Northwest Food News – March 2016

Alabama's All American Eatery opens

First up is a new joint in the Northern Quarter, as Alabama’s All American Eatery sets up shop to cater to our relentless brunching needs – we’re talking French toast, steak and homefries and some rather arousing-looking sticky cinnamon buns.

Newton Street, Manchester

, due to open in early March, alabamas.co.uk

El Gato Negro gets a thumbs up

Manchester’s hearts are all aflutter with the new opening of El Gato Negro, the famed tapas joint formerly housed on Ripponden turf. With Spanish wines and sherries, dishes like baby pork ribs glazed with Pedro Ximénez (!) and a sumptuous interior set across three floors, it now looks set to be the leading light of King Street’s promising rejuvenation, which has been chugging away with recent openings of Quill, King Street Tavern and Burger and Lobster.

52 King Street, Manchester

, open now, elgatonegrotapas.com

New outlets for Trove and The Italian Club

Speaking of old favourites reborn, the folk of Levenshulme’s artisan bakery and cafe Trove are also branching out with a new unit at Altrincham Market, due to open 11 March, while over in Liverpool, we’re excited about The Italian Club Bakery, another off-shoot of the Bold Street staple specialising in indulgent sweet treats of Italy, including millefoglie (custard slice to you and us) and olive ciabatta. 22 Newington, Liverpool, open now, @italianclubnews

Mary-Ellen McTague takes on the Real Junk Food Project 

Mary-Ellen McTague is at it again, having just announced her new role as head chef at the Real Junk Food Project, Manchester’s first pay-what-you-feel restaurant that uses waste food. Seems like it’s a busy time for Aumbry’s former co-honcho, whose also hosting a Devil’s Supper Club at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation on 11 March. The Wonder Inn, Manchester, realjunkfoodmanchester.co.uk

Upcoming events

There are lots of large-scale events popping off this month, most notable of which might be Independent Liverpool’s Spring Food and Drink Festival, held in the Great Baltic Warehouse on 25 March, which will be upping the stakes with its own gin garden. Across the Pennines there’s also worthy competition with BeerX Festival in Sheffield between 16-19 March and the news that Leeds Indie Food Festival will return 12-30 May.

Jay Rayner ahoy

And if it’s goateed food critics you’re after, you can gorge on double helpings of Jay Rayner as he brings his show, My Dining Hell, to Liverpool St George’s Hall on 9 March, before cropping up at the North’s largest hospitality trade exhibition, Northern Restaurant and Bar, at Manchester Central on 15-16 March, where he’ll be joined by Sticky Walnut boss Gary Usher.