Grillstock Festival completely lives up to its tagline: 'Meat. Music. Mayhem.' On a slightly…read moredrizzly and cool Saturday in Manchester the hordes swarmed to Albert Square and the stalls of carnivorous splendor. Entry was a very hefty £22.50 but you had to buy them online in advance and it had already sold out. You couldn't, therefore, just rock up there ticketless. I was fortunate and had a free ticket donated by a friend who couldn't make it - so I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay that much and not have at least a free burger, hotdog or couple of beers included. The range of options was pretty good, with the likes of Fire & Salt and Red's True BBQ joined with over 20 other vendors. Pretty much all the food was £4-6, with the smaller 'snacks' at around £3 each. The hotdogs from Street Dogs were huge and delicious (see pic). You could wash everything down with beer from Brooklyn Brewery and cloudy cider from Lazy Jacks (both were terrific) and if you had enough room after all that meat, you could get cheesecake or icecream. I failed miserably as I was too greedy after nailing a brisket burger. Rob Heron & The Teapad Orchestra kept us entertained from the main stage, then it was the crowd-pleasing chilli eating competition, with 10 challengers eating increasingly hot chillis that I'd never heard of. Most of them endured until quite far in, then all but two dropped like flies and reached for the milk (or sick bucket - nice). After eating a Trinidad Scorpion 'Butch T' from Australia which was 1.4 million on the Scoville scale of hotness, it ended somewhat anticlimactically with a 'fastest eater' round, much to the crowd's bemusement. The only downside I had, which is the same for every festival like this, is that there were too many people in there, not enough circulation space and only one entrance/exit. Other than that is was a great way to spend an afternoon and start your path towards a food coma!

Another year, another trip to Grillstock! Having been for the past two years, we couldn't resist…read morepurchasing the early bird tickets and signing up for another visit to BBQ heaven. Still located on Albert Square, the festival has expanded somewhat, meaning there was a shift around inside the square, with the main stage moving and appearing to provide much more space than previous years. The entrance (only one this time) was in a strange location and there was very little signage towards it, meaning I was slightly on the flustered side by the time we actually got in! We headed to the bar for a drink to walk around with and explore our options. Brewdog were the providers this years, meaning there were plenty of familiar options, the other half going for the Dead Pony Ale. The bar was also fully stocked with cider, wine and prosecco so we didn't have to bounce between bars - handy! There was also an 'I Heart Wine' van, separate Lazy Jack's bar, alcoholic iced tea, a spiced rum bar, plus a Jack Daniel's cocktail bar. So, something for all tastes! Probably my favourite thing about Grillstock is the opportunity to try food from some new vendors, many of which come from across the country. Ross&Ross were my first stop, serving up slow cooked lamb, which was absolutely delicious and the perfect thing to get the day going. We also had a burger from The Beefy Boys - great, very moist - and some hot wings from Lola's - personal favourite, and coming with some very handy wet wipes. Everything is around the £5-6 mark on top of your ticket price. Unfortunately all stalls serving ribs ran out very quickly - and by all stalls I mean the 2 that were actually serving them up. Shouldn't there be more? When you really take the stalls into account, burgers and hot dogs totally outweigh everything else. Probably says something about the UK's taste in BBQ... As ever, there was lots of entertainment in the form of music (Levi Roots and Grandmaster Flash, anyone?), circus performers, the grilling competition, hot dog/wing/chilli eat competitions, and the ever popular free photo booth, making it very family friendly and contributing to a very relaxed Saturday.

The main draw for this hot dog stand is that it isn't Burger King, KFC or McDonalds. That's…read morehonestly about all there is to it in terms of real advantage. That said, this isn't knocking the place. This, like What A Potato up the road, is a good enough place to grab some food if you're in a mad dash or the wallet/purse is feeling a bit light. This rascal is located at the bottom of Market Street and the sausages are pretty massive, meaning that you could be still eating it after doing a couple of laps of the city centre (or not if you're a greedy guts like me). Its cheap food that will fill a hole in a relatively pleasing way and definitely better than the sort of bilge thrown out by the archetypal burger van. Give 'em a try.

£1.99 happy hour deal. Hot dog and drink - can of soft drink. Proper sausages. Tastes good. Nice…read morebite to eat while out shopping

Just a quick shout out for the fruit stall on Deansgate at the entrance to House of Fraser…read moredepartment store. I had so much fun explaining to the stall owner why I wanted photos, and how I was going to put his fruit stall on the internet. He didn't even have a name for the business - so I hereby name this stall Deansgate Fruit Stall! Fruit from street vendors is invariably very fresh and uses as little packaging as you like, especially if you bring your own small bags as well as shopping bag. On the stall, we have the usual apples and oranges, cucumbers, avocado, etc plus whatever is in season (see photos). Also, some more unusual items such as fresh figs of a much better quality (luscious!) than I've ever seen in supermarket. Definitely make a special effort to visit during the soft fruit season - cherries, raspberries, etc, best bought little and often. The stall owner is a really friendly gentleman, and a little bit of rounding down of the grand total to the nearest whole pound sometimes happens - but let him do it!

