If you’re looking for a taste of New York life accompanied by high-quality comfort food without crossing the Atlantic, look no further than the Northern Quarter’s Kosmonaut.
Having recently opened a new 80-seater diner style area, the neighbourhood hangout on Tariff Street has taken the opportunity to launch a new and extensive food menu.
Upon crossing the threshold the sight of exposed brick walls, old wooden tables and pipework running through the bar immediately transports you to the Big Apple’s famous meat-packing district.
And that’s only upstairs, downstairs the bar has come up with a novel way of replacing the pool table with an American bar staple – a ping-pong table.
But if the building and artwork doesn’t have you landing at JFK, the menu certainly will.
Sitting down to a large sharing platter, aptly named the Local, it was clear from the first bite the menu would combine tastes of Uncle Sam with classic Mancunian gastronomy.
A substantial meal for one but definitely an adequate appetiser for two the Local, served on a wooden slab, was littered with a mix of hot and cold treats.
In the centre was a hefty portion of ham hock terrine, which provided a natural accompaniment to the famous Manchester egg perched next to some pickled vegetables.
For those not acquainted with this Mancunian delight, a Manchester egg is the hard-boiled variety, pickled, and wrapped in black pudding and sausage meat and coated in crispy bread crumbs. Salivating? We certainly were.
So with our sharing board demolished, we ordered more drinks and moved on to the main course.
Our servers brought bite-size versions of classic burgers, including a particularly tender chicken slider served with a tangy mayonnaise infused with a refreshing hint of citrus.
As big fans of pulled pork we couldn’t wait to try the Snoop Dog – a light but crunchy brioche bun containing a classic Yankee ‘dawg’ with the tender, stringy meat and lashings of boozy barbeque sauce.
Next up we were treated to a Chilli Beef dog, similar to the pork version, but a must for anyone with a penchant for spicy dishes.
Other mains, all served with skin-on fries, include Moules Marinier and Texas Chilli Beef Brisket and for the veggies, Chickpea Curry.
But if you fancy something a bit lighter sandwiches and pizzas are also available and from the looks of the Capricciosa , an Italian speciality pizza loaded with ham, mushrooms, artichokes and olives, looks particularly tasty.
Naturally, baked New York cheesecake was the main feature on the dessert menu, but for the more traditionalists among you, a deliciously sticky toffee pudding was also on offer alongside a refreshing passion-fruit crème brulée.
Quite simply a fine way to end a meal.
As hard as it was, my dining partner and I had to leave eventually, but we will most definitely be returning for another slice of Americana very soon.
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