Kicking off a new season in the Northern Quarter, Rio-Mex has teamed up with Calcio! to deliver a South American fusion rivalling a Copa Libertadores classic. This Mexican-Brazilian crossover is as tasty as Chicarito getting on the end of an Anderson cross in the last days of Fergie’s United.
Calcio was already a footy fan’s idea of heaven, with screens on almost every wall and quality food coming out of the kitchen, but throw in some extra samba flair and things just get even better.
Born from the culinary brain of MasterChef and Great British Menu star, Caroline Martins, the Le Cordon Bleu graduate is now pulling the strings in the back of house and elevating cult classic street food with her fine dining expertise.
Making the switch from the previous scran providers, What’s Your Beef — who are now located over at Central Bay’s Kargo MKT in Salford Quays (where Rio-Mex is also a fan favourite) — Calcio has managed to sort an early transfer before the January window has even opened and they’re sure to prove themselves a popular signing.
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Let’s set the scene: It’s Saturday afternoon, your team is cruising to victory late in the game and a few pints in you’re feeling a bit peckish. Place the order. The full-time whistle blows and a platter of loaded nachos, their signature burrito, chilli con carne tacos and doce de leite-filled churros rock up to the table. Unparalleled matchday vibes. Oh, and obviously another pint.
If you’ve only got room for a snack though, Rio-Mex’s salgadinhos are a traditional savoury nibble to keep you going until full time. You’ll find them on just about any corner in Rio De Janeiro, these fried croquettes packed with flavourful meat, veg and cheese are covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried.
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We’ll say that again: Brazilian-style seasoned meats, veg, gooey cheese and just pure goodness covered in carbs and then deep-fried. Need we say more?
Credit: The Manc GroupCalcio! was already plenty of fun before Rio-Mex arrived — it’s just even better now.
And it doesn’t stop there either. If gaming is more up your street, you can battle it out on their retro games consoles and table football. Super Nintendo, Sega Megadrive, PS2 — they’ve got the lot. All you need to do is grab those mates whose parents let them win growing up and smoke them on Wii Sports.
Continuing the Italia ’90 theme, the shot selection is something straight off out of FIFA’s ‘Classic XI’. Keeping things classy on the touchline is ‘The Mancini’ (Limoncello); ever dependable in midfield is ‘The Keane’ (Baby Guinness) and if you’re looking to add that finishing touch, ‘The Chicharito’ (Tequila Silver/Gold) has you covered — and this is just a small taste of the Rio-Mex cocktail selection at Calcio.
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So whether it’s a fresh and authentic taco, a trusty old burrito, rustic Rio street bites, or just some proper good booze to make even the dryest of 0-0’s feel like a five-goal thriller, we highly recommend taking your tastebuds on a Brazilian-infused Tex-Mex trip with at Calcio!
We love this place and have spent a lot of time there since they opened last year — so much so that we invited down Andy Milne, a.k.a. the ‘World Cup Guy’ along for a pint.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Rio-Mex(via Instagram)
Eats
Popular Manchester restaurant bar to give out FREE sausage rolls to people called ‘Greg’
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s much-loved restaurant bars is doing a free sausage roll giveaway next week… but there’s a catch.
The catch being you have to have a certain name in particular.
It was only last week that popular high street chain Pret A Manger announced it would be slinging out free sandwiches to any Mancs with ‘Nic’ in their name over the late May bank holiday weekend, and now Tariff & Dale is getting it on the giveaway action, and it’s all to celebrate the iconic event that is National Sausage Roll Day.
In case you didn’t know – which is very likely, let’s be real – next Thursday (5 June) is the day dedicated to all things sausage roll.
So what better way to mark the occasion than with free portions of Tariff & Dale‘s legendary meaty treat?
The popular Northern Quarter restaurant bar is known for its creative comfort food, craft beers and cocktails, and laid-back industrial vibe, with one of the cult-classic dishes on its menu having always been the honey pork sausage roll – which just so happens to be a whopping 15-inches long, by the way.
Resembling something more of a pork wellington than a sausage roll, if you will, the dish is crispy, golden, and glazed with honey on top.
But to celebrate National Sausage Roll day, instead of parting with £9.50 for a portion or £48 for the full 15-inch thing, people with one specific name can actually get a slice for completely free of charge.
Tariff & Dale is giving away FREE sausage rolls to people with this name next week / Credit: Supplied
And that name is ‘Greg’, because if we’re honest, when it comes to sausage rolls, we all tend to think of Greggs.
So whether your surname is Gregory or Gregson, or you’re simply just called Greg, then all you need to do to claim your complimentary slice of sausage roll heaven is head on down to Tariff & Dale next Thursday 5 June from 12pm up until 9pm.
Make sure you show your valid ID proving your name when you order at the bar, and get ready to stuff your face.
Failing that, anyone not called Greg will just have to pop into actual Greggs instead.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Eats
Plans to open a brand-new pub on the site of the Rovers Return
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new pub is set to open in Manchester city centre net month, with treats in store like complimentary bowls of crisps, an outdoor terrace, and a games parlour.
The Stables Tavern is taking shape in the St John’s district, poetically on the same site that was once home to Coronation Street’s iconic Rovers Return pub.
They’re promising this will be a ‘historic tavern reimagined for today’s lover of a proper pint’.
The pub will come from Shiko Group, which is also behind Courts Club, where you can play tennis or basketball followed by court-side pints, and Side Street, a bar-restaurant-events space with a mid-Century interior.
Neighbouring the Bonded Warehouse, The Stables Tavern will join this rapidly blossoming new creative district, just across the yard from Caravan, The Trading Route and Aviva Studios.
Inside, punters will find multiple beer taps with local beers, served with complimentary bowls of crisps as well as a menu of pub snacks like handmade sausage rolls and local pies.
The pub will be split into three sections – an outside terrace, a main bar, and a parlour area at the back of the pub for live entertainment, old school games, and rounds of whiskey.
This might be a new district but it’s a historic area for the city – the same building was a busy watering hole back in the early 19th century for workers, merchants and visitors who made use of the nearby canals and cobbled streets.
It was then the home of the Rovers Return, back when this area was the home of Granada Studios.
Hayley Sammé, Marketing Director, said: “We’re so excited to bring The Stables Tavern back to St John’s. The area’s extensive historical backdrop and burgeoning hospitality scene provides the perfect landscape for a traditional British pub.
“It’s the perfect addition to the existing scene, and we hope it’s going to become a popular spot in our new creative district.”
The Stables Tavern will open at St John’s on Friday 6 June.