Mezzaluna, Whitefield

Am I the only one who is desperate to eat outside when it's nice weather? Don't get me wrong, the current 'Hades' levels we are experiencing at the moment are even too much for me, but on this particular day it was about 23C, which is perfect. Then comes the question, where can we eat outside, which won't be full of Stella fuelled idiots with no tops on?

Mezzaluna in Whitefield is a bit of a hidden gem on the al fresco dining front. I had no idea they had a beautiful garden, until we drove past and could see the doors open at the back. It was gorgeous. Picnic benches with optional parasols, pretty flowers, and food and drink flowing in the blazing sunshine.

My favourite type of food on a nice day is 'picky bits', and Mezzaluna was perfect for this. A pizza, sharing board, and chips appeared to be the perfect garden picnic on a warm day. Real picnics are a bit too much faff!

Antipasti platter: A selection of lovely strong cheeses, a full ball of mozzarella, continental meats, salad, olives, honey and bread. Now let me tell you, it turns out that mozzarella and honey are my new favourite thing. I may have recreated this in my own garden. Twice.

Pizza with fennel sausage, broccoli and mushrooms: Cannot for the life of me find this on the current menu, but noticed you can still build your own to this effect. Broccoli and sausage is such a wonderful combo that I have it wherever I go. If you've never tried it, I really must insist that you get your act together.

I kind of didn't want to tell you about this place, as it was serenely quiet in the midst of summer mayhem. Hidden away behind a busy road, this really is a little oasis for sunny days. Go here for a relaxed afternoon where you can pretend you're in the Mediterranean, not Manchester. Drink wine, eat some lovely food, and laugh with your nearest and dearest.

Fox, Hale Barns

So life has been a bit upside down of late, so I'm playing catch up. While this in itself is a lovely task because I get to look at some mouth watering photos and recall happy memories, it's also meant that I've spent the last few evenings being very hungry indeed.

First, to Fox in Hale Barns. I decided to start with this one because it has to be the best meal I have had in a long time. That's correct, I'm getting it out there, right here, right now. Fox can do no wrong in my eyes; from the location in pretty Hale Barns, the people who work there, the decor, the outstanding food, and the Jo Malone influenced products in the toilets. Everything about this place oozes unctuous luxury, but in a refreshingly relaxed environment. This makes no sense unless you have been.

I felt so strongly about this that I pretty much wrote my conclusion in my introduction. I suppose I had better show you what all the fuss is about with the actual food.

Let me set the scene... The day is cold, bright and sunny, and my dining companion and I are headed on a scenic 'A road' tour through Altrincham, and into the leafy suburb of Hale Barns. They have a Booths... you know where I'm headed. I'm a big fan of a weekend road trip, so this made the excursion doubly exciting. After an initial kerfuffle with finding the car park, getting overly excited about the aforementioned Booths, and cooing over the beautiful exterior, we were greeted, seated and drinks were in our hands in record time. 

Sourdough garlic bread - half cheese, half tomato: I was hungrier than I had ever been in my entire life, and also a tad melodramatic, whilst perusing the menu. Our utterly delightful waitress (whose name escapes me, annoyingly), quickly suggested sourdough garlic bread whilst we decided. Unable to agree on our preferred flavour, half and half was ordered - perfect.

Owner Danny Fox came for a chat whilst we were mid starter based conundrum, so we let him pick his favourites for us. Oh Danny, you picked two little belters.

Prawn pil pil - baked king prawns in olive oil, garlic, chilli, paprika, lemon, chopped parsley, served with crusty sourdough bread: For someone who used to have a pathological fear of eating prawns, I couldn't leave these alone. They weren't even my starter! Beautifully cooked in a rich and spicy sauce, mopped up with crusty bread. Not comfortable yet? You must be crackers. This dish is the equivalent of warm fluffy socks after a soak in a hot bubble bath. 

Duck and pomegranate apple salad - mixed leaves, apple, pomegranate, toasted mixed seeds, balsamic and honey dressing: Forget everything you know about salad, immediately. This was so tasty! Warm duck, a tangy dressing, sweet fruit and those wonderfully nutty seeds. These are my kind of leaves.

Grilled hake - roasted cherry tomato, chorizo, puy lentil ragù, basil and a hint of chilli: Another recommendation from fantastic Mr Fox himself. I wish I could have captured the smell of this for you, and hasten the development of the technology which would allow me to do so. You will just have to trust me that this is Autumnal bliss.

Roasted succulent sirloin of Red Hereford beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and steamed vegetables all finished with a rich red wine gravy: Warmed me right through this did. Behold. Already drenched in that glistening gravy, they give you more on the side; Fox and I are going to be friends. Anywhere that serves me parsnips when I'm already a little chilly will be forever in my good books. It even comes with a glass of free prosecco.

