Celebrations in Carluccio's

It was no ordinary Sunday. It was the first day of sunshine after the big storm, Herbert was about one month old and it was Valentine's Day weekend. Me, Herbert and Jon decided to find a place that served Eggs florentine until late afternoon, a dish I had been craving for a lifetime, well, at least nine months. After a little walk through Castlefield we found it on the breakfast menu in Carluccio's, and luckily they were serving breakfast all day.

We ordered a cup of goodness each while Herbert was asleep in the buggy, which fitted well beside our table for four.

Then our food was served. Poached eggs and spinach topped with hollandaise on toasted Italian bread (£7.65). Oh, I was in heaven. I don't think it was that much more magnificent than any other Eggs florentine I've had, but I had longed for it for so long. Soft egg yolks really are life.

Jon's dish; crepes. Warm thin pancakes with honey, yoghurt and berries (£4.95). He wasn't as excited as me, but it was still pretty good for a Sunday breakfast.

As soon as we started eating Herbert woke up, and Jon entertained him while I scoffed my eggs.

Overall it was great. Carluccio's in Spinningfields has a nice (and baby-friendly) atmosphere. It's on the edge of being somewhat pricey for serving good but not outstanding food. But you know what you'll get, and there are no hidden surprises, which I think some people find comforting. On other occasions the service has been a little so-and-so, but this bright afternoon there was nothing to complain about.

So no, this was no ordinary Sunday: It was pretty close to a perfect one.

 

 

Flavours of Walrus

Walrus nibbles

One Saturday in late January me and Jon decided to go up town, bringing Herbert for the first time. We went to our regular charity shops and as usual we ended up in the Northern Quarter looking for somewhere to eat. The only problem these days is that we've got a big buggy and we either have to keep it beside us by the table or fold it and have the carrycot on our table/seat.

Just as we expected, Home Sweet Home was crammed full, so was Teacup, and the Marble pub 57 Thomas Street. That's pretty much all our regular places and they're always super busy at weekends, so unless you've got ten or more minutes to queue, go somewhere else.

We had been to Walrus once before and although there's nothing mind-blowing about the place, we decided to check it out. Success at last...

A quick glance at the menu makes me think that Walrus doesn't really bother much about the food, it appears to be more of a drinks/cocktail place, and that's probably a wise concept for a place located on the edge of the Northern Quarter. From that perspective, though, you have to say that the selection isn't too bad, and the quality of the food is better than you might expect.

We ordered halloumi skewers (£4.50), baked portobello mushroom (£4.50) and chips (£2.50) to share. These options are under the category "half plates" and that's exactly what they are, so don't expect to be filled up by these alone. It's more like tapas; various bites of nice texture, with flavoursome dips and fresh pieces of salad on the side.

Halloumi & Cucumber Ribbon Skewers, Pea & Mint Bon Bons

Baked Portabello Mushroom, wilted Spinach & Melted Brie
with herb crust

Walrus Thick Cut Chips

The service in Walrus is good and although it isn't the busiest place north of Market Street, it feels busy enough for a Saturday afternoon. But perhaps best of all; our buggy fitted, folded under the table, and the carrycot on the seat beside Jon. One's priorities inevitably change with a baby on board.

We came prepared with expressed milk for Herbert, so everybody got a taste of the good stuff. I even had a little bit of American IPA. If you're looking for a decent selection of quality beer however, I'd suggest you look around the corner.

Baking accomplished and two celebrations

No, the headline is not about the gingerbread biscuits that I decided I wanted to make 1.5 weeks before Christmas; the Swedish carnations still haven't arrived. I guess they'll come when they come, there's nothing I can do about it.

It's about the bump. I wish I could have the same relaxed approach to it as to the dried flowers but my patience is being put to test at the moment, and I'm not even overdue. But this baby is ready-baked, an incredible milestone if you knew more about my medical history, and I want it here now.

I'm not doing a summary of December as I was tired all the time and crap at both cooking and blogging. Pot noodles and ready-made pizzas pretty much sums it up.

But Christmas passed and although I didn't make a majestic dinner, I did make lentil balls. And instead of cheddar and oregano I put in feta cheese and fresh coriander - a really good move. Highly recommended. Just change those two little details in the original recipe and let yourself be blown away. You're welcome.

