By Neil Sowerby
HEATON Moor holds a fond memory – for the one occasion I was the lovely companion of a food critic. Usually I’m the one requesting to be accompanied. It’s a bit like ‘droit de seigneur’ but with food rather than favours.
Tracey MacLeod was up in Manchester for the 2009 Manchester International Festival to attend the premiere at The Palace of Rufus Wainwright’s opera, Prima Donna. She’d been a stepmum figure to Rufus during his troubled teens when she lived with his dad, Loudon.
Since 1997 Tracey had won awards as the Indie’s restaurant critic. She thought she’d combined her foray north with doing a review and a mutual friend had suggested lunching with me might be fun. Ah, well.
Damson had just opened on Heaton Moor and I persuaded her to eschew the usual suspects in the city centre and try out Steve Pilling’s rather lovely take on that elusive beast, the neighbourhood restaurant. She loved it and, as I recall, it ended up on her list of faves of the year.
Move on five and a half years. Damson Heaton Moor is still thriving, though its MediaCity sibling perhaps gets more attention, and now the Stockport suburb has a new local eaterie with aspirations. I’m back in the ‘burb to road test it (in the critical driving seat this time).
Brassica is on Shaw Road, on the site where much-loved tapas bar La Casona used to be. The refit has lovely clean lines and there are 48 covers in a set-up that modestly declares itself a grill. That belies the presence in the kitchen of chef/proprietor Paul Faulkner (pictured) who, at 42, has forged out on his own after head chef stints at Zinc, The Modern and latterly The Albert Square Chop House. At the now-departed Modern he occasionally overcomplicated dishes; at Albert’s he yoked his classical skills to impart a delicate touch to the sturdy Chop House template. He is Manchester premier league.
It’s a cold world out there, though, running the whole business yourself, with a small team, in what is essentially a suburban shopping parade where your restaurant rivals are affordable Asian joints. Another Chop House escapee, Steve Pilling, made Damson work, but he had years of management experience at Tom’s and Sam’s. Perhaps, Mike Jennings who has moved up from chef to own Grenache in Walkden, is a better comparison.
On the evidence of the launch menu, Paul is playing it safe for the moment. In a good way – with a limited choice menu of six starters, seven mains, a roster of chops and steaks, plus a half dozen puddings. And on a chill, drizzly Tuesday night it seemed to be paying off with a good few bums on seats.
Bread is made on the premises. Toasted sourdough was the base for some exquisite pulled pheasant (£6), matched with beetroot and cider chutney and pickled celery for a perfect piquant winter starter.
Scallops, avocado and mango, across the table, was a couple of quid dearer. It was a fun, sunny ensemble in a citrussy dressing, the avocado in guacamole blob guise, cashews adding a companion nuttiness to the scallops.
The attraction of our organic Cotes du Rhone from Lafond was lmy iking for Grenache and Syrah in tandem plus its 13.5 per cent alcohol level (I was driving). It was one-dimensional and jammy alas, for £23.
The grill dishes range from £12.50 for a bacon chop to £28 for fillet steak. I chose the half way house of a rose veal chop for £20 and was rewarded with a substantial, gorgeously charred chunk of flesh. As my accompanying sauce I went for the full-on onion and bone marrow, which perhaps piled on too much umami. Chips were a flabby let down, though. Savoy cabbage and bacon, from a £3.50 a go sides list, compensated.
Goosnargh duck breast, confit leg garlic mash, red cabbage was classic Chop House stuff, the canny fruit tea sauce giving an appropriately oriental tinge (£16).
Puddings are £6 a pop. I chose apple and pear parkin crumble, which had crunch. It also came with custard rather than the advertised Devonshire cream, which suited it better. White chocolate cheesecake across the table was a subtle confection, given spice by caramelised pears and its own crunch through granola. For £3 a selection of home-made dark chocolates and truffles was fine for two, though we did squabble over who got the final one out of seven.
Assiduous service, too, helped make this a quietly memorable evening. Which is what you’d want from a neighbourhood restaurant.
Brassica is open lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Saturday and for lunch on Sundays. There’s a fixed two course menu for £14, for three it’s £17, both available from 12pm-7pm.
Brassica, 27 Shaw Road, Heaton Moor, Stockport SK4 4AG. 0161 442 6730. http://brassicagrill.com