We picked some skinny fries and grilled asparagus to have on the side of our lunches, the star of the show being the addition of sesame seeds to the asparagus.

Sticky toffee pudding with a rich butterscotch sauce and ice cream: There's a nip in the air and wind in my hair; pudding time is upon us. Looks as dense as a house brick with its saturated toffee sponge, but was genuinely as light as a feather.

Crème brûlée - oven cooked cream with mixed berries: Good crack on that sugar crust, not too sweet and served with a lovely homemade compote.

Drinks: Lovely selection of drinks, ranging from decent beers (can highly recommend Lagunitas Day Time for those not wanting to be hammered at lunchtime), mocktails and cocktails, and an impressive wine list (finishing the bottle is highly recommended for those who do wish to be hammered at lunchtime).

We rounded the meal off with a rather civilized pot of tea, which came served in a very pleasing speckled duck egg blue teapot and cup. Even their tableware makes me smile.

Why am I writing this up whilst on a gym and meal programme? I pretty much summed up Fox at the start of this post, and I'm sure my pictures alone will have left you fancying a trip. Fox is everything I love about dining out; good company, wonderful food, a bit of friendly chat with our servers, comfortable surroundings, and those little extras which make the experience that bit special. Front of house and kitchen teams are together working in perfect harmony, which will make you want to stay all day.

Crust, Liverpool

Crust... I've been meaning to visit you for a while. I'd heard tales of fancy dough, chocolate ravioli, an excellent selection of craft beers, and delicious cocktails. This sounded very much like my natural habitat.

I love Liverpool's Bold Street. Home of many a cute independent restaurant, it has to be one of the best places to wander to when you have no idea what you want. It has everything; there are pretty tea shops, somewhere for a hearty breakfast, and places where you can happily stuff your face. Whatever your preferred cuisine, there's something for you. There's Italian, Lebanese, Indian, fish 'n' chips, burgers, tapas, Caribbean and Chinese, to names the ones I know of!

I went last week with some of my faves, to finally suss out the elusive Crust. We saw some sunshine for what felt like the first time in 17 years, so on arrival Lee and I decided to sample some of the home made lemonade rather than cane the cocktails. I like interesting drinks like this, shows a bit of effort. The boys on the other hand went straight for the local brew, Love Lane Pale.

Red Lemonade - fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, fresh strawberries, soda and ice

Peach Lemonade - fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, fresh peach, thyme, soda and ice

Love Lane Pale 4.5%

10/10 for presentation guys!

It wasn't long before a cocktail called my name (they do that...). I can highly recommend the fruity and refreshing signature Crustyberry. Perfect for a sunny day, but I have to admit I was a bit awkward with that silver bucket. I'm awkward at the best of times, but I was particularly so with these odd receptacles. 

Renagade West Coast Pale Ale 5.1%
Rye Pale Ale 5.6%

Sauvignon IGT, Anno Domini: intense spiced nuances of peppers, sage, elderflower & tomato leaf, typical characteristics of this grape variety

Crustyberry - brown sugar, fresh raspberry, Chambord, Malibu, coconut syrup & raspberry juice

And so to the food. Brace... The menu looks like any other pizza gaff; I will forgive you for thinking this if you have never visited. Read on...

Bresaola - cured beef fillet, rocket and parmesan: Wafer thin slices of cured beef with cheese and a sharp balsamic glaze. Absolute carnivorous heaven.

Burrata - creamy burrata mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and pesto: One for those who are not as keen on meat, but you still get a whole ball of burrata, all to yourself. One suggestion, perhaps a little more bread is needed.

Prosciutti Di Parma - parma ham and buffalo mozzarella: Another meat lover's dream. A big old pile of parma ham and that huge mozzarella. I could eat this stuff every day of my life.

Smokey Ham - woodfired, Tuscan bread topped with Mortadella ham, smoked provola cheese, cherry tomatoes, balsamic glaze: I won. I didn't realise we were playing a game, but everyone agreed this ham smashes all other starters out of the ball park. I know I'm coming across as an eager beaver, but if you listen to me once in your life, order this!

Porchetta Pizza - tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, porchetta roast pork, caramelised onions. 

Base - five grain - the wholesome one. A unique blend of flax wheat germ, oat, spelt and rice flour, this dough is packed with health benefits to nourish you from within: I thought the five grain base might be a bit tough, but no such tooth troubling stuff came to fruition. Warrior-like behaviour displayed here, with this entire pizza being polished with relative ease. 