Apart from that, I made boiled potatoes with butter and salt, a salad with roasted beetroot and red onion and fresh feta cheese, walnuts and a bit of lettuce. Dip-wise I made a Swedish Christmas must-have - 'rödbetssallad' - with 3 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp yoghurt, 2 chopped beetroots, 1 peeled and grated apple and 1 tsp of black pepper. Simply delicious.

Yesterday was New Year's Eve and I ate like a hungry horse. Maybe my body is starting to load for labour, or maybe it's just unconscious greed as I know this is soon gonna be over...?

In the afternoon I went for a walk and when I came back Jon asked if I wanted to go for another walk and I said yes. After a nice crisp promenade to Castlefield we ended up in The Knott, one of Manchester's best pubs with their highly impressive beer selection. Oh, I'm looking forward to a pint now.

We weren't intending to eat but after seeing and smelling some of the other guests' orders we couldn't resist our temptations.

I ordered a grilled halloumi and wild mushroom burger with spiced wedges (£5.50) and Jon had a falafel wrap with hand-cut chips (£5.50). Although I am a little stunned about the amount of Manchester places serving veggie burgers of this sort, I was happy with the flavours, especially the green pesto. The salad was dressed in a nice dressing as well and wedges just spicy enough.

Halloumi and mushroom burger with wedges

We both agreed that my dish was the highlight of the two but Jon's worked well as an afternoon filler too.

Falafel wrap with chips

Later in the evening we had salad, carrots, five dips, nine veggie snack things, three cheeses and four different crackers and crispbreads. How I can even move today I don't know but apparently I can as I just started the new year by doing squats and core exercises. Hello desperate uterus stimulation and happy new year.

A trip to food heaven

Sometimes you order food and get a pure piece of art, something so perfect you're afraid of putting your teeth into it. Other times you get something so awful-looking that you're afraid for entirely different reasons. Neither of those are the case with Home Sweet Home - my favourite food place in Manchester.

Needless to say, I've been there many times and have tried pretty much everything from their vegetarian selection, and every time the dishes have been screaming out "eat me!". It's just really inviting food and as you get around to actually eat it it's like a dream, in terms of flavour as well as texture. Exactly how it should be.

On this occasion I ordered a Chiabatta with smoked cheese, caramelised onions, sun dried tomato and avocado (£7.95) (if I remember right... It's no longer on the menu so when I did my regular check-back online I couldn't find it.) It also contained aioli but as I'm pregnant I couldn't eat that, but the waitress was so keen and did everything in her power to get me a different sauce. In the end the chef even came out to have a discussion about what I could eat and not. Highly impressive service.

The dish also came with chips, and not even I can resist these chips, they're just so... potatoey and tasty. It wasn't the best meal I've ever had at Home Sweet Home but it'd still score near a nine. That should tell you something about the standard.

Chiabatta with Smoked Cheese, Caramelised Onions, Sun dried Tomatoes and Avocado

Jon was hungry so he ordered Loaded Nachos (£6.00) for a starter. Let me tell you, they're not called loaded for nothing. It's basically nachos with melted cheese, salsa, chipotle sour cream, guacamole, jalapenos and pico de gallo, and a lot of it.

In my book they'd pass well enough as a main dish, although one can discuss the nutritional content. But then, you probably wouldn't go to this southern American-style food heaven in the heart of Northern Quarter to eat nutritionally. This was cheesy, spicy and purely delicious and that's the point.

A little word of warning though; make sure you have enough napkins on the table as with most brilliant food, it tends to get pretty messy.

Loaded Nachos

As always when we go there, Jon ordered Pulled Pork Pile Up (£9.50) which contains slow cooked pork on sweet potato fries covered in BBQ sauce, jalapenos, salad and apple slaw as a main. Although he thinks the menu is a little bit boring for meat eaters, he thoroughly enjoys this dish.

Pulled Pork Pile Up

As a vegetarian however, you will not be let down by the selection. A nice surprise is that they've added Jalapeno Mac n Cheese to the menu and I was thrilled to see that they had modified their Veggie Burger to a bean and veggie patty instead of the mushroom it was before. This will most definitely be on my plate next time.

So to round this up simple and concise; if you haven't been to Home Sweet Home, I promise, you're missing out. Now what are you waiting for? Go.

