Restaurants

[Tom]

Italian is hit and miss for me, I love a freshly made tortellini a la creme but all too often I go to a place and try a pasta that sounds nice and end up wth something you can make easily and just as good at home.

Trying Shajan again on Sunday, looking forward to that its always been a favourite of mine (if it's not too busy, the standard drops when busy)

[Mercer]

Italian is hit and miss for me, I love a freshly made tortellini a la creme but all too often I go to a place and try a pasta that sounds nice and end up wth something you can make easily and just as good at home.

Trying Shajan again on Sunday, looking forward to that its always been a favourite of mine (if it's not too busy, the standard drops when busy)

They do a Sunday 'special' between 1 and 5 for about £13 including starter/mains/naan. Wide menu choice and excellent value. Done it a few times and never overly busy. Wouldn't leave it later than 4.30 though.

[Tom]

Cheers mucker we were planning to go about 5:30 so may try and bring it forward

Is it just a buffet?

Edited August 20, 2015 by Tom M

[Gav]

San Carlos in Manchester is an absolutely superb Italian restaurant, been many times and never had a bad meal, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

We went to Akbars in Birmingham last night which was superb, thanks Imy

They have a branch in Manchester and the originals in Bradford, superb food, packed to the rafters and full of Asian diners which speaks volumes.

They're well know for the size of their nans, they come on a metal spike and in some cases are the size of the table.

2 poppadoms, 2 starters and 2 mains, glass of win and a cobra £34, bargain.

[Mike E]

San Carlos in Manchester is an absolutely superb Italian restaurant, been many times and never had a bad meal, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Hate the @#/?s, personally.

[Gav]

Hate the @#/?s, personally.

What do you hate about it? can't be the food I'd wager.

[T J Hooker]

Growing up with an Italian grandma no restaurants pasta sauce and meatballs(or rolled steaks with garlic) even comes close hmmmm hmmmmm

Edited August 20, 2015 by T J Hooker

[yoda]

San Carlos in Manchester is an absolutely superb Italian restaurant, been many times and never had a bad meal, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

We went to Akbars in Birmingham last night which was superb, thanks Imy

They have a branch in Manchester and the originals in Bradford, superb food, packed to the rafters and full of Asian diners which speaks volumes.

They're well know for the size of their nans, they come on a metal spike and in some cases are the size of the table.

2 poppadoms, 2 starters and 2 mains, glass of win and a cobra £34, bargain.

The Royal on Stratford Road started that concept, food was always good as well.

Could be worth a try if it is still there, a group of us used to make regular trips to Brum watching the Rovers and meeting up with one of the gang who was Brum uni,

There used to be a ban on Rovers supporters in one of the student union bars after one lively weekend

[Mercer]

Cheers mucker we were planning to go about 5:30 so may try and bring it forward

Is it just a buffet?

No it isn't a buffet.

You have a menu to select from which includes a good number of popular dishes from the main menu - plenty of choice. Portion sizes are just as plentiful as 'normal' (unlike some restaurants who cut back portion sizes on their 'specials').

Enjoy.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Mercerman

[Paul]

Growing up with an Italian grandma no restaurants pasta sauce and meatballs(or rolled steaks with garlic) even comes close hmmmm hmmmmm

Same in our house. My Italian mother-in-law used to make her own sauces and pasta from scratch. Never tasted better. My wife is as good and makes a lasagne to die for.

[Mike E]

Same in our house. My Italian mother-in-law used to make her own sauces and pasta from scratch. Never tasted better. My wife is as good and makes a lasagne to die for.

Same in our house. My Italian mother-in-law used to make her own sauces and pasta from scratch. Never tasted better. My wife is as good and makes a lasagne to die for.

Ditto. My Italian uncle (RIP) made a proper Italian pizza. Thin and crispy, plenty of homemade tomato puree and a sprinkling of parmesan and mozzarella. Bloody fabulous, it was.

And the best lasagne I've ever had.

'Bolognese? You English just make @#/? up to your taste, huh?'

[Tom]

No it isn't a buffet.

You have a menu to select from which includes a good number of popular dishes from the main menu - plenty of choice. Portion sizes are just as plentiful as 'normal' (unlike some restaurants who cut back portion sizes on their 'specials').