'Nduja Pizza - Tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, spicy salami, spicy 'nduja sausage, fresh chilli.

Base - Organic - handmade from the finest flour imported directly from Italy, this is a truly special ‘Crust’: An upgrade from the traditional base, this organic choice was beautifully soft with a crispy edge. Nicely spicy, this lad.

Bella Napoli Pizza - Buffalo mozzarella, smoked provola, friarielli broccoli, Italian sausage.

Base - Organic: This was my choice. I always prefer a blanco pizza (no tomato base), and Crust have four to choose from. I adored this! All the cheese.

Quattro Fromaggi Pizza - Fior di latte mozzarella, gorgonzola, smoked provola, parmesan.

Base - black dough - this unique and healthy black dough uses a natural vegetable charcoal, recommended to improve your insides and assist in detoxifying the body: Black dough... we were unsure how this would go down. Looks a bit odd, and they're saying it cleans your pipes up a treat. I'm not sure how Lee found the Mr Muscle effect, but I tried a bit, and can confirm it's actually very similar to a normal pizza base. It's definitely one to try!

French fries and sweet potato wedges: Because obviously we didn't have enough carbs...

We were stuffed beyond belief. Two of us were nursing pizza overload, and the others were putting on a brave face. Then the lovely Stefan returns with dessert giddiness and that infectious enthusiasm he has... before we know it, we're ordering this little lot! I don't know how we didn't just die on first glimpse of it all.

Pizza Dolce - handmade pizza, topped with custard cream, pistachio nuts and chocolate: Yes, that's right, pizza base topped with custard. Sweet pizza. It sounds so wrong, but it's just so so right.

Pizza Nutella - handmade pizza, smeared with soft Nutella, fresh cream and sliced strawberries: This was the one I ordered, although I now realise that it appeared minus the cream. This may have been linked to an ice cream incident explained earlier (awful occurrence where someone had let it all melt - manager was fuming bless him). I think I'd have preferred more strawberries too, as psychologically it's more balanced.

Ravioli al Cioccolato - handcrafted sweet ravioli filled with a decadent chocolate sauce: You'd think these would be really dense, but they were nothing of the sort. Beautifully light chocolate pasta pumped with chocolate sauce.

Once again, we were coerced by that Stefan one... Apparently a meal is not complete without a shot of Limoncello! It did actually help with the carb-coma.

So we didn't actually eat it all. We felt terrible. But never fear! It was boxed up tout suite.

We had such a great time at Crust. I really think the pictures in this post say more than I can with words. Their concept is pretty simple; great pizza, pasta and beer. We saw that this was correct, and the staff were just lovely too. We did have a bit of a mix up regarding the reservation when we first arrived, but this was quickly forgotten when we realised just how fantastic the food is.

Crust is suitable for a whole plethora of scenarios. Their pizza wraps are perfect for lunch or if you're pushed for time, but if you have a little longer, enjoy their full range with a lovely cocktail or local beer.


Disclaimer: I was under no obligation to provide Crust with such gushing praise, but when someone presents you with so much delicious meat and cheese, it's very hard not to!

Salvi's Mozzarella Bar, Manchester

A couple of years ago, I discovered the wonder that is Salvi's. I sampled their 'Cucina' on John Dalton Street, and was totally smitten. I'm generally a bit non-plussed by Italian food, often favouring spicier options like Indian or Mexican. Italian as I knew it changed when I went to Salvi's. Fresh pasta, constantly changing specials, home made desserts and entertaining waiters make this family run business, the business. 

Their 'Mozzarella Bar' has just reopened in the city's newest foodie haunt, The Corn Exchange. Gone are the drab, soulless days of 'The Triangle', and now Salvi's rub shoulders with the likes of Mowgli and Wahaca. However, unlike the fancy exteriors of their neighbours, Salvi's have a small, unassuming shop front which can only be accessed from outside. It may look like a small deli, but if you venture inside, you'll find one of the cutest dining rooms in the city. 

I'll be honest, this set up caused confusion to begin with. We walked inside to find we appeared to have joined a queue. When we got to the front, the chap serving appeared very confused when I explained we had a table booked, however after a few awkward seconds, pointed us towards some stairs at the back of the deli. It's tiny, so you will genuinely wonder whether you have gone horribly wrong.

Downstairs is a different story. We were warmly welcomed by a cheery Italian chap, who showed us to a lovely table in the dimly lit dining room. The lighting is low, but it feels far from gloomy with the brightly coloured furniture and shiny green leather. Drinks were offered swiftly, and menus were in hand, with the upstairs confusion strictly in the past. 

