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
Sleuth Finds New Manchester Restaurant
Sleuth was bumbling along Deansgate singing, The Sun Has Got His Hat On but with all the words backwords (Eht Nus Sah Tog Sih Tah No - great fun, try it) when he saw a board outside The Deansgate pub stating there was a restaurant, smoke house and liquor store on the first floor called 3TwentyOne.
The DeansgateUpstairs he met Ed Lowe and his tattoos and Jason Latham and his menus: manager and chef. They've been let free this pair to create a smart looking place with a smart looking grill menu, tight cocktail range, real ale and good wines. The meat comes from that excellent Lancastrian butcher Jack Wood.
You can read the menu below, it's deceptively simple. Note the less usual cuts of meat, hanger and flat iron as well as full length ribs not baby back stuff. All glazes, sauces and dips are made inhouse. The smoker is working well apparently and Latham swears by his whisky and his hickory smokes. He would of course. Confidential will be in to judge very soon. 3TwentyOne opens Monday 13 May.
3TwentyOne's menu
Oh Sleuth nearly forgot, there's a lovely elevated terrace at the rear right underneath Cloud 23 - the Deansgate Hilton Hotel's 23rd floor bar. "Your place is on the first floor," said Sleuth. "Are you going to call it Cloud One?" Pause. "No," came the collective reply.
Cloud One
The Crown And The Past
The Deansgate pub used to called the Crown pub and was called the Crown pub since the eighteenth century. Located on the main road into Manchester from the south west and the old Roman road, it has one of the oldest licences in Manchester. When Sleuth is asked by people for a stained glass representation of a Crown he shows them the one in the pub's stairwell. It happens all the time.
The Crown in The Deansgate
The Teapot And The Cake Come Out To Play
Sleuth was minding his own business twiddling his thumbs in the office, reading about Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and singing I Did It My Way but with all the words backwards ( I Did Ti Ym Yaw) when he received a tweet. He had his hat and coat on in two seconds, his camera ready in three and a fully provisioned hamper tucked under his arm in four - not that he needed the latter, but a gentleman reporter must always be prepared in case.
The gem that is the Portico Library on Mosley Street
A little later he was in the Portico Library at the junction of Mosley Street and Charlotte Street, enjoying the most elegant tea and cake in a city centre venue. The Portico is still a private subscription library and dates from 1806. Among people to have taken tea there are Charlotte Bronte and Eric Cantona, the latter two when they were having a temporal-split 'thing' across 150 years - sort of Time Traveller's Wife.
The main feature this time though was 'Kathy with a K' and her astonishingly perfect orange and chocolate cake in which neither choccy nor orange overwhelmed but were a perfect balance within a cake mix that was floaty and moist - see main image at the top of the page. You don't have to be a member to enjoy these either, just ring the bell on Charlotte Street climb the stairs and leave the plate exactly as Sleuth did below.
Sleuth like the cake - very much he did as his friend Yoda commented
Portico Saturday Lush
You can enjoy lunchtime treats and drinks all week at the Portico. On Saturday it gets better when from 11am-3pm you can enjoy cakes, scones, tea, coffee, wine and beer in the usually private members room. Sleuth will there like a shot next weekend.
Portico Library and the private members room in 1934 with Sleuth's grandad and great grandad enjoying a good sing-song of I Did It My Way backwards
Mr Rimmer's Winning Ways
Sleuth is pleased that Simon Rimmer, TV chef, and owner of Greens in West Didsbury and Earle in Hale has been awarded a second Rosette from the AA for the latter restaurant. As the AA note (click here) these are given to 'Excellent restaurants that aim for and achieve higher standards and better consistency. A greater precision is apparent in the cooking, and there will be obvious attention to the selection of quality ingredients.' Only 10% of restaurants are deemed by the AA as having potential to receive any form of Rosette - we're tracking the man down for an interview next week. Amongst many qualities the judges were apparently astonished by the amount of veg the well-known chef could hold at one time.
Simon Rimmer - the human greengrocer's scales
Sleuth And That F**king Flower Bed
This is in Brazennose Square, a long triple jump from Manchester Town Hall. It used to be a fountain. It's horrible. It's a grim elevated grave plot of ridiculous chocolate coloured bricks that spends most of its time as a weed bed. It stands in front of the very grand statue of Abraham Lincoln which as a city we should be proud of, it is supposed to be Manchester's memorial to Princess Diana having supposed to be previously a memorial to Diana and Charles' wedding. Sleuth is going to start planting flowers there as an encouragement to the council about how embarrassing it is to show visitors the statue of Abraham Lincoln while standing next to the thing.
The vile flower bed of weeds and disappointment
Sleuth's Best Free View
Every seven days or so Sleuth is stopped in the street by policemen, firemen, concierges, rubbish flower beds, by Eric Cantona, Charlotte Bronte, a Crown, Simon Rimmer and the complete staff of Metrolink and asked, "Where is the best free view of Manchester city centre?"
"Why," says Sleuth, "that would be level eight of the Shudehill Transport Interchange on the raised little bit right at the top. But be quick if you've got a group of people with you. The NCP car park security staff will spot you on CCTV and come running across from Manchester Arndale and shoo you away waving their arms and shouting about 'insurance'. You will have exactly seven minutes before they reach you."
And to prove the case about the view Sleuth showed these pictures to the policemen, firemen, concierges, rubbish flower beds, to Eric Cantona, Charlotte Bronte, a Crown, Simon Rimmer and the complete staff of Metrolink.
View from The Shude
View from The Shude
View from The Shude
View from The Shude
View from The Shude
View from The Shude
Winter view with snow on the Pennines
