Almost Famous, Northern Quarter.

It's time Manchester grew up and started eating some proper food for a change. Yet the 'dirty food' band wagon keeps on rolling. I hear we're soon to get an Ed's Easy Diner. You know, that American themed restaurant that was all the rage in London twenty years ago. No less than two cereal cafés are opening shortly too.
Apart from some big name additions, (Hawksmoor, Ibérica), I plan to eat out less this year and blog more selectively. (All the best laid plans and all that). Having said all of that, sometimes a big sloppy burger is the only thing I want. Like a curry or a kebab, nothing else will do. Trash was calling both of us after a post Christmas near starvation diet last month. I've not eaten a burger in Manchester for months so we wanted to make sure we did it properly.
If you ask me, burgers are better, simpler with minimal toppings. However, nobody buys these as they don't look any good on instagram etc (and I know I can talk). A case of supply and demand. These ones at Almost Famous are not minimal at all. (Although you can get their standard Almost Famous burger). They are nonetheless, great to shove in your greedy gob at great speed. I'm pretty good at doing this if I say so myself.

We start off with a Crack Baby, cheese - chillies - chorizo - Caesar shoestring fries - garlic butter salt & vinegar Walkers - chorizo aioli - bleu cheese dressing - Cholula (£9). This is good but slightly muddied by all the toppings, we can't taste the meat so much. (Famously supplied by our local butcher, W.H. Frost).

Better is the California Screamin', spiced cheese - herb butter brioche - crispy smoked bacon - grilled onions avocado - lettuce - tomato - chillies - lemon 'erb mayo - chorizo aioli - Cholula (£9).

The touch of spiciness adds that pleasing bit of heat and the avocado is a lovely creamy addition. Best of all, these toppings are not masking the actual flavour of the burger meat. I'd have preferred it a little bit pinker (I'd asked for the burger rare) but it's too late to worry about that now it's in my fat belly.
We've probably consumed as many calories in 20 minutes as we have all week, but no matter, the dirty deed is done. We'll most likely be back in another few months when we get that urge again. It's our none guilty pleasure.

To see more photos in hi res click here.

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