MFDF 2012 Voting

It was VERY VERY hard to vote for my favourites on the MCR food and drink scene. Thankfully the clever folk at Manchester Food and Drink Festival had narrowed the nominees down allowing me to put the whole of Rusholme and all the lovely little foodie spots that are scattered all over Greater Manchester out of the equation.

It's fair to say that I have been spoilt of late with invites to various food and drink related events around the city. I can't even say that I know why I've been invited, but I have and I have gone and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't have a blog until yesterday and have only ever written one small piece for my blogtastic friend Charlie.
So, no idea how, but I wangled it.
Thank you to those that had anything to do with said 'wangle'.
Much appreciated.

When it came to voting for the Food and Drink Pioneers 2012 I had to be clear in my belief that the deserved recipient of my vote had to be MY vote. Uninfluenced by any bias or potential 'freebie'.

With this in mind, when it came to the actual nominees it was quite straight forward. There was one MEGA standout winner. Anyone who knows me will know who they are. I've been living there part-time since it's triumphant re-open in August.

Those of you that I haven't seen or have other, more interesting things to do than listen to me go on and on about what I've been eating or drinking this week should know that said Pioneering Place of Wonderment and the BEST BURGERS IN THE WORLD is the wholly magnificent almostfamousburgers.com . These guys rock my (granted, already rocky) world.

Anyone who lives in Manchester and has a mouth and isn't afraid of UBER burgers or daft names for menu items must go there and sample the excellence.
Just go.
Don't wait.
If you're unlucky enough to be a sufferer of Vegetarianismitis there is a 'secret menu' with something on there to keep you happy. I may one day get round to ordering this. Although, honestly, it's pretty flippin' unlikely.

Aaaanyway, point is; I voted for the mighty Almost Famous and the reason being is simply for the fact the owner/mastermind behind it all (Beau Myers) recognised a hole in the MCR food scene for simple (well, kinda simple - *remembers all the towering specials*) well executed fast food and drinks in a well thought out, comfy, interesting, environment that doesn't involve a queueing system and a server at the front with a silly branded cap on - and he delivered it baby!
He thought of that. Granted there would have been inspiration from somewhere but no one else bloody did it in Manchester did they?!
He then engaged the food-obsessed monsters of Manchester via the power of Twitter and the 'Secrect Pop-Up Burger Venue' tag. NO PHOTOGRAPHY, no one knew what it was! HYPED up, we almost expected some half-arsed decorated NQ hangout and what we in fact got was a glittering ball of exciting, special, burgery-boozy wonder.

When they closed at the end of Spring it was horrible. Why would you just up and leave?! Yes yes we knew it was a 'pop-up' but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD why?!
Then the sneaky little sneaky peaky poos came back. With a vengeance.
HAPPINESS.

The weekly updates of specials and the constant interaction from the employees and Beau himself via Twitter are all what gets our juices flowing.
I know the sexually charged sweary whitterings-on are not to everyone's tastes but those that can take it all with a pinch of salt are rewarded with the goods at the end!
They get my vote. 
Any day.

They did get my vote.

The sad news is my jeans are getting tighter and my chin is getting a little wobblier. I also recognise that whilst they are outstandingly good value I must reign it in. One of these days I'ma be climbing up them creepy stairs and my heart will just pack in. I'd be gutted.

It doesn't matter. Well, it doesn't matter at the moment because I intend to cut down my consumption of Smokey and the Bandit burgers REALLY soon. And suicide wings. And trailer trash fries.

Well....soon-ish.
I hope these mad bad muhfuckas win.