AND you thought Tariff Street had gotten over its New York fixation. The Northern Quarter’s own stand-in for the Lower Eastside in many a movie location shot is getting a new bar this August – with the ultimate Big Apple vibe.
The Pen and Pencil bar, on the corner with Hilton Street, takes its name and inspiration from the infamous mid-20th Century bar on East 45th Street, which was popular with newspaper journalists and ad men – the original ‘Mad Men’ (pictured, Don Draper enjoys an Old-Fashioned).
The bar will be open seven das a week from 10am right through until late with a focus on a strong daytime offering with top quality coffee. A typical NQ bar template these days but done well TOM approves.
The American-influenced brunch menu includes pancakes with buttermilk and blueberries, bourbon syrup and streaky bacon; Mexican breakfast with scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, avocado, Manchego cheese, tomato salsa, chipotle and sour cream; and potato and courgette rosti, streaky bacon, avocado with poached eggs.
Evenings and weekends the menu will develop to include small plates and a few larger dishes – expect Lebanese scotch egg served with tahini, and pork and chived umplings. The cocktail list, created in-house, will feature Beer in the Bronx with gin, IPA syrup, pink grapefruit juice, sweet & dry vermouth and Cucumber & Sake Martini with cucumber, vodka, sake, sugar.
A resident DJ will get the party started every weekend and the team are looking to curate a series of monthly live music nights.
The Pen & Pencil is the joint venture of two of Manchester’s established bar and restaurant operators – Dan Pollard who created The Violet Hour cocktail bar and lounge on Burton Road in West Didsbury and Kevin Connor, who previously ran NQ institution Dry Bar on Oldham Street.
Dan Pollard, said: “We are both huge fans of the style, atmosphere and food and drink offerings of 1950s New York bars that have been immortalised in numerous films and TV series. We are taking inspiration from them and some of their magic and history and making it relevant to Manchester, in particular its extremely sociable Northern Quarter community, today.
For more information visit this link or Tweet @penandpencilnq.