Bar manager of the Piccadilly Lounge Thomas Ebs was a superb tutor, and was patient as we went from being attentive, to attacking the canapes with gusto and then as the pure liquor took hold, just shouting over him and each other. He taught us all the tricks of the trade, like counting out the measurements, shaking the cocktail shaker without throwing it all over your customers and how to look smooth while your doing it. He would not, however, let us juggle with the bottles like Tom Cruise and Brian Brown. Perhaps for the best.

It was universally decided that I should drink the ‘Carrie’ cocktail – hopefully because I’m a writer and not because I have a long face.

The ‘Miranda’ was my favourite, with a clean taste of Grey Goose vodka, and for a true redhead style, flavoured with watermelon, rose syrup and Kaffir lime leaves (as seen above). Mmm glug glug.

The ‘Samantha’ was my afore-mentioned favourite cocktail ever – with a layered taste of rich cherry and basil, with Wisniowka cherry vodka, lemon and cranberry juice. Most of the vodka ended up on the counter, after one of the friends didn’t quite master the pouring technique, so it was more of a cherry soft drink. I’ve been told not to bring her again.

The ‘Charlotte’ was far from being an innocent drink, but it was pretty straight up. The pineapple and cardamom infused cachaca was blended with lime wedges, fresh pineapple and cane sugar for a strong but tasty short cocktail. All the cocktails are £6.95 if these photos tempt you for a’ Sex and the City Inn’ evening – and the bonus is myself and my friends will NOT be making them for you.

The cocktail events are great for groups of friends, and it’s not often you’re allowed behind the bar to try making your own drinks. The Blue Bar is one of my favourite secret bars in Manchester (not a secret anymore though), and it’s nice to have a civilised drink while your make-up’s still on straight.

The Sex and the City cocktail masterclass is available at the City Inn until July 11 and is £30 per person (for at least four people) and involves two cocktails each and canapes. To book a master class call the Manchester hotel on 0161 242 1000 and quote ‘SATC master class’.

www.cityinn.com

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Anyway, we were there and we were hungry AND they had a two courses for £12.95 offer on. The modern British menu definitely tempted our tastebuds so onwards we went. Showing its raw original brick arches to their full potential, the decor was understated, with a clean finish. So far, so good.

I got a severe case of food envy throughout the meal, with the other half’s dishes being much more appetising than mine. His starter of chicken liver pate was rich and smooth, and came with shallots to pile on the pate, a balsamic drizzle and locally baked bread. Look – he’d even started eating it before I took a photo.

My smoked salmon and sesame seed fishcakes were rightly tasty, but came with a mere drizzle of sweet green chilli dip. It was far from being a dip, and could have just been a damp plate – and actually didn’t taste of green chilli at all. Sweet red chilli sauce is sooo over, so a green chilli relish would have been a wonderful accompaniment but this thin drizzle just didn’t deliver.

I ordered the chorizo and artichoke risotto for my main course but was brought the pea risotto and then had to sit meal-less for another seven minutes while they re-cooked my order. Perhaps I should have stuck with the pea because the chorizo was just too salty and overpowering to go with the soft gooey rice, and I ended up leaving most of it. The artichokes were beautiful, but risotto is such a delicate dish it doesn’t need that big wallop of flavour from the chorizo.

Opposite, a tender lamb shank with thick chunky gravy and mash was a massive success. It was the small details – the bits of garlic in the gravy, the chopped greens in the mash, the crisped skin on the lamb – that really made it.

As restaurant urban myth has it, Mondays aren’t a good day to eat out because this is when the head chef has the day off. However, we’re still paying customers and there weren’t that many people eating for them to make mistakes and be all rushed. The main menu (not the offer we had) was quite expensive so I wouldn’t have been happy to pay top whack for the inconsistent level of food.

Too full for desserts – even for creme brulee – we strolled back through Castlefield to catch the last of the rays.

Choice Restaurant, Castle Quay, Manchester, M15 4NT
T: 0161 833 3400
W: www.choicebarandrestaurant.co.uk

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The City Inn is a place that has really developed in the last few years – in fact who can remember what was there before it appeared? Its surroundings are ultra-modern offices and an swanky apartment block, completely tranforming the previously grotty Piccadilly approach area. The new footbridge, which takes you over to Piccadilly station, means that the outdoor terrace is great for attracting passers by.

