Italia Manchester - Preview

A few weeks ago the lovely Franco Sotgiu invited us for a snoop round his new restaurant, Italia. We were already massive fans of his other gaff Solita so knew he would be planning something a little bit special for the tired old Rustica.

Originally opened in 1977 under the name Pizzeria Italia, some of the fittings haven't been touched since. Upstairs is a shrine to yesteryear, but rather than rip it all out and put in glitzy new fittings, Franco has decided to preserve some of the fantastic original features as a nod back to the restaurant's heyday in the 70s and 80s. Franco told us that Italia is the oldest Italian restaurant in the city. With so much history within its walls, it would be a crying shame to bring it into the 21st century. It gives the place some soul.

Saying that, there are no more ruched red napkins and the shabby signage that was Rustica's is gone. The original fittings have been complimented with a large 1950s poster and the odd vintage cheese label. We did suggest a framed picture of Roberto Baggio, but they weren't having it...

Yesterday we were lucky enough to be invited to a tasting session at Italia. Although I like Italian food, it has never been one of my favourite cuisines, mainly because I find pasta very heavy and a lot of the sauces a little boring. Wrong!

My husband and I went with our good friends Wayne and Vicki (MrsPetticoat) to put the menu through its paces. We were greeted by Franco and his front of house staff, and given a fantastic table perfect for people watching. The location is ace. From the window you can see right up Deansgate, perfect for a nosy Parker such as I. 

The front of house staff deserve a mention before I even speak of the food. Very rarely do I go somewhere where they get it so right. We all agreed that whilst we were in Italia we felt like we were at a friend's house. They are chatty, funny and turn each course into a little bit of theatre. They were never intrusive and had us in stitches at regular intervals!

First came a selection of bruschetta. I have a confession. I am a huge fan of garlic bread with cheese so I tend to stick to that. This plate of wonder has opened my eyes to a whole new world! Beautifully sweet tomatoes, melt in the mouth lardo and something I am sure was some sort of spicy chorizo heaven. I can't wait to have these again.

Oops. This was made by mistake for another table... happy accident in my eyes folks! We got to try another dish! Well, it would have been rude to let such wonderful pasta go to waste... This was served with a beautiful ragu. I'm sure I could easily have eaten the whole bowl left to my own devices...

Vicki had the clam linguine. Not a fan of fishy stuff myself, I still found myself nicking bits... This has a really subtle flavour from the clams, with more of a punch coming from the dressed pasta.

Wayne had heard amazing things about the oxtail gnocchi. Again, I had once had a bad experience with a slimy piece of gnocchi which reminded me somewhat of a slug. These were beautiful (yes, I stole one...). Think of a rich oxtail stew with soft dumplings... now add more flavour. I am having these next time. The portion was massive too!  

My husband is a huge fan of meatballs. Years ago, a local restaurant called Il Toro did a brilliant meatball starter. I'm sure they still do it now, although I would need to go and check whether they are as good now it is under new management. These were served with pasta in a tomato sauce. A quick note on the sauces... step away from the classic 'Dolmio'... add some warming spices and a bit of clout. These sauces give you a good kick up the jacksy and remind you that Italian food is more than jars and Night Bar pizzas. The meatballs were seriously good. A subtle hint of star anise perhaps? A wonderful winter warmer.

I couldn't resist. I love a good lasagne. What's better than layers of meat, pasta and cheese? The cheese on this one was perfect. Chewy and crisp in places and soft and stringy in others. Again, the sauce had a lovely little kick to it too. I often find that Italian restaurants overface you with enough pasta to pave a patio, but this was perfect. I'll be having this again too.

Now then. Crunch time. Desserts. Vicki and I had already had our eye on the contraption housing lots of cake. Inside the motorised dome lives all sorts of wonderful creations! There is also a gelato bar at the side. Everything is home made too. Despite being full of pasta, I had my eyes on the prize...

Imagine my excitement/hysteria when this platter was put before us. Boozy tiramisu, Ferrero Rocher cake, something a little like a filled brandy snap, ice cream cups and a vision in pink. It may look like Pepto Bismol, but this is one of the finest tasting things I have eaten in a while. It tastes like raspberry ripple ice cream on a biscuit base (cue the song...). I was quite pleased that everyone else got full. I am lucky enough to have a separate stomach for desserts and cake...

Warrior like behaviour from our table...

A massive thank you to Franco and his team for the amazing food and wine, but also for a fantastic afternoon. We ate, laughed and left feeling happy. What more can you ask for? Go and give them a try. You won't be sorry...

Please leave your comments below... x

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