You’ll find a new restaurant in the Northern Quarter called Solita. The name is short for ‘south of Little Italy’ (which is in Ancoats) and the space was formerly home to Sole. White walls get the blown-up cartoon treatment while tables are a polished black affair. There’s a stacked bar and red, neon lights: the scene is set for supper with friends before a night on the tiles. The mastermind behind the venture is Dom Sotgiu, a guy you may recognise from Teacup. His big brother, Franco Sotgiu, is helping him out with a menu similar to Manchester’s other US BBQ grill house, Southern 11. The pulled pork sundae (£5.50) with swirly balls of 40 per cent butter mash and a ‘pig’s tail’ scratching is a highlight, as is a flavoursome ‘Hanger steak’ (£14.90, with triple-cooked chips) sourced from Chorlton’s famous WH Frost butchers. A dense burger with bone marrow, cheese and demi-brioche bun shows Manchester how it’s done (£8.90) while desserts cut loose. We’ve never seen anything like the roasted pineapple with Havana 7 year old aged rum, molasses and coconut ice cream (£4.90) and they’ve got something called Deep Fried Coke for £4.90, although we’ve not tried this yet. Fine ales come from Cumbria’s Coniston Brewery while house wine is £8.90 for a carafe. Odds on they’ll do alright.
Fri 20 Jul from 6pm, 37 Turner Street, Northern Quarter, M4 1DW. Tel: 0161 839 5600. www.solita.co.uk
- Words:
- Ruth Allan
- Published on:
- Thu 26 Jul 2012
