Eats

Gino D’Acampo’s Luciano restaurant says ‘ciao’ as Alderley Edge site closes after just one year

It's the third Italian restaurant in the site in as many years...

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 17th February 2023

Gino D’Acampo’s Luciano restaurant in Alderley Edge has announced its closure, just one year after it took over the former Piccolino site.

The celebrity chef launched the Luciano brand last January, named after his eldest son.

He said at the time that he had ‘kicked out’ Piccolino and spent ‘thousands and thousands of pounds’ into the restaurant and its kitchen.

But just over 12 months after it welcomed its first guests, Luciano announced its closure, serving its final supper on Valentine’s Day.

Italian restaurant giant San Carlo has now acquired the site on London Road, ready to add to its huge portfolio around Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

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Gino D’Acampo at his Luciano restaurant in Alderley Edge. Credit: Luciano

In a post on Instagram last night, Luciano Alderley Edge said: “To all our wonderful guests. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to host you all but our time in Alderley has come to an end.

“Thank you to everyone whose celebrated, dined and drank at Luciano, we hope to see you all at our new Manchester site later this year. For updates, follow @ginomyrestaurant.

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“But for now…grazie e ciao!”

His upcoming opening in Manchester city centre is believed to be in the former, currently-vacant Restaurant Bar & Grill on John Dalton Street.

In an email sent to restaurant subscribers and shared by the Manchester Evening News, Luciano added: “We’re on the move. As part of our plans to open upmarket restaurants in London, major UK, and international cities, including our imminent openings in Manchester and Leeds, we are to say a fond farewell to Alderley Edge.

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“It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to host you, our valued guests, and we’d like to thank you for celebrating so many special occasions with us at Luciano. For now its over to the new owners, San Carlo, for whom we could not think of a better home for this fabulous location.

“We look forward to revealing more as to our plans for Manchester soon, and of course, to inviting you to join us at the launch.”

A joint statement released last week said: “Leading upmarket restaurant operator San Carlo has acquired iconic Alderley Edge restaurant Luciano.

“The deal is part of the (Luciano) business’s strategy to focus on opening upmarket restaurants in national and international major cities.”

Featured image: Luciano

Eats

A restaurant in Ancoats is serving up plates of crispy fried squirrel

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

A Manchester restaurant is serving up plates of crispy fried squirrel – and their customers absolutely love it.

Taking game dishes to a whole other level, the wild crispy buttermilk fried squirrel at Ancoats restaurant Street Urchin comes served atop a creamy pulled ham hock cassoulet, with hazelnut bread croutons and nettle pesto and costs £22.50.

Sourced from their game supplier in Cumbria, it might sound nutty but owner Rachel Choudhary told The Manc that the dish has proven incredibly popular – and that the team has been ‘really surprised’ at how much of a hit it has become with customers since adding it to the menu.

She said: “We were looking for something new for the game options on the menu. Kev was speaking to our game supplier and randomly asked if he had any grey squirrels. Happily, he did.

“The whole team tried the dish the day it went on and the majority thought it was really good.

Wild crispy buttermilk fried squirrel with creamy pulled ham hock cassoulet, with hazelnut bread croutons and nettle pesto. / Image: Street Urchin
Image: Street Urchin

“We weren’t sure if it would sell, but have been really surprised. So many people have tried it and given good feedback. We’ve recommended that they eat it like chicken wings and pick it up, that way you get most of the meat.

“I’d never tried squirrel before and I absolutely loved it, it has great flavour, rich buttery texture, and it’s wild, free-range meat.”

The gray squirrel currently has an estimated population of 2.5 million in the UK according to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and is considered a good sustainable alternative to factory-farmed meat.

It is legal to control grey squirrels by shooting or trapping them in the UK in a humane manner and even helps protect the UK’s endangered native red squirrel population.

Whilst some might find the idea of eating squirrels a tad unappealing, many chefs argue it is better to eat them when culling as it means the meat does not go to waste.

Fresh clams, homemade chorizo, fennel and white bean cassoulet, garlic crouton. / Image: Street Urchin
Whole red mullet, warm red pepper and olive salsa, battered potato scallops. / Image: Street Urchin

English market diner Street Urchin was first opened on Great Ancoats Street in 2019 by husband and wife team Rachel and Kevin Choudary.

Read more: Two Manchester sisters are turning dead squirrels from Heaton Park into stationery holders

Prior to opening in town, the couple ran The Victoria in Altrincham for eight years before deciding that it was time to move on.

Their Ancoats market diner has made its name on being one of the few city centre restaurants specialising in fresh fish, with everything from clams and mackerel to cured chalk stream trout, king scallops, and whole grilled red gurnard regularly available on the menu.

Read more: Manchester rapper Aitch is doing a charity skydive for Down Syndrome awareness

Whilst the fish board is the main attraction, however, there are other dishes to explore on the daily-changing menu too – with game meat a popular choice whenever it is in season.

Featured image – Street Urchin

Eats

Gary Neville comes to woman’s rescue at Manchester restaurant Fazenda

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

Gary Neville has proven himself the utmost gentleman after coming to the rescue of a disabled woman who was struggling to walk to a restaurant in Manchester on Mothering Sunday.

The football pundit spotted Ann Knowles, 67, struggling to walk to Brazilian steakhouse Fazenda in Manchester’s Spinningfields and took it upon himself to come to her aid.

After approaching her and offering a lift, the former Manchester United star helped her into his car and then provided door-to-door service to the restaurant, walking her the last part of the way.

Ann had been on her way to meet daughter Samantha Ward, who was inside the restaurant when she received a phone call to tell her how the ex-footballer had saved the day.

She told BBC News: “I was upset thinking we’ll have to forget dinner, but then my daughter rang and said ‘it’s ok Gary Neville the footballer is taking her’ and I was like ‘what?'”

Image: Fazenda
Image: Gary Neville

“I said the actual footballer? Where did he come from? And she said he just appeared out of nowhere, obviously saw them struggling and said ‘you need help’.

“So he physically picked her up and gave her a lift to the door in this car.

“He delivered her to the restaurant and saved Mother’s Day.

“My dad was with my mum and he was in shock.”

Read more: Manchester to be filled with fresh blooms as annual Flower Festival returns this summer

She added that the family ‘legged it’ across the restaurant to meet her mother, continuing:

“I’ve always supported Gary but this just made my day,” she said.

“My daughter’s boyfriend’s jaw was on the floor. I think he was a bit star-struck.”

“It’s a bit of a crazy story, but ultimately we’re all really chuffed.”

Feature image – Geograph

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