By Neil Sowerby
TASTE of Manchester rarely ventures into the rarefied world of art though occasionally we encounter chefs whose sauce smears and foam splatters recall the excesses of a Pollock (Jackson that is, not the sustainable fish).
The Whitworth Gallery, though, has always had us licking our lips, mainly thanks to the splendid culinary take of Peter Booth and his Modern Catering team. They earned Good Food Guide accolades in the cramped old Gallery Cafe. So it was good to see them back at the stoves when the iconic gallery reopened on Valentine’s Day after its £15m revamp.
Very different stoves, mind – situated in a stainless steel extension which cantilevers into the surrounding Whitworth Park and overlooks the newly designed Art Garden.
Another big change – this time the restaurant is opening into the evening with dinners served up to 9.30pm. It’s a huge challenge that could turn the Whitworth into a destination dining spot.
We went in the daytime, happy after an exhausting morning trying to orient ourselves to the expanded spaces, and to acquaint ourselves with a menu that encompasses the well-sourced seasonal food Booth made his name with. Oh yes and the organic brownies – as legendary as Rodin’s Kiss or Francis Bacon’s portrait of Lucian Freud along the corridors.
This time we settled for a bruschetta with baby spinach, asparagus, pecorino and toasted almonds (£7.50) that was a fresh springlike delight, and an earthy salt beef sandwich with dill pickle, English mustard mayonnaise on rye (£6.50), served with a simple green salad and – couldn’t resist – a savoury side of broad beans and chorizo (£3).
It yelled out for a hoppy golden ale, but instead we shared a glass of Fentiman’s Ginger Beer (£1.95) and satisfied our alcoholic cravings at Big Hands bar on the walk back into town, discussing whether Cornelia Parker’s exhibition really live up to the salt beef and pickle!
Café and restaurant:
Monday to Wednesday: 9am-5pm
Thursday to Saturday: 9am-9.30pm
Sunday: 10am-7pm
To book a table in the evening contact The Modern Caterer directly on 0161 275 7497 or Email: [email protected]
Whitworth Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER. http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk