STYLE GOOD FOOD
Review
STYLE GOOD FOOD
Review
COCKADOODLEMOO LEVANTER FINE FOODS 3-5 YORKSHIRE STREET, ROCHDALE, OL16 1BH 01706 668642
10 SQUARE ST, RAMSBOTTOM, BURY, BL0 9BE
01706 551530
We ventured into Ramsbottom early one Sunday evening with some trepidation. Keen to show our visitors from London what culinary delights the North has to offer, we head straight to the small but ever popular tapas bar on Square Street, Levanter. I knew that we weren’t guaranteed to get a table, since the glowing review from critical heavyweight Jay Rayner sent many foodies on a pilgrimage to this small town, and Levanter don’t take bookings.
I’ve always thought that summer bank holidays were made for lazy days, beer gardens and BBQ’s. But in reality I spent the last long weekend navigating my way round the aisles of B&Q. After my third DIY trip of the day, I was in desperate need of a pit stop and it was time for something grilled! I stepped through the doorway of CockaDoodleMoo into a cool industrial haven, the interior adorned with wooden pallets and corrugated metal. What a transformation from the dingy days of Yates’s Wine Lodge; I was suitably impressed. The place was ship-shape and ready for business with every sauce bottle standing to attention on the neatly laid tables. The vast menu takes some digesting so we were grateful for the friendly recommendations from the staff. After some intense discussion we plumped for the St Louis Ribs and Crispy Buffalo Wings (£18.50). When the waiter brought two wet wipes over with the food, I knew I was onto a winner! The wings were swimming in a deliciously thick BBQ sauce and the tender rib meat was smoked to perfection. Served with a 52
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tray of rainbow Cajun style rice and a dollop of crunchy house slaw, the dish was almost big enough to share. But not wanting to miss out I also ordered the taco combo, filled with a generous helping of spiced chilli beef and pulled pork (£5.25) and a side of giant Cajun onion rings (£2.95) to dunk in the tangy peach & scotch bonnet sauce. All this washed down with a gloriously creamy Oreo cookie milkshake (£3.95). Stepping out onto Yorkshire Street, it’s exciting to see the regeneration of the town centre take shape, with the promise of a cinema and retail complex to follow, CockaDoodleMoo is a Rochdale pioneer for the next generation, and it’s finger licking good! Sarah Murphy
It turned out that I needn’t have worried. I’d seen some rumblings on social media that the weekly delivery of Galician steaks had been delayed, so the Sunday special 1kg rib eye was unfortunately off the menu. I can only assume that this warning had steered a few red blooded regulars away from Levanter this week, as we were promptly shown to a table for four when we arrived. The menu is simple and seasonal. The choices change each week with only a couple of favourites allowed to stay on for another week, and I can see why the homemade morcilla and the Portuguese sardines with romesco salsa get a second chance. Along with the Spanish equivalent of black pudding (morcilla) which was delicately topped with a runny Goosnargh egg, we also plumped for another Mediterranean staple – the potato tortilla, which oozed magnificently as we quartered it. The charred spring onions had a lovely sweet crunch to them as we dunked them greedily into another pot of salsa. Then along came the octopus from Getaria with Cypress potatoes, crab, roast garlic and peppers, and the light and crispy deep fried seafood which we plunged into a thick squid ink alioli. Both of the fish dishes were presented so perfectly on the plate, they looked too good to eat, at least without photographing them first of course! Levanter became hugely popular in a very short space of time, meaning it’s usually a very busy place, but luckily for us, they have now expanded round the corner with Baratxuri serving up bite sized Spanish pintxo to accompany a cold glass of Alhambra. Sarah Murphy