Light up the night at Picadilly Gardens
City centre’s hidden gem: The Grill on the Alley
Friday, December 12, 2014 Quays Mail 11
By Helen Vaudrey Features Editor
THE Grill on the Alley describes itself as a restaurant serving “solid, honest, simple, proper food - job done.” Solid? Why yes, the food seemed solid enough, especially their signature ribeye steak that I requested to be cooked rare but instead proved tougher to hack in to than if it were still attached to the back of a live cow. Honest, simple and proper? Again, I can’t argue with their mantra on this either, the simplicity of which each dish that was presented to me quite frankly blew me away. And finally, Was the job done? Let’s say that towards the end of the evening I was actually considering taking the steak knife to myself to avoid tasting the pudding. Surprisingly, the Grill on the Alley is widely professed to be one of the best restaurants in Manchester and lists number three in the Mancunian’s guide to top restaurants in the city. Naturally, I was inclined to find out for myself. Tucked away on Ridgefield Street on the most affluent ‘alley’ I have ever walked in to, the restaurant boasts a welcoming and warming decor which features open brick walls and low hanging bulbs dangling two metres down from a high ceiling. However, much to my surprise I found myself being led, much like a cow to the slaughterhouse, down a flight of stairs and into the far less appealing basement of the restaurant. Deciding that I didn’t really care about my waistband anyway, I decided on the deep fried brie to start. The brie was accompanied by sweet beetroot and red onion com-
George Lucas yet to see new Star Wars trailer
TRIED AND TESTED: The Grill On The Alley serves up a meal to Helen Vaudrey what was the verdict pote with rustic croutes. Unfortunately, the cheese was not cooked sufficiently and was lukewarm at the time of serving. The texture was gloopy and lumpy and resembled more of a liquid than cheese and quite deterred from the other elements of the dish that were prepared and presented to a good standard. No sooner did I place down my knife and fork did I find that my dish was taken away by the waiter and replaced within two minutes by the main course. Nothing gives a more unprofessional impression in a fine dining restaurant than food being rushed out at such high speed. In the Grill on the Alley the main courses are priced on average around eighteen to twenty pounds per head. At this price range you would expect
a little more effort being put in to the preparation of the dish you ordered, even a relatively simple dish like steak, or at the very least that it would be cooked the way you requested. I requested the ribeye to be cooked rare, something the chef was apparently unfamiliar with and it instead arrived seared and cooked straight through with a side order of soggy chunky chips presented in one of those annoying mini fryers that chains like the Yates’s utilise. Yet at £19.75, I genuinely think the Yates’s round the corner would have provided better value for money. For desert: sticky toffee pudding. I was tempted to opt for a cheeseboard, but was astonished to see that at ten pound, the menu only offered a ‘selection’ of three
cheeses – yes you read that right – three. Compare this to the Damson restaurant which is one place behind the Grill on the Alley on Manchester’s top restaurant list and the price really does take the biscuit, or the cracker in this case. Damson offers a choice of seven cheeses at the exact same price as the Grill, and offers a full board selection for an extra five pound. In short, if you’re looking for the solid simple food that is quoted on the Grill’s website, then this restaurant will certainly not let you down. However, if you actually have compassion for your taste buds and your purse strings, then I strongly advise you take your carnivorous appetite to another steak house and steer well clear of this alley.
By Rebecca Bretherton Entertainment Editor
STAR Wars fans the world over were treated to the first sneak peak of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens two weeks ago. As excited mania and parodies ensued it came to light that creator George Lucas has yet to see the trailer - despite being listed as a Creative Consultant on the project. He told the New York Post “it’s not in the movie theatre, I like going to the movies and watching the whole thing there. I plan to see it when it’s released." Lucas sold his company (George Lucas Films) to The Walt Disney Company in 2012 for $4 billion, evidently breathing fresh air into the franchise. The new film is directed by JJ Abrams, the director behind the new Star Trek franchise. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is due for release in December 2015. Only time will tell if this new Star Wars journey will prove as successful as JJ Abrams previous endeavours.