Really enjoyed the vegan Sunday event here. I was surprised to find it fairly warm inside (was…read moreprepared for the arctic conditions of its former home, Alphabet Brewery) and the space is beautiful, especially the giant arched window letting on gorgeous yellowy light as the sun set in the late afternoon. Food-wise, the offerings were impressive. Oh Mei Dumpling was great, the only bummer was they vastly under-budgeted and ran out while they still had a large queue some hours before closing. Luckily I got in there quickly! Ottomen was very popular too but had a very lengthy queue, apparently they take a long time explaining the offerings to each customer to make sure they get the ideal combo which is nice customer service except for the fact that customer has had to spend 30 minutes in a queue while their friends drink elsewhere - maybe some sort of explanatory blackboard or better labelling could speed things up. Macdaddies also did an impressive vegan offering - you def wouldn't know it's not cheese. Vendor wise, the vegan pies and arancini were both great, would definitely recommend those to take away for some tasty lunches post your Sunday come down. Drinks options include a decent variety of local beers, of course local doesn't necessarily mean good and it's mostly keg here but you'll find something drinkable. They also have some fancy soft drinks of varying quality, at least they are a bit different though!

TL;DR - New venue, still the same great food, drink and vibes…read more After a few years of moving back and forth between Mayfield in summer and Fairfield Street in winter, GRUB finally has a new year round home on Redbank. This should be their permanent home for the forseeable future, all year round. The new place has a bit of a different layout, since it's based in a two storey building - downstairs has an enlarged bar and seating area, a children's play area and the toilets; upstairs is a much larger seating area plus when we were there a wine bar, cakes and a DJ. Street food vendors are located outside, in the yard at the rear. Go out back and get some food, then head back inside to get some drinks and a seat. Other than the new venue though, this is still the same GRUB we know and love. Fantastic street food from an ever changing list of vendors, great local beers, great music and a relaxed vibe - and the whole place is family and dog friendly. Oh, and I nearly forgot - everything on Sundays is vegan!

I work around the corner from the take away/rice 'n' 3 café. You probably wouldn't know this place…read moreexisted unless you knew it was there as it is down a back alley - not somewhere you would normally be walking. I was out and about on my lunch break and fancied a kebab and remembered I had seen this place when I was leaving the Liars Club so thought I would give it a try. I walked in and they had various curries on offer for the rice 'n' 3.  They looked pretty good but that's not what I was in for so can't comment on the quality of them. I ordered a chicken and donner mix kebab. I waited about 5 minutes and realised that there was no rotating spear of meat! The 'chef' opened a tub of chicken and tipped it into a bowl and heated it up in the microwave!! He then got the donner meat from, I'm assuming, the oven. The salad was a help yourself affair at the front of the counter and not covered up. If I had known this I probably wouldn't of gone in. I got it back to work and when I opened it up it smelt alright but as I started to eat it I was very disapointed. The chicken was like rubber and the donner meat a little to thick. To be fair to them the bread was pretty tasty. I was tempted to order bhajis but these were to warmed up in a microwave so decided against. I probably wont be back here again which is a shame as I work so close.

Was in Manchester to visit friends and do a concert. One of my colleagues posted an article about…read morePorky Pig, and I was intrigued by the Full English in a Yorkshire, so this place was a must try for moi. It was everything I thought it would be (and then some). While I was having this breakfast, Jenna and Siobhan told me about other options, so I was back for lunch later that afternoon. And the next afternoon. Oh, and two more breakfasts. That's right! Five visits in my week in Manchester. The meats were delicious by themselves, but add in the vegetables, and gravy, and stuffing, and a Yorkshire pudding. We could do with a spot like this in Dallas!

Small but perfectly formed, Fiesta Del Fuego is the newest kid on the Manchester food event block…read more Fancy yourself as a chilli king or queen? Then you were probably here. Bought to you by the folks behind the Kahula coffee house, 6 of Manchester's best bar and restaurants vye for the Best Chilli in Manchester crown; Soup Kitchen, Pancho's Burritos, Home Sweet Home, Luck Lust Liquor & Burn, Kahula Coffee House, AND Kosmonaut. Try them all and be a judge for £10 or enter for free and choose whatever looks/smells best. Thirsty? There's plenty of booze being thrown around, but it can only be consumed within the chilli smackdown area. We ate our chilli from Soup Kitchen due to their use of some local stout and the layer of tortilla chips at the base of the box; the chilli was delicious, creamy but earthy, served with some fresh lime and a jalapeno. For only £3. It was the perfect portion, especially considering we had already eaten at Guerilla Eats earlier in the day. Despite the long queue, the bar service was quick and efficient, offering up beers, cocktails, and cloudy cider to wash away the spice. Entertainment wise, you have the choice of a pinata, a wheel of fortune, a band, and a chilli eating competition. Word has it that the front runner for the chilli competition stopped halfway and had to throw up, so they were using strong stuff. A few folks had a go at the pinata but, shamefully for most, a young boy was the only one to manage it. The wheel of fortune gave you the opportunity to win a Kahula martini, a cocktail, or a hug. N'aaw. The band was an acoustic guitar, kazoo, and banjo - not exactly the guys from the Dorito's ad, but they kept everyone engaged and it was great to see some local, live music. Between their sets, Kahula Coffee House were blasting out a range of music from their speakers. A small stall off the main path was selling a range of hot sauces, none of which caught my eye - it was the chilli gummy bears that made me reach into my purse. Fiesta Del Fuego, please come again next year. Manchester needs more Mexican flavour.