The terrace was packed with office workers and tourists, with a guitarist singing and strumming away to add to that Friday feeling. After rifling through the cocktail menu, I decided that the Basil Cherry Blush (£7.85) was my favourite cocktail EVER! This is a beautiful fusing of Wisinowka cherry vodka, crushed raspberries, fresh basil, lemon, raspberry liquer and cranberry juice. An overwhelmingly juicy cherry flavour was rounded off by a lovely herby basil taste which stopped it from being to sweet.

I am actually putting together a cocktail guide to Manchester, and so far this is my number one. Please leave a comment with your favourite cocktail and I’ll be sure to test it out!

Mr Manchester Is Ace likes his whisky so the Honey Mash Macallan (£7.95), with Macallan ten year Scotch with pear cognac, and Drambuie with griottine cherry was perfect for him, and even as a non-whisky drinker it was smooth, and not to overwhelming.

I’ve eaten at the City Inn many times since it opened, and I think this is the best menu I’ve seen in the past four years. It really was lovely and summery, with a concise collection of dishes which manage to tread that fine line between appealing to your generic business traveller but at the same time being imaginative and very modern.

New head chef Scott McDonald came out for a chat with us and he has previously cooked with both Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsey and has also worked at Selfridges.

The choice of bread at the City Inn is exquisite and I could quite happily eat it for my starter, and it come with options such as onion bread and wholewheat . The starters menu has some great light dishes on it such as White crab and mango salad or clear vegetable broth. My cray fish bisque (£4.95) was beautifully presented but the flavour was a tad overwhelming and a slight hint of bitter taste (pictured above).

The Pan fried breast of quail (£6.50) was a definite winner. The cutesy sized meat treat was flavoured with honey and five spice, and perched upon a pea and mint risotto cake and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It ticked all the starter boxes in that it was full of different flavours to really whet the appetite.

Both of our main courses were meat-loving dishes, each featuring a hat trick of animal parts. The trio of Middle White pork brought together confit belly, roast fillet and pork sausage in a porcine frenzy, while the lamb dish presented tender pink rump, sweet rolled lamb belly and delicate kidney.

I’d recently had lamb at Thomas and belly pork at Bulb and the quality, flavour and overall preparation was far superior in Scott’s kitchen. The quality of meat was exceptional – all juicy and succulent. This indelicate intaking of food was washed down with a Quinta do Alqueve 2006 Portuguese red, which the waiter thought was a fabulous choice because he was Portuguese. We also shared a side order of greens to avoid getting gout.

I was impressed with the well-stocked cheese trolley, but we both went for proper desserts. The treacle tart (£5.50) was a moist sticky cake, and I think I maybe prefer the diabetes-inducing old-school tart that is quite literally filled with treacle. The other half went for a pasty-shaped dessert filled with smooth almond paste, that was really unusual but very tasty and came with vanilla ice cream.

Hotel dining rooms are always tricky ones to get right because they aren’t intimate little basement rooms and have to serve breakfast in the morning. The City Inn is one of the better ones. It’s a bit too posh for me to take my rowdy group of mates, but it’s definitely somewhere I’d take my family for a meal and lunch after shopping.

The Market Menu changes weekly and has a two course evening meal for £14 .95 and three courses for £16.50, and is fantastic value for the quality of the food. I would definitely recommend the a la carte menu for the full experience, which is £16.95 for two courses and £21.95 for three courses.

City Inn Manchester, 
One Piccadilly Place, 
1 Auburn Street
, Manchester, 
M1 3DG
T.

T: 0161 242 1000
E: manchester.reservations@cityinn.com
W: www.cityinn.com/Manchester

Disclaimer: This was a complementary meal from City Inn but I think they were pretty confident about their new chef and new menu to stand up to an honest review.

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There is an impressive line up of events, with a key note speech from Matthew Fort. The Guardian food reviewer is a hero of mine since I read his book about travelling around Sicily while I was there on my honeymoon, and marvelled at the sheer amount of food that one human can consume.

