Sunday 13 July 2014

Summer nights in Manchester


Balmy summer nights are cherished here in England's so-called "Rainy City." One downside of Manchester bordering the beautiful Peak District is that it brings a volatile weather front down from the hills, which means few Mancunians will leave the house without an umbrella, whether it's January or July.

So nights like Friday, when the mercury rises to 30c and heavens stay closed, are rare. 

Rarer still are bars, restaurants and likewise establishments which cater for them - and even those who do boast outdoor areas find them bursting at the seams with enthused punters looking to toast the novelty of drinking outside into the early hours.

Thankfully, when the office closed its doors on Friday evening, there was somewhere else I could escape to which offered both thinner crowds and more outdoor space than most establishments in the city centre.

For ten weeks this summer, a mill in the city's Northern Quarter is playing host to block parties catered by some of the region's finest street food vendors. 

The variety was crippling - 'Greek Chic' fries with feta and humous and 'La DolceVita' brownie pizza topped with 'good shit' from La Dolce Dolls, BBQ jerk chicken with coconut rice, dirty beans and bad boy slaw from Love From The Streets and burgers 'done the way Gandhi would want them (if he ate meat)' from Patty Smith's

Nothing could beat the offering from Diamond Dogs though. 

Mouthwatering chilli hot dogs topped with beef chilli, nacho cheese, jalapenos and Sririacha sauce in hand, my friend Jenny and I sat cross-legged on the pavement, dipping into a tray of tater tots, sipping pineapple caiprinhas and soaking up the sun. 

All in all, it was the perfect way to end the working week.

Up In Your Grill, Manchester

Diamond Dogs at Up In Your Grill, Manchester

Up In Your Grill, Manchester

Up In Your Grill, Manchester 
All pictures are by me. For more, head to my Instagram feed.

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