Minestrone soup: My husband's favourite, personally I'm not usually a fan. This was gorgeous. It tasted as strong as a tomato consommé, but with lovely chunky vegetables.

Bruschetta con Tallegio: Basically posh cheese on toast with a tangy balsamic glaze. I'd give it a big kiss if I wasn't too busy eating it. I'm adding balsamic vinegar to cheese on toast from now on; Bruschetta con Horwich.

Pasta with Italian sausage: Pasta never thrills me. It's just pasta. However, pasta from Salvi's is a very different story. I'm confident I could try any pasta dish of theirs and love it. Perfectly al dente with generous chunks of sausage.

Rib eye steak with roast potatoes: The photos do not do this beaut of a dish any form of justice. Seriously, it's one of the best things I've eaten in some time. Thick cut strips of rare rib eye steak, covered in cheese and that beautiful balsamic reduction. The potatoes are no afterthought either; perfectly crisp with fluffy interiors. It made me very happy indeed. I also need to add that this dish is under £15. Bargainous.

Apple strudel: Paddy, 'I'm just having a coffee'. I've heard that before. Needless to say, I only saw half of this. Genuine joy.  Genuine anger that it isn't in front of me this very second.

I've never had a bad meal from Salvi's. They were really busy on Saturday, and there were a couple of incidents where the wrong food was delivered (awkwardly, it was for the table next to us!), but this was dealt with using equal measures of sincere apology and humour. Forgiven in an instant. The front of house staff were excellent, and the food blew our socks off. It even prompted me to make fresh pasta for dinner on Sunday! Not the same, it turns out.

You're going to struggle to find better Italian food in the city.


Disclaimer: I was invited to go and sample the new menu at Salvi's Mozzarella Bar. However, this was met with genuine elation, as I already knew how much I loved them. They have not paid me to say nice things, and indeed I regularly pay them to feed my face. 

Peachy Keen's, Manchester

I have two conflicting memories of buffet style restaurants. The first was some horrific Chinese place that made me horrendously sick. That was a low point in my culinary escapades. The second is the Wynn in Las Vegas; home to toffee apples for breakfast, a wondrous place that would have brought a tear to Willy Wonka's eye.

So to Peachy Keen's. There's no apostrophe in their name, but I'm running with one because that makes me feel wholly uncomfortable. When I first received the invite to test out their Manchester restaurant, I was haunted by the Chinese buffet memory, but decided to give it a go because there was promise of a dessert bar. What can I say, I'm weak.

My pal Lee and I took a random Wednesday off work and headed to the bright lights of Peachy Keen's. The restaurant is upstairs in the Printworks, but from inside looks like it could be night time in Vegas rather than 2pm in drizzly Manchester. It's much bigger than I expected, and although quite subdued at lunchtime, I imagine it's a hive of activity in the evening, with several live cooking stations serving food from around the world.

We were a bit overwhelmed on arrival, and did a bit of an investigatory lap before committing to any single cuisine type. We obviously started with Indian - rude not to!

There was a game plan. Little bits of lots of things. Don't overdo it, otherwise our plan to raid the Mr Whippy machine would have been done for. We had a delicious mixture of daal, Bombay potatoes, chicken curry, rice, chutneys, naan bread and onion bhajis. A natural follow up to this was Italian... This consisted of pizza, spicy wedges, chips (don't judge us...) coleslaw, tomatoes with Mozzarella and freshly cooked carbonara from the live station.

Our plans to eat more were somewhat scuppered by our earlier (and costly) decision to share a pastrami toastie in Proper Tea. Like we needed that. We had to have a rest before attacking the dessert counter, but we soldiered on in the interest of food blogging. I know, total warrior-like behaviour.

I managed a mini mango cheesecake, a jelly shot (sadly not alcoholic), some apple crumble and custard and a token piece of peach. Lee fared a little better, sampling numerous Jelly babies, some marshmallows dipped in the chocolate fountain, jelly and some undisclosed cheesecake of which I have no recollection.

We sat there, fit to burst with our eyes on the prize... The Mr Whippy machine. I've always wanted to pull my own ice cream (watch it...). Lee went for the 'giddy kippered - pile it on' approach, whereas my inner cake decorator forced me to do the 'icing a cupcake' routine. Either way, we had a bloody good time! Move over Softy's Hard Stuff...

Lunch at Peachy Keen's is £7.95 per person, which is a bit of a bargain considering the variety and volume of food on offer. Unlike some buffet restaurants, the food is of a decent standard and the dining room is clean and spacious. Granted, you can get a better curry or Italian in the city, but this is a bit of fun. I have to say that it exceeded my expectations, and both of us had a cracking little afternoon.