Like a lot of people, I'm trying to exercise a bit of restraint after the whole Christmas pig out thing. Generally, it's been going quite well; we have a no doughnut policy at work (yep, that had to be an actual agreement) and the left over sweets and chocolate from December have been hoovered up by the human dustbin, ie. my dad. However, it all went slightly down the pan this weekend. One of the main culprits was a top notch meal from Southern Eleven in Manchester's Spinningfields.
Southern Eleven specialises in the BBQ fare of the deep south. Its founder, James Hitchen, learnt his craft in Tennessee from a guy who goes by the name of 'Dustin the pit boss' (so you know it's gonna be good, right?) before bringing his knowledge back to the UK, starting with a spot at Manchester food and drink festival before opening his restaurant. With such glowing credentials, it's no wonder the food is so incredible.
I've been to Southern Eleven before, but that didn't make the deliberations over the menu any easier. Eventually I opted for the BBQ slider selection; three mini burgers with pickles, coleslaw and fries. There was a classic beef burger, a brisket burger and a pulled pork burger all served on those light and fluffy brioche buns I can't get enough of! They also had an immense selection of sauces including a cherry bourbon option - I went for BBQ, hot BBQ and BBQ mustard. In case you can't tell, BBQ sauce is essentially my kryptonite; on one morning after a night out, I went to put on the leather jacket I'd worn the evening before to find the arm was encrusted in it - I'd clearly had a bit of a 2 AM craving for chips and the good stuff. Disgusting human being.
One of the other options which I've also had before was 18-hour smoked pulled pork, coleslaw and what can only be described as a delicious cloud of jalepeño corn bread. This stuff is an amazing combination, especially with a side order of parmesan truffle fries...what was that about a January detox?
Then, just because I'm an absolute sucker for a good chocolate brownie, the above happened. I'll try to justify it by saying it was shared, but the ratio was around 75:25 so realistically, it was all for me. It's not often I come across a brownie that has the perfect crisp texture to the outside whilst still having a gooey, fudgey middle, and I make it my mission to sample a good few, but this one hit the nail on the head. It was studded with hazelnuts and served with a raspberry compote and creamy vanilla ice cream. I was absolutely stuffed, but it was so worth it.
Manchester has an abundance of great food on offer and Southern Eleven is no exception. I really can't recommend it enough and with our climate, it's an added bonus that you don't have to hold out until the summer before you get a taste of some BBQ goodness!
No comments:
Post a Comment