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
YAFI-spreads. Has Confidential coined a phrase?
Sleuth is pleased that Tony Naylor of The Guardian has recognised the cry of desperation and blast of humour behind Manchester Confidential's creation of the term, YAFI - Yet Another F**king Italian. This denotes another half-arsed attempt at Italian food by a bland operator who probably isn't Italian. Here are Naylor's thoughts - click here. Sleuth is reminded of the truth behind the famous George Orwell quote 'Manchester is the belly and guts of the nation' revealed here. Only this time our pithy witty phrase has authenticity on its side.
The Best Cooked Manchester Seafood Ever
This is astonishing from The French at The Midland (click here) - see the picture at the top of the page.
A pickled mussel with an edible shell, crowned by a sea water gel made with salty seaweed plus dill. Everything, of course, is done in the kitchen including the pickling of the mussel. The edible shell is a tuile biscuit. It takes a couple of days to prepare the dish from scratch. The result is not even on the standard £79 set menu of ten courses - it comes as an add-on.
"This is off the menu, an extra," says Adam Reid, Simon Rogan's head chef. "It's saying you're going to have ten full dishes like this, let's get the saliva going, and see how you are at the end of the visit."
Sleuth is aware the pickled mussel looks obscene in about seventy different ways. But the flavour when it bursts...wow. It's the most extraordinary, odd, and yet delicious seafood Sleuth has had in a long time.
Eek Eek, Bash Bash
Sleuth was so impressed by the edible shell mussel in the story above his head was turned...into that of a mouse. So he started a band who play on Market Street. The guitarist busks for cash, Mouse-Sleuth for cheese.
The new band - cheese loving buckers
William Roache And Michael Le Vell
Oh dear, the pair of them. Sleuth reckons that Coronation Street is turning into a right soap opera.
Sleuth's Best News For People Working And Parking In The City This Week
This was on the Arndale Centre and spotted from Shude Hill Transport Interchange.
Nice price for commuters
Cream Cakes Of The Week
Sleuth was walking through Spinningfields when he saw two young ladies dressed as Holstein Friesian cows handing out cakes. "Look," said Sleuth to Gordo, "there are two young ladies, cowgirls one might say, dressed as Holstein Friesian cows handing out cakes." But Gordo had long gone. "Ah," said Sleuth and took this picture, wondering why the tray of cakes was being held just there.
Cakes, cowgirls and an imposter
Gary Neville Is A Red, He Hates Wasteland
Sleuth is pleased to see work has begun on the Gary Neville funded 139 bedroom supporters hotel just over the Bridgewater Canal, and a RVP freekick from Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium. Due to open in the autumn of the 2014/15 season the Sky pundit and ex-United fullback hopes the £12m hotel will pack in more than 1,200 fans before matches, through its bars, rooms and activities including a five-a-side pitch on the roof. Surprisingly United opposed the hotel, designed by Manchester's AEW Architects; but then again they won't be able to call the shots or take the profits. Anyway he's a picture of cranes preparing the ground. Sleuth asked one of the operators, "How is the work on cranes?" "It's picking up," he replied.
Digging in for fans
Hotel with pitch on the roof
Pringles Crisp Church Of The Week
Every seven days or so Sleuth is stopped in the street by policemen, firemen, concierges, salty molluscs, mouse drummers, various cows, YAFI managers and the complete cast of Coronation Street and asked "Where can we find a church like a Pringles crisp in the Manchester area."
"Why," says Sleuth, "that would be the delightful St Anthony's of Padua, in Trafford Park built in 1904, and cased in corrugated iron. It looks like one of those tiny Norwegian churches lost in lonely fjords, except with fewer mountains and waterfalls and more warehouses and lorries."
And to prove it he showed this picture to the policemen, firemen, concierges, salty molluscs, mouse drummers, various cows, YAFI managers and the complete cast of Coronation Street.
Lovely in Trafford Park