The event is organised by Edge Street Events, who also run Manchester Food and Drink Festival and takes place at the Ramada Manchester Piccadilly.

Discussions include talking about whether a restaurant can remain a one off independent; an emerging producers’ showcase; a discussion about Britain’s declining pub industry, and using social media for food outlets.

Phil Jones, director of Edge Street Events, says: “The objective is to provide a comprehensive forum where crucial and sometimes controversial issues surrounding the industry can be debated, where new ideas and theories can be shared, and where lasting cross sector networks can be established or renewed. This is a unique networking event that aims to become an established annual feature on the national food and drink industry calendar.”

Other food guests include:  Jean Christophe Novelli, Henrietta Green, Fergus Henderson, Paul Heathcote and Sheila Dillon.

And if all that talking wears you down, the evening’s light entertainment is Loyd Grossman’s band The New Forbidden.

For more information, www.thefoodanddrinksummit.com.

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We’ve not had a gourmet chocolate maker (although I’m sure someone can correct me) in Manchester, since Plasir du Chocolat in the Royal Exchange and Harvey Nichols closed down and sadly went into administration. Obviously the Chocolate Cafe in Ramsbottom does amazing things, but it’s not on my walk home after work.

Artisan du Chocolat is famed for bringing salted caramels to the world. They were invented in 2003 by Gerard Coleman for Gordon Ramsay’s menu at Claridge’s. I had always imagined them to be a solid caramel flavoured with salt. But in fact, they are oozy liquid caramel flavoured with Noirmoutier island’s grey salt and surrounded by a bitter crunchy cocoa shell.

I didn’t make a note of the flavours I bought and my palate may well be tainted by the bottle of Presecco I am drinking. Oh we know how to live it up on a Monday night, oh yes. Anyway, one of the salted caramels tasted rich and dark, like black treacle. One was definitely balsamic vinegar, which was a great taste combo, and t’other I think was lemony but I scoffed it way too quickly. They were definitely more-ish, but I definitely expected more of a salty kick. I always knew chocolate and salt went together hand in hand, when I used to eat crisps with Kit Kats as a youngster. That’s me – ahead of the times.

Moving onto the delicate patterned gourmet chocs, of which there are so many delicious-sounding and really unusual flavours, injected into the rich chocolate ganache. I found a PDF menu with a key to all the flavours tucked away on the Couture collection page, so take a look.

The lavender was a good un with a very delicate but definite floral hint. With the basil and lime, the citrus took over a bit too much and I’d have liked to taste the earthy basil flavour. Green cardomon was quite strongly flavoured and tasted like the kulfi we spend all summer buying from the curry mile. This was definitely one of the favourites, with its warm spicy taste.

Vanilla was more subtle than I would like, while the mint was truly infused with the beautifully light aroma of real fresh mint leaves.

Prices were good at around £7 for 100g. I bought a bag of about 10 and it came to £5, which was impressive.

www.artisanduchocolat.com

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And since I started going about a month ago, it’s now my favourite restaurant in Manchester too. Actually I’d like it better if it wasn’t a chain, but that’s food snobbery for you.

And I didn’t even let my first terrible experience put me off.

I knew it was going to be spicy but I didn’t really consider how spicy it would be. SO I merrily ordered the mixed meat and seafood clay pot and happily drunk my house sauvignon blanc (which is not bad for a ‘housey’).

But it was spicy. Not just oh-my-tongue-is-tingling spicy. More like, oh-my-brain-is-going-to-explode spicy. All I did was dip my chopstick into the evil chilli dish, bubbling away like a witch’s cauldron, and my head actually exploded. This tiny dib-dab of liquid gave me a sneezing fit so bad I had to run to the toilets. And I like spicy food!

Anyway it made the husband’s night, I think he’s still laughing now. So first visit: Red Chilli 1 – Manchester Is Ace: 0.

But that didn’t put me off one bit. I was up for the match.

So we went there again last weekend. The husband was late because he was soundchecking and I so nearly ordered him the shredded jellyfish to punish him, but I’m just not that mean.