Vegetarian selection: 8/10
Vegetarian food: 9/10
Non-vegetarian selection: 6/10
Non-vegetarian food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value for money: 8/10
47/60

 

Cheesy feast at Cornerhouse

This was most probably the last time for many months that I could go out for an evening meal. The reason I chose Cornerhouse is that it's close to home, I've been there before so I vaguely know that the food is good, and it's not too pricey.

It was a horribly rainy and windy Saturday evening so we thought we might end up alone, but we would be proven wrong. The place was crammed full when we arrived around 8 pm and we had to wait for about five minutes to get a table. I was happy to sit down in the warmth and wait, and I prefer a busy atmosphere so it wasn't a problem to us.

Cornerhouse's vegetarian selection is pretty average, like most student focused places in Manchester. For a starter a ordered a Wild Mushroom Macaroni Cheese (£6.75). It was like any macaroni cheese but with a nice mushroom addition. Creamy, cheesy and with some crispy flakes of perhaps of roasted cheese on top. A good starter, although a bit heavy for me personally.

Wild Mushroom Macaroni Cheese

My dinner company had the Albondigas (£6.75), which in English means Spanish meatballs in a tomato and chorizo sauce with bread on the side. It looked nice and he enjoyed it, but thought it could be more spicy.

I didn't really understand why it came with two! large chunks of bread, but I guess if you're hungry, that might be what you want. We were happy with one, between us.

Albondigas

I was already half full when the mains were served, but I blame my current abnormal metabolism rather than the starter. It was Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagne (£9.25) and consisted of taleggio, mozzarella, a rocket and parmesan salad and a big chunk of garlic toast.

Oh, let me tell you, this was beautiful. As a lover of butternut squash it would be hard to let me down, and this certainly didn't. The smoothness of the butternut squash, the hint of spinach and the rich cheese was just an amazing combination. I actually wished that I hadn't had the starter after all, although I loved the lasange, I struggled to finish it.

For pregnancy reasons I didn't eat the parmesan salad and of general bloatedness I didn't eat much of the bread, but I had a small bite and it was really nice.

A picky side note however - and this is more of a general problem I find with vegetarian dishes and doesn't just concern Cornerhouse - is that it's just too much carbohydrates. With all due respect to cheese, and the regular reader knows I love it with all my heart, it isn't a great source of protein alone. As a veggie you normally end up with a starter poor in protein, you have a main dish full of carbs with bread on the side and if you go for a pudding, that's nothing but even more carbs. A little bit more imagination would definitely stand out and be very much welcomed. With that said, let's move on.

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagne

Jon ordered the Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwich (£10.25) that was served with a BBQ sauce on a white bun with horseradish coleslaw and a bowl of chips. I had a nibble of the coleslaw and with its strong taste of horseradish, it was great. He thought the pork was excellent; tasty and soft. However, the dish didn't really work in terms of the pork and coleslaw being served on a distinctly average white bun, which was lifeless and tasteless.

Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwich

The next best thing I had after the lasange was an Indian Summer (£3.75). It contained Fentiman’s ginger beer and fresh strawberries, with the emphasis on fresh, and strawberries - pure love to express it simply.

I was happy to find non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu and always give an extra plus when there are more options than just the standard selection of soft drinks.

Jon had the local Oyster stout which he enjoyed much more than Guinness. The Cornerhouse has a very good selection of local beers and lagers.

Indian Summer

The atmosphere was busy, loud and warm. Cornerhouse is a popular place in the heart of the student area but the crowd is dynamic, which I believe is a good sign. The service is friendly, although not always the fastest, but this night I think that was a good thing.

All-in-all we had a nice evening, and this was one of the few times in the past months that I didn't have to get up and eat halfway through the night. That's always something.

Vegetarian selection: 6/10
Vegetarian food: 8/10
Non-vegetarian selection: 6/10
Non-vegetarian food: 6/10
Service: 6/10
Value for money: 7/10
39/60

Saturday Lunch at Teatime Collective

Apart from the cow's milk for the customers who'd like it for their coffee, Teatime Collective is a 100 percent vegan cafe right beside Hulme Park - and what a lovely one it is.

With no more than five seats inside and only a couple of tables outdoors, this small place has got a genuinely local feeling. This particular morning was a bit grey so we were the only customers, but I've walked passed it many times on sunny days and it's always seemed busy. We were still able to sit outside though, for a Swede that's pretty amazing in the middle of November.

It's only been open for about two months but the waiter told me that they're doing well and are about to expand into a nearby container, making room for about 20 more seats as well as longer opening hours.

