Sausages. I love them.
There’s something about biting into a freshly cooked, well made sausage that’s pleasure itself – the pop of the skin, sinking your teeth into the flesh, flavour flooding over your tongue. Heaven.
And I’ve realised that this month there are three posts concerning sausage. I’m concerned these tubes of meat are becoming an obsession.
But I can think of worse things to get excited about.
So when Splendid Sausage invited Keeley and myself in for a visit, I allowed myself to get a little giddy.
Perhaps we got a little too giddy.
Splendid Sausage resides on John Dalton Street, near Albert Square – almost opposite Manchester’s other sausage heaven, Dogs n Dough. But though both venues serve sausage, they are very different. Which as a sausage lover has me relieved. I can love both a little.
Splendid sausage is just that. These aren’t wieners, they really are sausages, sourced from an award winning butcher rather close to me, Howarth’s in Flixton. They’ve been developed specially to cook in a short amount of time (around 10 minutes) and using choice cuts of meat, so your sausage is as fresh and tasty as possible – and it shows. There are also ten different types of sausage to choose from, so whether you’d prefer something spicy, classic pork, or the vegetarian option you can pick something to suit.
Then, there are the toppings. Mix and match, choose your own, or like we did, select one of the specials. I opted for the The King, a combination of beef sausage, bacon, peanut butter, and battered banana. I’m not ashamed to say I used the Las Vegas wedding/Elvis walking me down the aisle and that Keeley had been to the Beef & Pudding opening event and met their Elvis impersonator without me, to ensure I had this as my option. I’m not above a little emotional blackmail where sausage is concerned.
And given just how filthily good it is, I’m glad I did (sorry, not sorry).
Keeley selected the just as impressive Beef, Beans, Buffalo and Blue – beef sausage, house beans cooked with cola, jalapenos, buffalo sauce and pretzel pieces. That combination of salty and sweet is addictive.
We were also treated to the only just on the menu Sunday Roast sausage. Oh my.
It’s difficult to eat anything resembling a sausage in an elegant manner, but this was more than a challenge. This sausage is topped with rich pulled beef, red cabbage, creamy cauliflower cheese, diced roast potatoes, gravy and the cutest mini Yorkshire puds. This really is incredible.
But we weren’t finished. Oh no. Then there are the fries. Topped fries.
First up, the Splendid Fries – topped with rich gravy, bacon and slices of sausage they are gorgeous. Random pieces of sausage mean you get to try all the flavours in one dish, one mouthful is spicy, the next is fiery, the next deeply meaty lamb. Chips n gravy for grown ups.
Anybody else picturing cheese on top?
Then there was this.
Twitter had been full of images of the Eggs Benedict fries, and I needed to try them – I’m often disappointed with Hollandaise sauce in restaurants. It’s usually too creamy and not sharp enough for me, and I make something more to my taste at home. Not here. This is as close to my own homemade as possible, so when added to a creamy egg yolk and salty bacon. Oh god.
It’s enough to make a grown woman whimper. And yes, I did.
To accompany this feast of food, we sampled some of the cocktails on offer – whilst there are a good number of wines on offer, soft drinks and hard and soft shakes (I’ve been informed I need to head back in for the Raspberry Ripple, so that’s firmly on my to do list), for me this sort of sausage either needs beer or a cocktail.
Keeley spotted the word glitter and had to order the Hard Pink Lemonade – creme de mure, vodka, lemonade and yes, glitter, are all in this lightly sweet, fruity number. I had, however, spotted the word tequila, in the El Diablo Rojo – a mix of tequila, lime, ginger ale and creme de cassis. Fruity, smoky, gorgeous.
We also tried the Cucumber and Rosemary Gin and Tonic – a light and summery fresh mix using Tanqueray gin and the Blueberry Rum Smash – fresh blueberries are muddled with lemon and syrup, before being topped with one of Keeley’s favourite rums, Appleton VX and lemonade.
All cocktails are also garnished with a salted taffy sweet. Trust me and pop this in your bag or pocket for later. I call them handbag sweets, they’re the ones you forget about and come across later when rooting around for something later on. You’re suprised, pleased and get to revisit the memory of a great drink.
Keeley and I however, were not done yet. There was still dessert to try.
Ahh dessert. On offer for myself and Keeley was a Millionaire’s Shortbread dessert and a custardy soft Trifle. The jelly in the trifle was completely home made, so fresh and fruity – Keeley commented that she’d have loved a bit of fruit in the dessert to bring a bite to it and more contrast in textures.
The shortbread dessert was just gorgeous. hunks of short bread, cream, caramel and just a touch of chocolate. I was sad to be too full to finish it, but I was perhaps a little too full of sausage.
A nod must go to the decor – if you ever visited Jack Spratt, the previous incumbent of the premises, you’ll remember a dark, heavily wood filled, bistro style venue, with loos that rarely functioned.
The interior at Splendid is the work of Sian and her crew. It’s light, primary colours, delightfully mismatched furniture and booths. It’s fun. It’s unpretentious. It’s what a sausage restaurant should be.
And the loos? Yes, they work!
With both Splendid and Dogs n Dough in Manchester, my love for sausage is only going to grow. Two very different takes on something I love.
Hmm. Sausage.
We were invited to try the menu by Splendid Sausage who covered the cost of our meal and drinks.
As ever, the food review is honest and I was very impressed by the menu on offer and am already making plans to return as a paying customer.