The fillet steak rolls (£5.50) were a win last time, and were just as good second time around, with black pepper sauce. Thick braised fillet steak is somehow encapsulated in a roll format and slathered in either a Cantonese, black pepper or sweet spicy sauce. I could probably eat these every day for the rest of my life.

The menu tells me that cold starters are popular in Sichuan (which this restaurant specialises in) so I gave the Poached salty duck (£4) a whirl. Next time we’re getting braver and are definitely getting in the Husband and wife’s lungs. Still not ready for the shredded jellyfish though. Unless it was the bastard one that scarred me for life in Sicily last year.

The Beijing dumplings (£4.50) are a traditional dish for celebrations, so we also ordered these because we were celebrating going to Red Chilli again. They were good, with bits of pork in I think, but not worthy of daydreaming over. You actually get more than this, but I started eating before I remembered to take a photo.

After my debacle with the clay pot, I only ordered one main course in a tactical move. How could I lose if I didn’t order my own main dish? Our lamb dish isn’t on the downloadable menu, but was a stir fry number with spring onions (around £7.50). It was tasty covered in a rich Cantonese-style but delicate sauce with no sign of the gloopiness that puts me right of British-style Chinese food.

Anyway there wasn’t one scrap of food left this time so:
Red Chilli 0 – Manchester Is Ace 1.

Red Chilli is in Chinatown on Portland Street, and is a cosy, but fairly contemporary, basement space. There is another branch on Oxford Road but I’ve not been there yet. The selection of starters really make it for me and I could eat them all night long. It’s good to find somewhere that gives the tastebuds such as slap that you’re still thinking about how tasty it was days later.

You can also read reviews by the High Priests of food reviewing, Matthew Norman and Jay Rayner here.

Red Chilli, 70-72 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 4GU
T: 0161 236 2888
W: www.redchillirestaurant.co.uk

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AND their lunchtime offer won the Best Set Menu in the Good Food Guide 2010. Jay Rayner says this about it: “Right now, at lunchtime, Michael Caines at ABode Manchester is offering what must be one of the best bargains in the world of serious cooking available in Britain today.”

The super lunchtime offer is £12 for three courses, between 12noon and 2.30pm. They are mini taster portions, but three of them is still more than enough for a really filling lunch.

I’ve also been to review Abode in the evening for Taste of Manchester, when fellow food writer Lisa Higginson and I ate enough food for our extended families, and three generations in the future for the next 50 years. However, this visit was a little more restrained.

The menu changes regularly, so the current offering is this. Full marks to Abode for bringing me a massive bread basket, and don’t tell Dr Atkins but I ate it all. All three pieces. And it was good.

Out of the three starters – scallops; duck confit and parsnip soup – the Pan fried scallops appealed the most.  They came out on a fancy little black plate, they were dressed with caramelised cauliflower puree and sweet raisin vinaigrette. The taste of cauliflower didn’t really come through and certainly didn’t stick in my mind, but the sweetness of the raisin juice was a good choice to fight with the smoky taste of them scallops. I liked the little baby leaves because they looked cute and miniature things are always good.

The main course was pretty tiny, but good because it just one part of four very tasty things (am including the bread here). The roast fillet of pollock was a plump cheeky little piece of white fish. I don’t usually like the taste of pollock because it’s a bland, but more eco-friendly version of cod. But if I’m going to eat it, it may as well be cooked by the best chefs. The leeks, wild mushrooms and herb butter sauce gave the whole dish a massive umph with the buttery creaminess making sure it was satisfying.

Not in the mood for a sweet treat, I went for the cheese and biscuits, with delicate homemade biscuits (mine are always thick, clonky and crumbly), and three cheeses. One was a blue, one a smoked Cheddar and one a goats cheese, I think. The onion chutney and grapes gave it all some zing.

You have to remember that a 12% service charge is added onto the bill at the end, so along with my Appletizer I think my bill came to about £16. Quite a lot for a lunch, but it was worth it, even though I’m now eating home-made sarnies for the rest of the month.

This is one of the best restaurants in Manchester, so if you want to taste the handiwork of MFDF chef of the year Ian Matfin, but can’t afford the full on evening experience – this is the one to go for.

