TYPICAL. You wait ages for one Italian restaurant to come along and then two hit the ground running – at the Corn Exchange.
Taste of Manchester joined the throng on Wednesday (Dec 16) celebrating the return of local faves Salvi’s to their old home, now much revamped. We sat in the bijou wine tasting room at the back and quaffed too much Greco di Tufo with some glorious food.
The following day celeb-led newcomer Gino D’Acampo – My Restaurant opened its doors, an altogether more corporate affair, the menu helmed by the telegenic chef Gino D’Acampo in a collaboration with Steven Walker, founder of Manchester’s own Individual Restaurants group, which runs the Piccolino chain.
The determinedly casual restaurant will seat 250 diners, with a cicchetti and kitchen bar as well as two large outside terraces, one leading onto Exchange Square.
Like Salvi’s it will be open all day. With neighbours Vapiano churning out the pasta this end of the self-styled food mecca may well get dubbed Little Italy.
Salvi’s, open from Friday December 18, also boasts an extended 40 cover outside drinking and dining area in the Square, while inside it now runs to two floors. There’s now a special wine tasting room, an augmented deli space with a full range of Italian goodies from new producers, in-house cooked dishes and, naturally, their own artisan buffalo mozzarella, made by owner Maurizio’ Salvis brother near Naples.
The cafe menu features deli boards along with panini, antipasti, nibbles and anything else from the counter that catches an eye.
An open kitchen is at the heart of the action, serving up simple but exceptional pizzas and pastas, and daily, traditional, Neapolitan dishes chosen from Maurizio’s mum’s recipe collection – often cooked by her own fair hand, she acts an ‘executive chef’.
Also check out their charity initiative: It’s child’s play! – Pizza power ushers in Corn Exchange rebirth of Salvi’s.
Salvi’s Mozzarella Bar, Unit 22b, and Gino D’Acampo – My Restaurant, Unit 11, The Corn Exchange, Manchester, M4 3TR. 0161 827 4200.
Salvi’s party images below, including Maurizio toting a drill! A Christmas prezzie? Main image above is Salvi's mozzarella and meat board.
