san carlo manchester

A word or two if I may about a fabulous Italian eatery I was treated to recently. Really, we know every second restaurant you see nowadays is attempting Italian, but to my mind the original San Carlo in Manchester comes pretty close to not only serving the best Italian food outside of Italy, but also heaps of charm too.

I say original San Carlo, as this restaurant empire has almost become a brand, branching out across all of the UK and indeed the world in some pretty swanky and at times exotic locations. But it is the original, perched on a little street in the centre of Manchester that delivered a pretty marvellous dining experience for me.
Immediately the atmosphere hits you when you walk in. It is a different realm the second you go through the door. The place was packed, the atmosphere was electric and constant, possibly even tending slightly toward overwhelming and claustrophobic with the amount of people coming and going, but once you are seated it is like you are both cocooned in your own little compartment and also perched on a your own little section within the giant honeycomb hive of activity that is San Carlo.
Service-wise the San Carlo team are very impressive. Ever-moving, constantly active, moving like a blur often, but also extremely well drilled in their service method and well-versed in the very extensive but highly readable and desirable menu.

Which brings me onto the food, which as you can imagine was pretty much perfectly executed and delicious. As I said the menu was extremely varied and extensive but any remotely self-respecting foodie could order anything off it. My particular three courses were sublime. I started with the most unusual gnocchi I've ever had; potato based and deep fried served with a richly indulgent truffle sauce. Main was a very well cooked veal dish. Followed by a delectably light, flavoured and well baked cheesecake.
Truly I cannot fault any of the fare at all, and I well and truly dare anyone else to even consider trying.


So in conclusion, if you want to get not only a true taste of the best Italian this side of Tuscany, but also a spectacularly well run restaurant in its own right - San Carlo remains the one to beat for a place to eat.

Amore Whitefield

Just a quick word on a Whitefield eatery that was new to me and, according to its nifty Customer/Dishes Served/Business Days website counter, relatively new in general. A modern Italian tucked away in the now increasingly trendy Greater Manchester suburb.

In a word - impressive. Very crisp, very clean and very modern in terms of interior decor and ambience, yet at the same time there was an intriguing feeling of warmth and cosiness too. Whilst Amore is not massive in size or scale - an immediate atmosphere hits you that is grand and all encompassing, whilst the place also makes you feel very individual and welcome too.

The menu itself reads quite simply and is not massive, but every single plate of food I saw looked stunning, and those I tasted were just as superb.
There is no doubt about it: the food is well and truly the main focus here. Superbly presented, brilliantly crafted and tasting not too far away from divine. Obviously Italian with a very nuanced and individual twist; the chef and his team are clearly very accomplished, wonderfully skilled and also I wager harbouring quite a controlled yet potent passion for what they do, or at least that is the impression I received.
My two dishes were sublime. Starting with Arancini (which I am normally quite a fan of anyway) which were filled with Parmesan and ragú and were stunningly and delectably delicious, this was then followed by a very pleasing and very well cooked chicken breast served with gnocchi and a hunter's sauce. But truly, there really was an array of dishes that would have surely been just as pleasing to eat, and I do intend on returning to sample a few of them.


My only minor niggle is that the staff, whilst pleasant, welcoming and accommodating, were a tad lacking in attentiveness, but I'm sure this will improve with time.
All in all I am extremely happy I have discovered and dined in Amore, and would highly recommend it to anyone wishing a new, different yet incredibly pleasing and delicious Italian experience.

RIP Tim Pigott-Smith

1946 - 2017

RIP Don Rickles

1926-2017

LOGAN

Battered, bruised, bloodied, scarred, swearing and oh so epic...Hugh Jackman's Logan returned for his finale, and a few days ago I finally got to see the finished film.
In a word - it was pretty much perfect. A perfect celebration of the work and dedication Hugh Jackman has put into crafting and creating a character that is loved by generations, and one that has sustained and enjoyed massive success for over a decade. A perfect finale to go out on (though we're all wishing this wasn't the case) with a stunningly visceral, powerful, emotional, raw bad-ass Wolverine movie to end them all. And a perfect recognition of not only the character who really kick-started the X-Men on our screens, but of a truly iconic actor who embodied a truly iconic role.
To bow out in such wonderful fashion, Jackman and director James Mangold almost took this movie out of  and away from the entire X-men franchise, instead fashioning a pseudo-western, all out action romp, that also packed real emotive punch, that just so happened to feature everyone's favourite guy with the claws. It was gritty, it was incredibly stylised, it was the most realistic and grounded Marvel movie I've seen in years, possibly ever. I truly feel that even if you had no idea about any of the history or mythology you would be able to sit back and enjoy, and if you did have even the faintest inkling then you, like me would consider it a triumph.

The plot is a rough cut and paste of Old Man Logan (one of the most iconic Wolverine comic book stories ever) featuring a dystopian future, mutants almost extinct, a rough and ready yet enhanced version of the villainous Weapon X programme, and a few more added characters and embellishments that only serve to enhance the finished product.
Chief among the highlights is Sir Patrick Stewart as the now frail, fragile yet just as potent Charles Xavier. Yes this is not really an X-men film, but I am so so glad Stewart's Xavier was included. He serves as a reminder of how far Wolverine has come, and as a fitting companion on the final journey that ends in them both tragically coming to their ends. Not only that but Patrick Stewart is superb as ever; I feel it is easily his best Xavier performance, and the friendship, chemistry and bond with Jackman's Wolverine, both for characters and actors alike is plain and wonderful to see.
We also saw an unusual but also welcome new addition to the mutant roster in Stephen Merchant's Caliban, but another most impactful character was Dafne Keen as Wolverine clone X-23/Laura, I have often criticised the lack of empathy, ability and effort shown by some child actors before on this blog, but this time I had not even an inkling of any negatives. This young girl was stunning and a joy to watch. Rendered mute for most of the film, her energy, her instant screen presence, sheer power and ability to kick ass to match Jackman's Logan all added up to a brilliant character, and one that many have recognised has potential to be a future stalwart on our screens as Laura, and a star in her own right. And I cannot help but agree.
The only slightly disappointing cast elements were the villainous characters, with Boyd Holbrook as Donald Pierce just seeming arrogant and dry whilst leaving me cold, and the usually sound Richard E. Grant only just managed to portray a shaky version of exec controller/mutant exterminator Zander Rice.  Whilst slightly disappointing these cannot and do not detract from the overall stunning picture.

But really, when it comes down to it, this film is only about one man. One man playing one character (plus deranged clone). And perhaps predictably but no less superbly, Hugh Jackman is brilliant in his final outing as Logan. Portraying a new aged, weathered and dying version of the character, yet still remaining true to the Logan/Wolverine we all know and love; it felt like Jackman was simply slipping on an old glove, and that we were greeting a grizzled old friend for the final time before saying goodbye. And it is not just the gut-wrenching and heart-breaking moments throughout the film that render this the most emotional Wolverine movie. It is the constant knowledge that we are seeing him for the last time.


One of this film's advertising taglines was - "His Time Has Come". Yes it has, though I do not think anyone would complain if Hugh Jackman suddenly came back and did another three films ( -ahem- Deadpool crossover anyone?). But if this is the end, and it does look that way, then I for one as a fan cannot think of a better way for Hugh Jackman to have one last adventure, to live and breathe Wolverine one last time, before finally letting go of those claws.