107 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2DB
T: 0161 247 7744
W: www.michaelcaines.com/restaurants/manchester

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Alan Hartley, who is the coffee ambassador for the UK and Ireland, was there to guide me through what it takes to make a Flat White. Alan informed me that the Flat White is perfect for coffee lovers who are looking for a drink with a more intense flavour. It is made up of two shots of 100% Fairtrade certified espresso which is then topped with whole milk. The milk has an extra smooth taste to it as it “stretched and spun” which then allows the espresso to rise up through the milk.

If like me, you love coffee but your coffee making skills stretch as far to putting a teaspoon of Nescafe into a mug and adding hot water. You can imagine how daunted I was when Alan offered to show me how to make my very own Flat White. I donned the renowned green Starbucks apron and followed Alan behind the Starbucks counter where he demonstrated how to make a Flat White. Now we all know that every Starbucks’ Barista can whip up any coffee we ask for in under five minutes, so when it came round to making a Flat White I thought it would be a breeze. Oh how wrong I was!

Alan produced a perfect example of a Flat White accompanied by some very impressive “foam art” in under five minutes. My attempt however was not so successful. Even though I managed to not break anything, I will now think twice before if I begin to grumble about having to wait for my coffee whilst in a Starbucks’ queue.

As well as introducing the Flat White to Manchester, Starbucks are also offering the public the chance to book an appointment with their local Coffee Master or attend events in store to find their perfect coffee. I was given my very own “Coffee Master Class” in which I was able to taste a variety of coffee ranging from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Nevertheless, before I began to indulge myself I had to be taught the proper method to sample coffee. This involved slurping the coffee in such a way that it sprayed evenly across my tongue – not very attractive I have to say. However, after much slurping and strange looks from strangers I finally came to the decision that it is in fact coffee from Latin America which makes my taste buds happy. Alan informed me that unlike Asian Pacific and African coffee which has a much more fruity, bolder taste to it, Latin American coffee is much milder with slightly nutty flavour to it, making it perfect to drink throughout the day.

As my “Coffee Master Class” came to an end I was delighted to receive my very own bag of Latin American coffee (which has been put to good use I assure you) along with some extra coffee-related trivia. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning with Starbucks and I urge any coffee fanatics out there to go and try the new Flat White – you will not be disappointed.

Go taste your very own Flat White now at Starbucks for £2.25.

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They have also named the Most Over-Used Phenomenon of the Decade as foam, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Who wants their beautifully prepared meal topped off with a bit of flavoured washing up liquid. Let’s consign this trend to 2009. Goodbye!

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We’re now in the middle of Manchester Food and Drink Festival ,
after it launched last week with a glitzy bash at Manchester Art Gallery.
Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I’m doing some freelance PR work for the
festival so I’ve been watching all the behind the scenes action and can really
appreciate how much work goes into putting an event like this on.

And I’m starting to realise the occupational hazard of
working with (and consuming lots of) food and drink is a strong possibility of gout.
But, hey, I’m not complaining!

This weekend (October 8-11) coming is going to be a good
one, with loads of events happening in Albert Square. If you like beers, the
Oktoberfest (Oct 8-11) is for you, while is you prefer a proper British ale,
check out the Greater Manchester Ale Festival (just Oct 9 and 10). And even
better, Saturday, October 10 has been declared Ale and Pie Day with Holland’s
Pies giving away free pastry snacks to thirsty punters.

As a non-ale drinker I’ll be heading down today (Thursday, October for the Chocolate Day, in association with the Chocolate
Café. Last time I went into their shop, I tried loads of very odd flavours of
choccy including bacon (bit salty, but not too meaty!) and they even let me
have a go at making a hot chocolate.

The first Manchester Whisky Festival has also been really popular this
year, and all the masterclasses are completely sold out. There are still
tickets available for the event on Saturday (Oct 10) at MOSI (Museum of Science and
Industry) so if you like your malts, get ‘em quick.

There’s still loads of events happening every day, right up
until Monday, October 12 so check out the website. Click on the events section
to search by date.

www.foodanddrinkfestival.com.
Follow me on Twitter @MFDFO9
Also check out my Posterous, with photos from various
events.

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