Sleuth 02/12/2011

Sleuth is a sideways glance at the city every week, it's the truth, but Sleuth's truth. We give £25 for every story/rumour and piece of absurdity you find for us to print. Sleuth sometimes even gets serious. We ask for the money back if any legal action follows. Follow Sleuth on twitter @Sleuth

Sole Restaurant - Sleuth Likes The Fishy Idea

Sleuth penetrated the labyrinths of the Northern Quarter on Thursday and found a new restaurant about to open. It's called Sole and is going to specialise in fish and shellfish dishes but also provide a steak or so. There are 58 covers on three floors and a bar/grazing/small dishes area in the basement. The restaurant is on Turner Street, down from the Buddhist Centre and over the road from one of the entrances to the beige '70s Church Street multi-storey car park. Sole opens for drinks on Saturday and early next week for food. 

Sleuth's Cheery Chaps Of The Week

The restaurant manager and the chef of Sole are Adam Draper and Simon Salt respectively. Salt is a good name for a seasoned chef. The idea, according to the jolly pair, is to have a 'modern fine dining restaurant' that is free of snootiness. Mains will cost from £16-£24 and there'll be a taster menu starting at £55. In the picture below Salt's on the left and Draper on the right. Sleuth was struck by Salt's perfect Lancashire accent. If he whispered to a bucket of pig's blood it would automatically form black pudding in his honour. 

Sleuth's Beetham Tower Adornment Of The Week

Sleuth loved this set of Pac-man (Pac-men?) chasing each other off the edge of the city's tallest towers. He has no idea why they're there and sort of doesn't want to ruin the romance of ignorance.

Sleuth's Longest Pop-up Of The Last Seven Years

Sleuth was eating in Aubaine, Selfridges, during the week and couldn't help but stare endlessly at the Big Wheel Of Manchester just outside the window. Sleuth clearly remembers this as a temporary structure, something for a year or two - and that was back in 2003 or something. He also remembers it was supposed to be moving to the far more suitable location of Piccadilly Gardens at some time. Maybe the Big Wheel is the first of a generation of Permanent Pop-ups.

Sleuth And The Albert Square Beer Shacks

Sleuth was with a friend in Albert Square in the big temporary German beer hall. Sleuth was trying to avoid drinking a sickly gluhwein, he's managed it four years running and is proud of the record. So he was nursing a ropey lager beer. Sleuth's friend said, "Since this is just for Christmas, do you think you could call this a pop-up bar?" Sleuth looked around at the several hundred wobbly Mancunians and guests. "No," said Sleuth, "it's more of a piss-up bar."

Sleuth's Massive Self-Indulgence Of The Year

Here's the BBC sign being taken off the Oxford Road Building this week. The BBC has gone to a better place in MediaCityUk. To mark this Auntie spent the previous fortnight looking back on the 25 years they spent at the monolithic Oxford Road premises. It was possibly the longest act of broadcasting self-indulgence Sleuth has ever witnessed. It concluded with staff drinking champagne on the steps of the old building and saying goodbye - live on TV. If Sleuth moves house again he's going to ask the BBC for a prime time broadcasting slot to mark the occasion. He's sure people would really give a whatnot for his domestic affairs.

Sleuth's Menu Of The Week

Sleuth was in Liverpool this weekend taking some Norwegians to the Liverpool v Manchester City game. They had a meal as part of the match package in the Isla Gladstone conservatory in Stanley Park. Sleuth loved the desserts. 'Strawberry Cheese Cake and Chocolate Moose'. Moose yum. The Norwegians felt right at home, they love a bit of elk although not necessarily as a pudding with chocolate. 

Sleuth's Cagey Press Officers Of The Week

Sleuth was trying to get comparison visitor figures for North West tourist attractions this week for this story - click here. Confidential rang Blackpool Pleasure Beach. They seemed offended by the question, got a bit shirty, and would only tell us there'd been a 4% increase on visitor figures last year due to the Nickelodean ride opening. A 4% increase on an unknown figure is just about the least valuable information around, thought Sleuth, contemplating the meaning of meaningless statistics.