Onda Pasta Launch / Spinningfields Drinks

Last week author Robert Greene- he of 48 Laws of Power and others – liked my Instagram comment. It’s currently top comment on his post. 

Wednesday night: new restaurant Onda Pasta launches in Circle Square off Oxford Rd. They're a bit backwards in coming forwards, with limited information on thier socials, but I may pop in. They have dished out free Tiramasu in the runup to their launch, so who knows what might be on offer on the day.

Sadly we lost a great bar this week. Firefly in Spinningfields closed its doors, with bosses citing an ‘unsuccessful lease renewal.’ A small, trendy bar with a lot of greenery in it, if I recall. Sad to see it go. 

There are plenty others if you want high-end cocktails, and that’s why I set up a new meetup for Saturday night. Manchester Nightlife heads to Oast House, home of live music and outdoor summer drinking. The plan: check out some other nearby bars, try some cocktails, sample the nightlife. Perhaps stay out later and move further afield. Expect sharp décor, smart dress, house music, hip hop music and a great top row.I have 5 people booked to come so far. Make it 6!

Manchester Nightlife Group

Well, I bit the bullet and shelled out to set up my own Meetup group. Meetup.com, set up in the wake of 9/11 to bring communities closer together, has expanded rapidly over the last 10 years. I resisted for long enough (since 2009, when I first joined the site, in fact) and shelled out the £70 for a 6-month membership. I’m planning to get my money’s worth by uploading quite a few events. 

So, Manchester Nightlife group is live now, and as of Wednesday night has been racking up members, with over 70 joined so far. 

Last night I went on my first Manchester Nightlife meetup. One other member came out; we did a few bars around the top end of the Northern Quarter: Stevenson Square, Hilton Street, Tariff St etc. Decent night. 

I’ve got loads of ideas in the pipeline for nights around Spinningfields, Deansgate, Ancoats and other areas. I’ll do another meetup soon.

Baked Egg Pasta Florentine

I’m making a point now of opening the cookbook every Thursday, picking a recipe, adding the ingredients to a shopping list, going to the supermarket(s) to buy everything on the Friday night (sometimes the ingredients can only be found in certain places) and cooking the recipe on the Saturday.

 It seems to be working and my weight is coming down, and PBs are going up at the gym. It works.

 Last week I cooked this Italian dish from Rukmini Iyer's The Roasting Tin.

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Prep and cooking time was 50 mins, took me 60. All good. I forgot to keep some of the pasta water, which might have dried it out a bit, but it was still really tasty. 

If you’re a fan of eggs, spinach, nutmeg, pasta and chorizo, this combination is a treat.

Tender Launch

New restaurant Tender opened to the public last night, in the opulent Stock Exchange building, built in 1902 on Norfolk St, just off King St in the financial district. Trading stopped there in 1992; 27 years later the doors opened again as a boutique hotel. 

Now, restauranteurs GG Hospitality brings us Tender, an upmarket bar and restaurant.

New Manchester restaurant Tender opened to the public last night pic.twitter.com/eeyoXUnXDh

— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matthewtuckey) June 6, 2024

Door staff and a piano player welcome the customer into the foyer, then through to the main hall where we’re treated to more live music with a singer / guitar duo. Detail is everything: green and gold theme, drinks with glass straws, abstract art, discreet lighting and friendly staff. 

I’d question the pricing: why is a mocktail coming in at £9 (chargeable at the end of your visit, which I nearly forgot), when spirits are served from the £4-£8 range? That said, cocktails themselves are all £14, dearer than most Spinningfields offerings, for example. Also, spot the misplaced apostrophe in the drinks menu. 

If you fancy a change from the aforementioned area, maybe take a look in Tender.

The Footage has Closed / Tender Opening

Manchester institution and student bar The Footage has closed, The Manc reports. Long live The Footage. It turns out that holding company Stonegate is in £2.2 billion of debt. 

I went there loads in my uni days – ‘02-05, mostly – and usually because that’s where my mates wanted to go. I wasn’t enamoured, although I do remember pulling there a handful of times. Even after graduating, I went back a handful of times, largely because other people, again, wanted to go. 

I remember in about 2006 going with a school mate and someone he knew, and we landed on karaoke night, it seems. We all did a turn on the mic, singing Love on the Rocks and You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling etc. After this, some drama troupe rocked up – freshers, by the look of it – who wanted to sing We Go Together from the Grease movie, only they had apparently requested to sing it acapella. The DJ obliged. 

They were, frankly, terrible. I started to boo, and my two mates joined in. Soon the whole bar was booing this drama group. “You suck,” I yelled, ala Mrs Crabtree from South Park. Other people hurl other insults. The troupe battle through to the end of the song and slink offstage. 

Not my proudest moment now I think of it. 

In other news, new restaurant Tender opens in the Stock Exchange on Wednesday, describing itself as ‘a luxury dining experience for the senses.’ I might go see what mocktails they have. 

Also, I have another recipe review to go up.

Tortilla launch in Arndale

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Mexican eatery Tortilla opened a third site in the city centre this yesterday, adding to their Oxford Rd branch (opened in September 2022) and the Piccadilly Train Station site. 

Find the latest addition in the Arndale, close to the entrance of the Arndale Market. 

Tasty food, friendly staff, spicy sauce. There was a free lunch giveaway on the Friday, before the official opening; sadly I was in work.

Mum’s All-in-one Spiced Tomato Rice

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Not my mum’s, but Rukmini Iyer’s mum’s recipe is a simple, tasty vegan dish that made a few meals. 

I had to use a pot of garlic granules as, predictably, the garlic cloves in my cupboard dried up long ago. My cooking time was substantially longer. Was this due to memory difficulties? Probably. The rice took a long time to absorb the liquid. Should have been 35 mins, took me 1hr 7. 

Enjoyed it in the end, though!