Among other things on the menu you can find various versions of English breakfast, toast with scrambled tofu or beans and (vegan) cheese. They also have different burger options, which all sound delicious, and they only cost a fiver. That in combination with later opening hours and I think this place could be a winner.

Although I might be a hungry pregnant woman, I didn't really fancy a burger for breakfast/lunch so I ordered one of the specials; a ciabatta with marinated tofu, pesto and rocket with green leaves and tomatoes on the side (£3). The bread was fresh and soft, not dry as ciabattas can tend to be, and the tofu was gorgeous. If I'm picky I'd say it could have had some more pesto or oil. After eating about half of it, it just felt a bit dry, but the flavours were spot on.

Ciabatta with marinated tofu, pesto and rocket

Jon was a different story. As he was off to hockey later, he needed something more filling and ordered one of the other specials; smoked tofu with red pepper and broccoli noodle stir fry with ginger, chilli and garlic (£5). This dish was full of my favourite flavours and was excellent with strong ginger, the distinguished smoked taste of the tofu, and lots of spicyness. Actually, it was hot; something it would appropriate to point out for more sensitive eaters.

Smoked tofu with red pepper and broccoli stir fry with ginger, chilli and garlic

As a side, or more like a starter, I ordered a chocolate flapjack (£1). It was big and had a really rich and crisp chocolate cover with bits of marshmallows that melted in the mouth. Lovely. If nothing else, I'll definitely come back for more of those.

Chocolate flapjack

It might be a description that only a few will understand but the atmosphere around this place feels really "Hulme". For me that's unique, relaxed, nice service, extremely good prices and a genuinely personal touch. I also believe that it being totally vegan provides a good alternative to the other cafes and restaurants in the local area. I really hope that the Teatime Collective will last and with their expansion, I believe it will happen.

So if you wanna eat fresh, good and flavoursome vegan food in Manchester, you should definitely make a trip to Hulme Park/St Wilfrid's Enterprise Centre and check this place out. I can't wait to see their progression, and to try their burgers...

Vegetarian selection: 9/10
Vegetarian food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value for money: 10/10
35/40
 

A spontaneous one at Joshua Brooks

You know those evenings when you have something in mind and it turns out completely different but it ends up being much nicer than anything you had expected? In any case, let me tell you about it.

It wasn't a particularly nice day, I was tired and didn't feel like doing much at all. The afternoon turned to early evening and Jon asked if I wanted to go and watch the football. I hesitated for a while but decided that it could actually be good to get some fresh air and leave the flat for a couple of hours. When you're six months pregnant, that's quite an adventure in itself.

We set off for Lass O'Gowrie, where we had also decided to get something to eat. According to their website they served food until 8 pm but as we arrived it turned out they didn't. I was starving and when I'm hungry I need to eat straight away, otherwise things can turn a little uncomfortable.

Our first thought was to go to Spar for a sandwich and then head back to the pub, but instead we settled for something much nicer and went to what-was-for-me an entirely new pub, Joshua Brooks. Although it's right beside Lass, I had never been there before. I'm happy my record changed this evening.

So with the expectation of nothing than boring pub food; a frozen pie that's put in the microwave for a few minutes, we ordered a pie each as nothing else was available. However, they were much beyond our expectations, surprisingly tasty and with smooth buttery mashed potato and lovely mushy peas with mint and a hint of lemon as sides, it turned out to be a really nice meal.

Goosnargh Chicken, Stornaway Black Pudding, Apple and Mustard Pie (£4.50) with Creamy Mashed Potato (£0.75)

Leek and Potato Pea Cream with White Truffle Oil Pie (£4.50) with Mushy Peas with Mint (£0.75)

I had water all evening but Jon had a couple from the Slightly Foxed range that was on tap (£2.30). Aside from this, the bottled beer selection looked impressive and I can assure you that I'll be back once I can enjoy beer again.

Papers, beer and pistachio nuts

The atmosphere wasn't that of a typical football pub, but then it wasn't a big football night, so I guess my judgement is halting a little. I got the impression that the audience was a good mix of both ages and genders, the service was friendly and the overall atmosphere unpretentious, nice and relaxed. One couldn't really ask for much more on a Tuesday night.

