounteous English breakfast. The football playing boys (ages 12 and 15) were there too - well the ones related to me not the whole team.
We were stuffing eggs, sausages, black pudding, tomatoes, bacon and big doughy toast saturated with the juices from the above into our mushes.
It was sort of brutal eating. Rending. Gnashing. Ok it was Middle England brutal, with the Sunday Times for company, refills of coffee or tea (free refills incidentally), and the odd phone game being played.
The crusty deep dough bread was one of the joys of this show as was the black pudding. Home-made if you will, rich but with a sweetness too, that just falls on the right side, without being annoying. The sweetness comes from a white wine vinegar, sugar and thyme reduction, but also the addition of small amounts of sultanas.
It's dangerous to mess around with the classics like this but it works here, well done to chef Ian Leadbetter. A word on the bacon which is slow cooked, let the flavours linger in the mouth and you get an added richness and punch.
The full English breakfast is £8.50 and comes all piled up on the bread, egg on top, bacon, black pudding,tomatoes and mushroom beneath. You can also get a vegan version for £8, Eggs Benedict for £7.99, crispy corned-beef hashcake for £6.99, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for £7.99 and Eggs Florentine for £6.29. The works in otherwords.
Sam's suits breakfast well, it defines fine weekend morning descriptors such as 'snug', or 'cosy'. Sitting there with the papers making the world turn slow was good, chatting with the family, laughing.
Inside Sam's very 'cosy', very 'snug' with the bronze back of LS Lowry
For shoppers, flat dwellers or people staying in hotels who want to break free this is a fine start to the day.
Anyway back to reality.
This week it's Urmston away. Lostock Park. Muddy pitch, slight slope, rusty posts if I remember. Trying to do the double over them.
Maybe I should get the team prepared with a trip to Sam's on the Saturday.
Bolster them up.
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter here @JonathSchofield
Sam's Chop House is at Back Pool Fold, Chapel Walks, off Cross Street, City. 0161 834 3210. Click here. Breakfast is served Saturday and Sunday 10am-noon.
Oswald Road U15s, young Schofield is sixth from the left, back row. Hey, look who's sponsoring them - we're a community magazine after all
