San Rocco - Manchester

I’m not kidding you, as a couple the only thing we really argue over is food.

Perhaps you’re thinking that we’ve got too much time on our hands or not enough to worry about but please don’t judge us - it’s a serious problem which has led to many a bitter dispute.

It mainly starts when we decide to eat out, we don’t do it every week but when we do our priority is finding a superb restaurant to suit both our needs and one that we won’t begrudge paying for our meals.

It only begins there, next question is - what do we fancy to eat? We don’t live in London where the gastronome choice is endless neither do we live in the Michelin heaven of Bray, but in Cheshire and Manchester there is a reasonably amount of international cuisine to choose from. Ill confess the main problem with this part could be my bizarre eating habits that shadow heavily over me (I’ve watched too many hygiene programme’s where they investigate restaurant’s that have grease covered kitchens and have been accused of serving Alsatian) I also have a slight paranoia about the fat content of the dishes on the menu, R worries that I’ll go to his choice of eatery and refuse to eat anything (which ashamedly may have happened on a couple of occasions). However I’m determined to get out of this predicament which is ruining one of our favourite hobbies.

Enough said about that, I’ll move on to the more important matter at hand - Dinner at San Rocco, Manchester.

Having a sister that lives in Manchester is a very handy thing as it gives us the excuse of popping into Manchester on the pretence of seeing her and her boyfriend but also being able to dine in one of the best foodie areas in the north west.

After undertaking much discussion (around 5 days- Seriously) we had decided upon San Rocco. Our decision was helped by a couple of friends of ours who had dined there recently, after telling them that we are to visit Florence in the next week they proceeded to tell us about the Bistecca Fiorentina - a regional dish that hails from Florence which consists of a T - bone steak grilled on the bone and drizzled with hot rosemary oil which they said was a fantastic representation of the real thing from Florence and was served on the menu at San Rocco. After R managed to pick up his jaw off the floor we were convinced we had chosen the right place.

Tucked away off one of the main streets in Manchester, it could be easily missed. Nestled between the huddled together buildings of Manchester i just made out the sign.

On arrival we instantly felt utterly calm and relaxed, having dined at many other fantastic Italians in Manchester but none seemed to ooze tranquillity as did San Rocco. We were welcomed by the friendly staff who then showed us to a considerably large table,  big enough for six people even though there were only three of us ( my sister had joined us) and the restaurant seemed to be filling up quite quickly.

To start i had Prosictto e Buffala mozzarella - Parma Ham delicately wrapped around a melt in the mouth ball of mozzarella, not the rubbery type you can be oh so often served, with juicy ripe tomatoes and sweet smelling basil placed underneath - Sheer pleasure in my opinion. R had ordered the ever popular Calamari Fritti - deep fried squid in batter, another dish that’s a well-known favourite in Italian restaurants but can also turn up leaking with oil and rubber in texture, in these eateries this was not the case. An appropriate sized portion of squid arrived, wrapped in a batter that was subtle but superior in taste, another amazing dish that just softened so easily when eaten. Lee - Ann (my sis) took a liking to Funghi al Gorgonzola - Flat mushrooms topped with spinach and Gorgonzola which was also amazing, rich blue gorgonzola soothingly melted over the mushrooms and spinach.

For my main i picked  Ravioli Ripieni - Large ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta served with tomato and basil sauce and in my case a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. In my opinion tomato and basil should be joined in holy matrimony, just writing about it now brings back how the smells of the dish flowed through my body and warmed my heart, silky soft parcels of pasta with creamy ricotta season perfectly inside. Lee - Ann ordered Farfalle al Salmone - Butterfly shaped pasta with smoked salmon, tomato and a touch of cream. Masses of perfectly tender pasta arrived with luxurious smoked salmon with a sauce that was not too intense with cream. R couldn’t resist the Bistecca Fiorentina, surprisingly for a restaurant of this stature the steak was served with fluffy roast potatoes and a mixture of fresh vegetables (a rarity in today’s society). The reviews we had previously received did not disappoint, the steak so beautifully scented of harmonious rosemary and squeezed with lemon was R's idea of perfection, the knife gracefully glided through the meat to reveal juicy and succulent meat which dissolved when placed on the tongue. All in all the staff  very attentive and only there to cater to whatever you needed which immediately puts you at ease and makes you feel incredibly welcome, i think I’ve just fallen back in love with eating out again.

http://www.sanrocco.co.uk/sanroccomanchester.html