The thing with Manchester is that nothing remains secret for too long - especially where food and drink is concerned.
During the pandemic a number of unique food concepts sprang up all across town. In Ancoats, Manchester’s first slab shack dedicated to oozing, fresh-made slabs of pasta entered the scene, hidden amongst yet-to-be-reimagined old warehouses on a back street.
Down the same road you’ll still find the hatch-style bakery selling boozy brioche and traditional Brazilian cheese bread - again another hidden gem until their pistachio-filled croissants went viral on social media. There’s also a family-run takeaway serving up some hearty Caribbean cuisine a couple of units down that doesn’t get the attention it deserves - a spot that somehow has managed to fly beneath the radar.
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features
Then there was Gooey, the doughnut and cookie shop that delivered sweet treats during successive lockdowns before tucking themselves away - first at Hatch on Oxford Road and later in the kiosk at the entrance of Ducie Street Warehouse. Just a few years later it’s become a hit not only with locals, but pop royalty - circling back to the point that Mancunians can’t keep secrets, but also, that we like to throw our full support behind exciting new food ventures.
Which brings me nicely onto sandwiches. Let me clarify, the ones I’m talking about bear no resemblance to those sorry-looking slabs of white bread bursting at the seams with mediocre prawn cocktail filling that you end up being forced to buy when the meal-deal fridge has been ransacked on a Miserable Monday afternoon.
But rather American-style subs stuffed with everything from cold cuts to deep-fried meats. The hoagies - bread roll sandwiches piled high with your choice of filling - are most commonly associated with Philadelphia, with several possible explanations as to how the name arose, though most like to tell the story of the Italian immigrants who worked at the Navy Yard known as Hog Island Shipyard.
Bringing a slice of Philly, or sub for that matter, to Manchester is House of Hoagie, the same team behind some seriously impressive burgers - House of Bun - at Radcliffe Market. From Philly cheese steaks to fried prawn po' boys, these enormous sarnies are giving the city’s booming independent sandwich scene an added boost.
But what makes them undiscovered at this particular point in time is that they were only unveiled to the world a few days ago. That, and they’re being served up from a cupboard-sized kitchen at Mala, the city centre’s ‘secret garden’ bar in the Northern Quarter.
The under-used patch of land in front of Chapter One bookshop and café, on the corner of Dale Street and Lever Street was transformed a couple of years ago. At one time, the area was a notorious drug den, but in late autumn 2020 work began to turn it into an outdoor venue inspired by Alpine villages, but lockdown tapered ambitions slightly and the result was a charming pretty pastel-filled garden with cabins designed to look like cable cars, individually decorated huts and picnic tables.
It’s evolved since then, the outdoor bar area remains but has been festooned with twinkly fairy lights, while a further covered space has been bolted on. Here, there are hints of Parisian design colliding with mismatched lampshades, disco balls and an astroturfed carpet floor - but it works, and it’s become a hub for up-and-coming food vendors as well as a great spot for summer sundowners.
House of Hoagie’s opening menu includes twists on classic American subs, from the Manny Cheesesteak, which builds on their tried-and-tested patty recipe from the Radcliffe counterpart, to the riff on a Louisiana classic, the shrimp po’boy and its veggie alternative made with oyster mushrooms, and Manhattan staple, Chopped Cheese, which seamlessly brings together a chopped burger patty, cheese, lettuce, onion and house burger sauce.
Transporting us to a stateside Italian deli, their Cold Cuts hoagie (£13.25) is a masterpiece. Stuffed with lomo (pork loin), bresaola, mortadella, it takes some serious commitment to plough through it, but each bite is a delight. Bringing it all together is the spread of rich pesto along the base of the sub, as well as the mozzarella and pickled vegetables sitting pretty on the bed of cold meats.
A sprinkling of parmesan, parsley, tiny capers and olive oil to finish it and you have yourself one of the best subs in town. Sure, it dwarfs your typical meal deal spend and it might have to be put down in the calendar as your ‘I made it through another week of work’ treat, but there’s easily enough there for two sittings.
Also devoured after sneaking a quick glance at the next table’s spoils is the Shrimp Po’ Boy. Coming in at £15.99 it's an investment, but one I very much think you’ll be glad you made. The size of a mini submarine - I’m thinking of those battleships toys we played with as kids - the bread factory sub is assembled with house sauce and a generous portion of lettuce, creating the perfect spot for fried shrimp and homemade tartare sauce to land. When it comes to actually eating it, prepare for prawns to fly, fingers to be covered in sauce and a dash for extra napkins - well it is also about the experience.
Not that we needed it by this point, but the fries seemed worth a dabble too. Served waffle style, you can go straight up or be adventurous and get cajun spice (£4.50). We go a step further and get the loaded fries (£6.99) - covered in cheese sauce, bacon bits, jalapenos and parsley. An extravagant addition, but one I would repeat for the salty bacon bits alone.
Deep fried corn-ribs (£6) slathered in aioli and topped with spring onions complete the set and are quickly devoured, before the only napkin without house covering it is held up like a white flag as we admit defeat.
These hoagies might be at the more expensive end, but with meat from Littlewoods, Bread Factory subs and Italian-imported charcuterie in the mix, as well as some in-house pickling and sauce making going on, you really are paying for the quality. Like all those burgeoning concepts before it, House of Hoagie really is too good to be kept secret - you’re welcome.
