SURELY, it’s like ditching the piercings and putting on a suit? Street food going permanent – selling out, comrades? Happily, expanded B.Eat Street, up on Deansgate Mews above the space where it confirmed its Guerrilla Eats kudos, retains its ramshackle pop-up ethos from Dino the dinosaur and Godzilla guarding the entrance to newcomer Bunny Jackson’s Juke Joint, a corrugated iron clad low down dirty den that really smacks of the Delta (above).
Taste of the Manchester missed the relaunch party (no, we weren’t in rehab) but scampered down this week to sample the fresh tastes available on the Street from Freddie & Eva’s, Blue Caribou Canteen and Black Milk Cereal Dive,in neighbouring units.
Terry Blackburn, who serves up pizzas from his own oven in Freddie & Eva’s, is no stranger to the Mews. As operation manager of street food veterans Chaat Cart, he also runs B.Eat Street’s Indian Canteen. Good news, Terry’s getting the dough spot on with uncomplicated toppings at affordable prices – perfect ballast before hitting Bunny’s bar.
My ‘top of the range’ £7 Quattro Stagioni added olives, artichokes, ham and mushrooms to the basic Margherita with lots of basil in the San Marzano tomato sauce.
Next a big batch of ‘poutine’ – Canada’s blow-out fries, cheese and gravy snack. Rehab was actually feeling like an option when Blue Caribou Canteen owner Vincent unleashed one of his ‘creative variations’, an on trial Mexican poutine loaded with chilli, salsa and guacamole. He asked me if this made the fries too soggy?
It took me a while to say “No, fine” as I was already necking a glorious hot chocolate with torched marshmallows made by Andrew next door at Black Milk Cereal Dive. OK, not the perfect poutine accompaniment, it went better with Black Milk’s brownie and honeycomb ie cream that followed. After that ToM had a lie-down.
It’s a bold move for Andrew and business buddy Oliver, who are simultaneously setting up a further outlet in Oldham Street (opening January), having made their cereal-driven reputation in Afflecks.
All three businesses have added hugely to the variety of food on offer along this Great Northern Warehouse back alley. The big change is that most of B.Eat Street is effectively inside now, as winter kicks in, with more heaters, seating and private dining rooms. Expect all this, plus more use of the Brickhouse Galley, from mid-November. Surely a better place to build up for Santa’s Big Day than all those samey Christmas Markets? Who needs Gluhwein when you’ve got bourbon in a juke joint?
B.Eat Street, Deansgate Mews, Great Northern, Manchester M3 4EN. Tue-Thu 11am-12am; Fri-Sat 11am-2am; Sun 11am-12am.
