This week’s Mid-Reno Roast comes courtesy of a new kid on the Didsbury block, Bourbon & Black. With an RTS Awards hangover in full effect and after cementing several holes in a kitchen wall where our kitchen will soon be, it was time to let someone else feed us up and make us winter warm and happy.
I must confess to feeling a twinge of sadness when I first walked in as the ghost of Casa Tapas kissed me on the cheek. I’d had such fun at this restaurant in the past, even having my 30th there and taking over the first floor with tables groaning under the weight of first tapas then our feet dancing. But everything changes and the candles, blue menus and Mediterranean have gone, replaced by a US industrial feel, lots of bare brick, riveted steel and cool leather. The glamorous simplicity of Lee Broom’s bulb lighting worked and the crystal touches reflected in the glass and tableware helped soften the pared back exposed material feel.
Mr M fancied the steak pie and our guests ribs and Caesar salad, so I was the only one on a roast run. Having had Old Sessions beef and Met chicken in recent weeks, I was ready for some pig and I was HUNGRY, at £9.95 it seemed very good value locally. I’m a bit gutted to tell you I was disappointed 😦 Instead of slices of succulent pork, there were two cubes of belly pork which looked a bit odd, like cake. I know it’s good to be different and try new things but I couldn’t be faffed with cutting through the layers of fat to get to the very small amount of pork in evidence. The roast potatoes were good, the gravy thick and scrummy but not much veg and the kale was stringy and a bit tough. The girl on the next table was having the chicken and hers looked great, I think i just made a bad choice as this new place finds its feet and tries out what works and what doesn’t. I’d rather have paid more and got more.
The good news is Mr M loved his pie, full of meaty beef chunks with (he said, I never got a look in, the git) delicious chips, plus the fancy Caesar salad was demolished by pal Jade.
All of that said, I’d go back. The management showed a genuine interest in our feedback (though still charging full price) and it’ll be interesting to see if it becomes a ‘regular’ pork roast dinner rather than belly style. The staff were lovely, the vibe great and looks fab for weekend cocktails in the downstairs bar. Special mention to the lovely tiles at the entrance doorway, liked those a lot, and the metal tables which reminded me of one of my recent design jobs Project Rivet.
Leave a Reply