Vegetarian selection: 6/10
Vegetarian food: 7/10
Non-vegetarian selection: 4/10
Non-vegetarian food: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
39/60

 

A birthday at Richmond Tea Rooms

A week ago, the time had come for a group of 15-20 people to gather for a birthday celebration at Richmond Tea Rooms. I was one of them.

As we arrived, the staff looked a bit stressed, and although we had reserved our places they didn't seem to know how many of us to expect. Room got tight, but at least we all had somewhere to sit so everybody seemed happy.

Richmond Tea Rooms

For the rest of the afternoon and early evening the service was a bit messy, but it didn't really bother me. What else can you expect when going for afternoon tea on a Saturday afternoon, in a group of more than 15 chatty women?

I wasn't that hungry, nor do I fancy sweet cakes, so the natural thing for me to order wasn't one of the afternoon tea sets. Although they seemed impressive, I remember three years back when I ordered one for the first in my life in the Midlands Hotel; I hardly finished half of it, purely due to its size.

I thought I'd be more sensible and ordered a Club Veggie sandwich (£5.95). It would prove to be a good choice.

Club Veggie

The only downfall was that it came with crisps. It said so in the menu so it wasn't a surprise, but still. I know it's just me being weird, but crisps?

For a Swede it's impossible to consider crisps a food. I'm struck by how many Brits seem to dine on these oily potato flakes for their lunch. It doesn't matter what it's plated with, it will make any dish look hundred times poorer and greasier.

Other than that the Club Veggie was very fresh and tasty.

It consisted of a toasted onion bread with three layers of roasted peppers, rocket, goat's cheese and pesto mayonnaise, a colourful salad with a mustard dressing on the side and best of all; homemade coleslaw. Full of flavours and both crispy and smooth at the same time. This was my favourite part of the meal.

For various reasons I drank tap water the entire time so I haven't got much to say about the drinks.

However, my fellow celebrants were more keen on alcoholic indulgence, as well as the sweet and savoury afternoon teas. A few of them ordered the bubbly Richmond Tea (£23.95) including champagne, tea and the full selection of cakes, scones and sandwiches. These were available as a vegetarian option too.

Richmond Tea

To judge by their reactions it was a successful choice, although I didn't spot a single one finishing all of it. You can bet they asked for doggie bags though. Good value for money? Most certainly.

Richmond Tea cake selection

Richmond Tea fruit scone

I had finished my sandwich while the others were still nibbling on their finger sandwiches, so I felt like I should at least try some of the dessert. After all, it was a birthday. I ordered Chocolate Fudge Cake (£3.95), and I wasn't just surprised by the size of it. It tasted of rich dark chocolate heaven, perfectly balanced with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Fantastic! Though it was so rich I couldn't even finish half of it. Thankfully, the others came to my assistance.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Overall it was a lovely visit. The atmosphere isn't overly fancy but really relaxed. It's suitable for everyone, whether it's just the two of you, or you're going as a family or a bigger group. If you're going on a Saturday however, make sure to book in advance as the place seems to fill up quickly, and it's easy to understand why.

Vegetarian selection: 7/10
Vegetarian food: 8/10
Non-vegetarian selection: 7/10
Non-vegetarian food: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Value for money: 7/10
42/60

A nibble of The Whim Wham Cafe

If you're looking for a cosy and relaxed spot on a chilly autumn Saturday evening, The Whim Wham Cafe is the place to go.

I had only been once before, on a sweaty summer day. Already then I liked it, but it was rather empty and the atmosphere felt a bit flat. I remember having a light refreshing salad but that was all I could manage because of the heat.

Except from nibbling on some olives and peanuts, I didn't eat this time. According to Jon the olives were "reeeally nice", though I think that was more down to hunger than the actual quality of the olives. I was busy studying people, enjoying the interiors and drinking my non-alcoholic Elderflower and Mint cocktail.
 
Whim Wham is designed to look like an old train carriage. You have to see it to get it, but it's retro in a balanced, not too stylish, way.

The crowd appears to be rather mixed. You get the hipsters; the sort that doesn't seem bothered about anything but having a good time. Then you get those totally weird groups of people that you just can't define. They're always a good sign though - no one has to feel excluded.

The menu doesn't offer that much vegetarian food but some of it sounds really tempting. Next time I think I'll have to try the Blueberry, Mint & Pickled Walnut Salad and the Beetroot Bourguignon. If it's not perfect, I probably won't mind, I'm sure the atmosphere will make up for it.