Enjoy.

Spot on going at 4:30

[T J Hooker]

Great tasting authentic Italian food is so simple to make, but to do it well you need good quality ingredients, time and patience, a good quality tomatos sauce for example should be simmered very gently for hours with the ocasional stir(not just chucking a couple of tins of tomatoes into a pan boiling it up for 20 mnutes, blitzing it with a blender and serving it)

And fresh pizzas are a doddle and pretty quick to make once you know how to make the base(which is pretty simple) again its down to good quality simple ingridients for a great tasting topping though.

Edited August 21, 2015 by T J Hooker

[yoda]

Great tasting authentic Italian food is so simple to make, but to do it well you need good quality ingredients, time and patients, a good badic tomatos sauce for example should be simmered very gently for hours withvthe ocasional stir(not just chucking a couple of tins of tomatoes into a pan boiling it up for 20 mnutes and serving it)

And fresh pizzas are a doddle and pretty quick to make once you know how to make the base(which is pretty simple) again its down to good quality simple ingridients for a great tasting topping though.

Patients eh

are you experimenting ?

[Claytons Left Boot]

Went to the Hazel Pear at Acton Bridge (a few miles west of Northwich) on Saturday night. Another 'restaurant in a pub' experience of which there are many in this neck of the woods. Excellent food, two mains, two sweets, two pints of best bitter and one large glass of wine came in at £50. About right for here. The lad that served us was a season ticket holder at Ewood to boot.

[K-Hod]

Went to Wellsprings (Mexican/Spanish restaurant on Pendle Hill) yesterday afternoon. Pretty decent all around, they do 2 for 1 on some menu items on a Sunday as well.

The only problem really is the location (unless you live in Sabden), as the views etc would be class on a really nice day sitting in the beer garden, but it's a trek from where I live!

[Gav]

Restaurants taking staff tips, disgusting in my opinion:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11816186/Cote-Restaurant-takes-all-its-service-staffs-tips.html

I know of a well established Chinese restaurant in the Darwen/Bolton area that takes the tips, the staff never see a penny.

Edited August 24, 2015 by GAV

[J*B]

Won a £50 Ribble Valley Inns giftcard - where is best at the moment, 3 fishes, Clog, Highwayman, The Bull or Nags head?

[yoda]

Restaurants taking staff tips, disgusting in my opinion:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11816186/Cote-Restaurant-takes-all-its-service-staffs-tips.html

I know of a well established Chinese restaurant in the Darwen/Bolton area that takes the tips, the staff never see a penny.

Think I know who you mean !

Tips at ours get shared with whoever is working on the night.

Tips are different to a service charge though as in the article, personally I would not go to a restaurant if I knew beforehand that it imposed a service charge.

Edited August 24, 2015 by yoda

[Mike E]

Restaurants taking staff tips, disgusting in my opinion:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11816186/Cote-Restaurant-takes-all-its-service-staffs-tips.html

I know of a well established Chinese restaurant in the Darwen/Bolton area that takes the tips, the staff never see a penny.

The *cough* Sea Castle *cough*?

If somewhere has a service charge, I'd still go and just refuse to pay it. I remember getting a service charge at Red Hot Buffet in Manchester once. It's a frigging BUFFET!!

[Gav]

Service charges are completely different.

TIPS are for good service from the staff, as they're not the best paid positions, and I'm more than happy to tip, but not when the restaurant trousers the cash!

[Baz]

Service charges for groups baffle me, as surely the fact you are spending more money should put you more in line for a discount rather than a surcharge.

[thenodrog]

Service charges are completely different.

TIPS are for good service from the staff, as they're not the best paid positions, and I'm more than happy to tip, but not when the restaurant trousers the cash!

Tip the waiter / waitress separately then. I rem the custom used to be to leave a tip on the table and under a plate.

[Gav]

Tip the waiter / waitress separately then. I rem the custom used to be to leave a tip on the table and under a plate.

Yes done that obviously, but the staff are watched like Hawks, they hand the money in or face the sack.

[thenodrog]

I guess then it boils down to 'you can take a man out of Asia but you can't take Asia out of the man'.