Sleuth is a sideways glance at the city every week, it's the truth, but Sleuth's truth. He's several people all at once. Sleuth sometimes even gets serious @mcrsleuth
THE STEAKS ARE NIGH
Sleuth’s not one for food trends. When Sleuth was recently asked to ‘get freekeh’ in the supermarket things became very awkward in aisle seven. Similarly, when Sleuth was recently recommended to ‘try furikake’ at Samsi, Sleuth replied he’d much rather do it in the comfort of his own home. Suchwise, to avoid confusion, Sleuth is sticking to more durable food bents, one of which, you’ll most likely have noticed, is steak. Not to say steak has ever fallen off the radar, but since London outfit Hawksmoor dropped into the city those chunky slabs of moo have come back round to the fore.
Well, if Sleuth’s sources are to be believed, there’s plenty more moo on the horizon for Manchester. Sleuth’s told the New York-based One Group, which opened their first high-end STK steak restaurant in the UK on London’s Strand in 2012 (main image), are planning to open an STK Rebel, a ‘more accessible sibling’ to STK, in Manchester sometime next year.
What’s more, Orange Elephant, a new steak restaurant by chef Jai Parkinson are reportedly eyeing up sites in Manchester, while Gaucho’s more casual steakhouse, Cau, are ready to open in Didsbury with another planned for MediaCity over the coming months.
Seems more steaks are nigh...
CAU will open two new Manchester steakhouses in close successionSTOPTOBER - IT'S SO EASY
Manchester has taken to heart the wonderful campaign Stoptober in 2015. With a well-planned and executed policy coordinated through many different departments and agencies the city and Salford have managed to completely stop traffic flow across and into the city centre. "We've known the Conservative Party Conference was coming for many years and that played into our hands," said a council spokesperson. "It meant we could ensure the second tram crossing disruption could be run together with our road narrowing schemes at Portland Street and Deansgate plus the huge number of roadworks currently in operation. The sinkhole on the Mancunian Way was unbelievable luck as well. We've really stopped Manchester this Stoptober." One motorist told Sleuth, "I thought Stoptember was bad, but Stoptober is worse. I've taken up smoking again to get over the stress."
Stoptober really works
Taxis have become pointless in Stoptober in the city centre 
One road scheme proves popular on every city centre road all the timeZILLI-BILLY'S WASHING FAILS TO SELL
Sleuth hears the recent Anglo-Italian Awards were interesting at the Palace Hotel. 600 guests (£150 per head) were treated to a three-course meal which was described by several guests as "remarkable", "never seen anything like it", "this is very brave catering", "What do you think it is?" and "Is it edible?" At one point celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, the well-known B&Q representative, stood up, chatted and chatted and chatted and then tried to auction his chef whites. A deadly silence fell across the room so deep people could hear conversations on buses on Oxford Road. Minutes lengthened into decades and it slowly dawned on Aldo Zilli that nobody wanted his chef whites. He threw them to the side saying something like, "We'll leave them there". Sleuth can't recall that expression, what is it, something like, "Pride comes before...." No, it's gone.
Aldo Zilli prepares to cook his chef whites and eat them for charityTHE MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT IN MANCHESTER?
Incidentially, Manchester winners in the awards included 'Best Pizzeria', Slice in the Northern Quarter; the 'People's Choice', Avalanche on Booth Street; and the 'Most Romantic', Don Giovanni's on Oxford Street. Indeed Sleuth is often in Don Giovanni's being served by waiters with roses between their teeth and serenaded by troubadours recalling with his true love the Palace Hotel's food at the English-Italian Awards and asking, "Was that mozzarella or bubble gum at the Awards, my sweet darling?"
Don Giovanni's, the 'Most Romantic' Italian in ManchesterSLEUTH GETS SHOT DOWN
Sleuth attended the unveiling of a jolly new artwork for Spinningfields last week. In partnership with the Castlefield Gallery, Allied London have commissioned artist Liz West to construct a 6mx2mx2m corridor of light and colour on the path leading from the Oast House to Pret. It may be the first of many more art installations to be erected across Spinningfields, said Allied London chief Mike Ingall. “We’ve taken inspiration from the Caribbean installation we’ve built over at Leftbank.” joked Ingall, referring to the idle beach shacks - now called 'The Boardwalk' - Allied London have plonked outside The Kitchens (pictured below).
“You mean the shanty town?” said one Leftbank resident, clearly unimpressed with the bar that never was.
“Out of interest,” chipped in Sleuth, “how much did all of that cost?”
“Oh shut up,” said Ingall, with a look that’d weaken the knees of Samson.
SLEUTH'S 'SO WHAT IS IT?' OF THE WEEK
Back in July Sleuth told you Allied London were planning a crab-cum-oyster shack for the installation. Sleuth got excited, Sleuth loves sliding a bivalve mollusc down his gullet. Still, it wasn't to be, transpires they couldn't get enough power into the shacks to cook-up the crustaceans. So a bar it was, called Maloca, a new Brazilian beer and cocktail bar by pop-up bar firm Bitter Twisted. Problem was, they'd forgotten to inform the council's licensing team, dag-namit. So, what now? "Nobody seems to know what they're doing with it," said one Kitchens trader, "they just keep putting deckchairs out everyday." Handy, thinks Sleuth, just as winter draws in.
The Boardwalk, Leftbank - lovely, but what's it for exactly?SLEUTH'S BAFFLING TESCO SIGN OF THE WEEK
At the vast Tesco in Stretford Sleuth spotted this sign. Interesting. Doesn't one direction go up and one go down. Maybe they're worried the escalator might take people round the corner to a discount supermarket. Every Lidl Helps.
Which way are escalators supposed to go?SLEUTH'S EUPHEMISTIC QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Sleuth was talking to SimpsonHaugh architects about their wonderful work at Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink station. Sleuth couldn't help comparing the beautifully sharp and very practical glass cap of the lift with the less practical head scratcher blockage of Library Walk. "Some glass interventions are better received than others," said the architect choosing his words like a soldier picking his way through a minefield.
Beautiful
Head scratcher