Light up the night at Picadilly Gardens LIGHT: Manchester Art Gallery lights up for a new Picadilly Gardens art festival this December
By Rebecca Bretherton Entertainment Editor
THIS week a new light festival debuted in Manchester. The event, Enlighten Manchester will bring artists from across the word to the city. It’s a pilot launch with plans for a much bigger festival due to take place in December 2015, which will coincide with the UNESCO International Year of Light. Running for just four days from the 11th to the 14th of December it showcases a small number of art exhibits using light and sound in Manchester’s famous Piccadilly Gardens. Enlighten Manchester is the brain child of art agency Curated Place and is work-
ing in partnership with Manchester City Council, Heart of Manchester BID, Manchester Art Gallery and the Manchester School of Art. I visited the festival on its opening night and though it appeared the organisers were struggling somewhat with the dismal wet and windy weather I was impressed. There were lights set up to mimic the sound and look of raindrops, whilst a single spotlight named ‘Catch Me Now’ caught the attention of passers-by as it moved randomly across the floor. One of the more intriguing was a set of different coloured lights, the show titled ‘LYS*ARP’ and is described as a series of lanterns used to transform Piccadilly Pavil-
ion into a playable instrument, something the passer-by I spotted seemed to be having fun with as he walked under the lanterns path. Then there is one of the more understated exhibits, a projection on a concrete wall, the letters situated on the ground are reflected up on to it reading, ‘A Solid Wish Scatters.’ With interesting ideas, despite struggling with the weather as it appeared not all of the exhibits were up and running on time. It’s an exciting taster of things to come this time next year. For more information regarding the exhibits and times visit: www.enlightenmanchester.co.uk
Friday, December 12, 2014 Quays Mail 11
By Helen Vaudrey Features Editor
THE Grill on the Alley describes itself as a restaurant serving “solid, honest, simple, proper food - job done.” Solid? Why yes, the food seemed solid enough, especially their signature ribeye steak that I requested to be cooked rare but instead proved tougher to hack in to than if it were still attached to the back of a live cow. Honest, simple and proper? Again, I can’t argue with their mantra on this either, the simplicity of which each dish that was presented to me quite frankly blew me away. And finally, Was the job done? Let’s say that towards the end of the evening I was actually considering taking the steak knife to myself to avoid tasting the pudding. Surprisingly, the Grill on the Alley is widely professed to be one of the best restaurants in Manchester and lists number three in the Mancunian’s guide to top restaurants in the city. Naturally, I was inclined to find out for myself. Tucked away on Ridgefield Street on the most affluent ‘alley’ I have ever walked in to, the restaurant boasts a welcoming and warming decor which features open brick walls and low hanging bulbs dangling two metres down from a high ceiling. However, much to my surprise I found myself being led, much like a cow to the slaughterhouse, down a flight of stairs and into the far less appealing basement of the restaurant. Deciding that I didn’t really care about my waistband anyway, I decided on the deep fried brie to start. The brie was accompanied by sweet beetroot and red onion com-
George Lucas yet to see new Star Wars trailer
TRIED AND TESTED: The Grill On The Alley serves up a meal to Helen Vaudrey what was the verdict pote with rustic croutes. Unfortunately, the cheese was not cooked sufficiently and was lukewarm at the time of serving. The texture was gloopy and lumpy and resembled more of a liquid than cheese and quite deterred from the other elements of the dish that were prepared and presented to a good standard. No sooner did I place down my knife and fork did I find that my dish was taken away by the waiter and replaced within two minutes by the main course. Nothing gives a more unprofessional impression in a fine dining restaurant than food being rushed out at such high speed. In the Grill on the Alley the main courses are priced on average around eighteen to twenty pounds per head. At this price range you would expect
a little more effort being put in to the preparation of the dish you ordered, even a relatively simple dish like steak, or at the very least that it would be cooked the way you requested. I requested the ribeye to be cooked rare, something the chef was apparently unfamiliar with and it instead arrived seared and cooked straight through with a side order of soggy chunky chips presented in one of those annoying mini fryers that chains like the Yates’s utilise. Yet at £19.75, I genuinely think the Yates’s round the corner would have provided better value for money. For desert: sticky toffee pudding. I was tempted to opt for a cheeseboard, but was astonished to see that at ten pound, the menu only offered a ‘selection’ of three
cheeses – yes you read that right – three. Compare this to the Damson restaurant which is one place behind the Grill on the Alley on Manchester’s top restaurant list and the price really does take the biscuit, or the cracker in this case. Damson offers a choice of seven cheeses at the exact same price as the Grill, and offers a full board selection for an extra five pound. In short, if you’re looking for the solid simple food that is quoted on the Grill’s website, then this restaurant will certainly not let you down. However, if you actually have compassion for your taste buds and your purse strings, then I strongly advise you take your carnivorous appetite to another steak house and steer well clear of this alley.
By Rebecca Bretherton Entertainment Editor
STAR Wars fans the world over were treated to the first sneak peak of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens two weeks ago. As excited mania and parodies ensued it came to light that creator George Lucas has yet to see the trailer - despite being listed as a Creative Consultant on the project. He told the New York Post “it’s not in the movie theatre, I like going to the movies and watching the whole thing there. I plan to see it when it’s released." Lucas sold his company (George Lucas Films) to The Walt Disney Company in 2012 for $4 billion, evidently breathing fresh air into the franchise. The new film is directed by JJ Abrams, the director behind the new Star Trek franchise. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is due for release in December 2015. Only time will tell if this new Star Wars journey will prove as successful as JJ Abrams previous endeavours.
Light up the night at Picadilly Gardens LIGHT: Manchester Art Gallery lights up for a new Picadilly Gardens art festival this December
By Rebecca Bretherton Entertainment Editor
THIS week a new light festival debuted in Manchester. The event, Enlighten Manchester will bring artists from across the word to the city. It’s a pilot launch with plans for a much bigger festival due to take place in December 2015, which will coincide with the UNESCO International Year of Light. Running for just four days from the 11th to the 14th of December it showcases a small number of art exhibits using light and sound in Manchester’s famous Piccadilly Gardens. Enlighten Manchester is the brain child of art agency Curated Place and is work-
ing in partnership with Manchester City Council, Heart of Manchester BID, Manchester Art Gallery and the Manchester School of Art. I visited the festival on its opening night and though it appeared the organisers were struggling somewhat with the dismal wet and windy weather I was impressed. There were lights set up to mimic the sound and look of raindrops, whilst a single spotlight named ‘Catch Me Now’ caught the attention of passers-by as it moved randomly across the floor. One of the more intriguing was a set of different coloured lights, the show titled ‘LYS*ARP’ and is described as a series of lanterns used to transform Piccadilly Pavil-
ion into a playable instrument, something the passer-by I spotted seemed to be having fun with as he walked under the lanterns path. Then there is one of the more understated exhibits, a projection on a concrete wall, the letters situated on the ground are reflected up on to it reading, ‘A Solid Wish Scatters.’ With interesting ideas, despite struggling with the weather as it appeared not all of the exhibits were up and running on time. It’s an exciting taster of things to come this time next year. For more information regarding the exhibits and times visit: www.enlightenmanchester.co.uk
