Eat! Eat! Eat!

Kate invited me round for dinner at hers, and then some pub quiz and drinking in Chorlton. We had a really tasty spiced mushroom sort of shepherd's pie, with a sweet potato mash, and cheesy roast parsnips. I'm generally so unimaginative when it comes to thinking of vegetarian food, I was really inspired by it. I don't make the most of how well mushrooms hold flavour, for example. It got me thinking.

I really enjoyed this list of places to eat in Manchester in the Guardian. They're budget places, and mostly great too. Their list was:

1. Hunters BBQ

2. Café at the Whitworth Art Gallery

3. Shlurp!

4. Bar Burrito

5. Dimitri's

6. Pi

7. Tampopo

8. The Soup Kitchen

9. Earth Café

10. Croma

I haven't been to Dimitri's, although as Cheryl used to work there I've heard a lot of good things about it. Barburrito is a total mystery to me, I've never been. And Hunters... well, I think it's there as a sympathy vote more than anything. I can picture the editorial meeting...

Editor: "Guys, we've gotta include this place, it does a venison curry..."
Food writer: "Groan!"

My list of ten (other) places to eat in Manchester would be:

1. Katsouris - A Greek / European deli, the hot plate, with its range of wurst, schnitzel, chorizo, is a winner everytime. Well, for carnivores, at least.

2. Wong Wong Chinese Bakery - As well as savoury buns, they also make these...

...brilliant!

3. Pop Cafe on Oldham St, good music, good vege food.

4. Oklahama, behind Odd.

5. Yadgar Cafe on Thomas St, tasty tasty curries.

6. Rice Bar

7. The Olive - traditional Italian, £5.95 lunch menu, bella!

8. Love Saves The Day

9. Fuel, Withington is always full of trendy beardy veggie types. Which isn't a bad thing. I have a beard.

10. New Hong Kong - the lunchtime dim sum menu is a bargain.

And the best of them all? Katsouris.