I am surprised this place has not been reviewed. Actually I thought I had written a review myself…read morebut clearly not - until now! I have been to Chaat Cart a few times. Most of the time having the chicken kati roll which is lovely. The first time I didn't realise it had coriander in it - too much good flavour from everything else? But noticed the 2nd time - luckily could easily pick it out. I did mention to them about coriander but it was already "in the mix" - although she remembered another time I went and did her best to remove the coriander. More recently, I tried the food at Chaat Cart at a recent Yelp event at The Kitchens. And even more recently, yesterday, I went and had the Chicken 65 burger with gunpowder fries. Lovely chicken burger and very slighty spicy fries - although I did mention how spicy it was so he may have put a bit less spice on. It came with an onion bhaji on top of the fries - usually its on top of the burger but no room in the takeaway box if it was! Will be going back again (and again) for sure. Good food, friendly people.

Came here on my lunch and to my amazement nobody was waiting to be served so I got my food very…read morequickly. I had the lentil dhal as I felt like trying something different. Wow. What an amazing lunch! It was very tasty and really moreish, I shall be returning to this place and have recommend it to lots of my friends! They do gluten free food too which is always good to know!

Our city's favourite indie street food events company has now moved into a much larger venue, after…read morea successful regular stint at Runaway Brewery. To be held weekly, every Saturday from noon until 10pm, the space at Alphabet Brewery has the advantage of being completely covered over - so as the wintry days approach, both traders and punters will be kept dry! North Western Street is in the grittier part of the city, shall we say, running alongside the impressive railway arches leading to Piccadilly station. The front area outside the brewery is where you'll find the street food traders every week (there'll be 5-6 with some firm favourites on regular rotation along with guest traders appearing too). Inside the brewery itself (which is double height and spacious) you have the newly-built cash-only bar, serving Alphabet's beery wares - and soon to have guest breweries and tap takeovers. Unisex toilets and sinks are upstairs (there's a disabled toilet next to the bar). The vibrant murals on the walls are by local artist Hammo (who's also designed all of their beer cans) - check out his website: http://www.thehammo.com/ Two long rows of bench seating along with smaller tables means there's plenty of room to sit down if you get down here early enough! By mid afternoon it was truly bustling. Less than a 10 minute walk from the station, this is a must visit for locals and visitors alike.

A really great new location for GRUB and one that I hope to be hitting regularly now that it's on…read more'my side' of Manchester at Alphabet Brewery. Yes - at first you might come out of the back of Piccadilly station and wonder quite where you're headed (this area was/is the red light area of Manchester but with HS2 coming soon and this area marked for redev it is probably gonna be a trendy part of town in a decade from now) As with all the GRUB events there was great food, drink and music. Plus the atmosphere always kicks ass. On this occasion the gyoza stall and MacDaddies (mac n' cheese) went down well with our table. The Alphabet session pale at 4% and £4 a pint went down just as good. Looking like a regular place we'll be heading to now it's on each Saturday and only 5 mins walk from the station.

I have sampled food from Nasi Lemak plenty of times over the past 12 months, but more recently,…read moreduring their visits to Levenshulme Market hosted by The University of Manchester, occurring every Tuesday during the semester for anyone and everybody nearby to enjoy. Nasi Lemak offers unbelievably tasty Malaysian street food, and I recommend Satay Chicken. skewered chicken in a delicious spicy marinade. Also, the rempah chicken is a very popular fried chicken. Delicious!

I have previously tried the food from Nasi Lemak before my recent visit to Nasi Lemak, now in The…read moreKitchens. I was only recently at the Yelp event at The Kitchens and got to try the food from all the different vendors including Nasi Lemak. I had the rempah chicken (which is Malaysian spiced fried chicken) with noodles. The chicken is just so tasty - you can really taste the juicy chicken. And the sauce is lovely - nice spice to it. (Its worth just mentioning that if you are a vegetarian, you have some options such as the mock chicken. I have had mock chicken before - both from Nasi Lemak and other places - and its pretty hard to tell the difference - the taste and also the texture). I recommend checking out Nasi Lemak!