Ornella’s is one of those brilliant Greater Manchester restaurants that’s doing a totally roaring trade without rabbiting on about it too much.
From its tiny spot in the middle of Denton, this cosy Italian has got its head down and focused on cooking, and cooking really, really well.
The results speak for themselves. You will quite literally wait months to get a table here.
In fact if you’re thinking of making a reservation, you pretty much have two options – wait until next June, or eat lunch (as we did) at 11.30am on a Wednesday. Did the early hour stop me drinking a large Aperol Spritz though? Of course not.
Ornella’s will always be worth the patience it takes to get your bum on a seat.
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It all started as a lockdown project for Ornella Cancila, where customers would come and collect carefully-made Sicilian dishes from a bench outside her home.
And now it’s grown to be one of those local spots that Tameside residents are proud of, and everyone else in Greater Manchester is jealous of.
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Inside Ornella’s Italian restaurant in Denton. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Ornella’s Italian restaurant in Denton. Credit: The Manc Group
I’ve encountered a lot of people who have been to Ornella’s, and haven’t yet heard a single bad word said about it.
Inside, there are just a couple of rows of tables in front of a deli counter displaying top-quality meats and other deli items.
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Let’s get stuck into that main restaurant menu though, which is way more comprehensive than you’d expect for such a small space.
An arancini that looks exactly like Donald Trump. Credit: The Manc GroupInside another Ornella’s arancini. Credit: The Manc Group
There are a couple of different arancini on the menu, one of which looks exactly like Donald Trump – a rotund orange fried ball topped with a bright white wig of parmesan.
That one is stuffed with caramelised onion and saffron (unlike the real deal), while another comes with nduja and mozzarella with a hot honey drizzle.
A clear menu highlight is the pistachio carbonara with crispy guanciale pieces that burst in little salty mouthfuls against the rich and creamy pasta sauce.
There’s also a beef short rib that releases its grip on the bone with a gentle prod from a fork, falling into a pool of creamy parmesan gnocchi. It tastes exactly like how it feels to step into a warm house after being pelted by rain all day, or pulling on a pair of socks that have been warmed on a radiator. Pure comfort.
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The pistachio carbonara from Ornella’s Kitchen. Credit: The Manc GroupPistachio gelato in a Sicilian brioche bun. Credit: The Manc Group
Truffle fans can’t go wrong with Ornella’s creamy truffle mafalde, covered in generous shavings of truffle and pecorino.
Ornella is generous with all of her cheese portions, actually – the sourdough garlic bread also arrives blanketed in the stuff.
I kick my feet under the table and actually giggle after taking a bite of the oven-baked conchiglioni shells, which are filled with pumpkin cream, sharp cheddar, pork sausage and a sourdough crumb. It flits from sweet to salt with every chew.
And then for desserts, you’ll find proper Italian pistachio gelato, served in a soft Sicilian brioche bun, and a Biscoff and white chocolate cheesecake that had me and my mate jousting with our forks for the last bite like really sh*t knights.
Ornella’s might not be a big space, but it’s destined for big things. Just good luck getting that reservation…
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as naughty
Danny Jones
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked that finally landed in Manchester this month – or, more accurately, the massive lines that followed.
Well, what if we told you were about to do the same all over again very soon?
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Credit: Get Baked (via Instagram)
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES! Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar’, people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Our friends over at The Hoot weren’t lying when they said this place was going to make a big splash when it landed in 0161 – and no, we won’t be telling you how much we’ve spent there already.
As for the Pistachio Bertha, Get Baked has confirmed that although there will only be a limited amount of portions up for grabs, it will be available both in person and to order online.
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
We’re also glad to hear she is on the mend following a recent health scare; we hope she eats as many slices of Pistachio Bertha as possible to celebrate. Big love and stay healthy – The Manc x
Featured Images — Get Baked (via Instagram)/The Manc Group
Eats
Cult burger brand Burger & Beyond announced as second trader for new Manchester food hall
Daisy Jackson
House of Social, a new two-storey food hall being built in Manchester, has just announced its second trader as Burger & Beyond.
The huge new development, part of Vita’s new student accommodation tower, had already confirmed that Curry Mile legends Mughli will be moving in when it launches.
And now it’s been announced that cult burger brand Burger & Beyond will be opening its first location outside London here in Manchester.
Set to open this summer in the First Street area, House of Social will bring together independent food offerings from around the UK.
It’s all being created by Jake Atkinson, the former operations manager of the widely popular Mackie Mayor, Altrincham Market and Macclesfield’s Picturedrome – all of which serve as the blueprint for a successful food hall.
Jake said: “We are incredibly excited to have Burger & Beyond join us at House of Social. Their reputation for quality and consistency is second to none, and they’ve been on my list for a very long time!
“We know they’ll be a huge hit with our community of students and food lovers in the city. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to bring them to Manchester this summer.”
Burger & Beyond started life as a food truck a decade ago, popping up at street food markets and enterprises like Street Feast and KERB, now argued by many to be the best burgers in London, served alongside a menu of milkshakes and sides like fried chicken bites.
Burger & Beyond is coming to Manchester. Credit: Lateef PhotographyFried chicken bites from Burger & Beyond
They’ve also collaborated with the likes of social sensation Laurent Dagenais, Flat Iron, Richard Turner and Smokestak.
Burger & Beyond founders Tom Stock and Craig Povoas went on to open their first permanent restaurant in Shoreditch in 2018, expanding further to Borough Yards and Soho.
And now it’s Manchester’s turn to see what all the Burger & Beyond fuss is about.
A signature dish heading up north to House of Social will be the bacon butter burger – dry aged beef patty, double American cheese, crispy pancetta, burnt butter mayo and onion.
Tom Stock, Co-Founder of Burger & Beyond, commented: “After years of dreaming about bringing Burger & Beyond to new cities, we’re thrilled to finally be making our Manchester debut at House of Social.
“The city has such a vibrant food scene, and we’re looking forward to sharing our burgers with a whole new audience. It’s going to be a fantastic summer!”
Burger and Beyond will open at House of Social, First Street in Summer 2025.
Daisy Jackson -
15th November 2024 
