Mario Balotelli pops into Pesto!

Extrovert Man City star Mario Balotelli popped into Pesto Italian Restaurants Trafford Centre yesterday for a pre-match meal with a friend.

The controversial star, who scored Man City’s winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon at Etihad Stadium (3-2), visited Pesto Trafford Centre last night for a tasty meal before heading off on a shopping spree.

The goal marked Mario Balotelli’s 22nd goal for the team and his 50th career goal to date.

21-year-old Mario Balotelli started his career at Italian football team A.C Lumezzane at the age of just 15. In 2006 Balotelli was signed by F.C Internazionale Milano where he scored a whopping 28 goals until his 2010 transfer to Manchester City.

The promising young striker is a set-piece (deadball) specialist and is often referred to as ‘Super Mario’.

For all you budding footballers out there wondering what champions eat before crushing the competition – Balotelli enjoyed our delicious Calamari, pepperoni pizza and Pesto favourite Aranciniwith a (rather healthy) fresh pineapple juice – definitely a winning combination!

Needless to say, Balotelli didn’t need £5,000 in his pocket to cover his afternoon treat at Pesto, nor (thank goodness) did he at any point require a bib.

Balotelli recently made headlines after setting fire to his own kitchen in a misguided attempt at creating a fireworks display, but has since become the face of a local campaign endorsing the responsible use of fireworks.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Balotelli

www.mcfc.co.uk

www.tottenhamhotspur.com/

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/after-house-fire-balotelli-backs-firework-safety/196377-5-21.html

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/the-mole/The-Mole-column-Revealed-why-Manchester-City-signing-Mario-Balotelli-had-5-000-in-his-back-pocket-when-he-crashed-his-car-article571765.html

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/858477-mario-balotelli-versus-the-training-bib-a-battle-to-dress-or-be-dressed

http://mario.nintendo.com/

Cocktail Time!

It's already 2012 in Christmas Island, New Zealand and Fiji, but here in the UK our celebrations won't be getting under way for a few more hours - leaving just enough time to grab ingredients for making your own Pesto cocktails to see in the New Year with!

Our first masterclass, as effortlessly demonstrated by our very own Deansgate cocktail king Marcus, will take you through how to create the Maple Leaf.

The Maple Leaf is the creation of Marcus and Christian of Pesto Italian Restaurants Deansgate. The special recipe was laboriously tested by Marcus, Christian and the video team - we are pleased to confirm this delicious treat is easy to make and suitably potent for any New Year's celebrations!

So, without further ado, we introduce Pesto Italian Restaurant's the Maple Leaf.



Ingredients

Maple Syrup
Monin Syrup (liquid sugar)
Mount Gay Rum
Basil
Lots of ice!

Equipment

Cocktail shaker
Cocktail glasses
Straws (optional)
Strainer

Method

Chill your cocktail glass with ice and soda
Add a shot of maple syrup
Add a generous shot of Mount Gay rum
Monin syrup
A smack of basil
Shake it all up with the ice
Strain and pour
Enjoy!

Pesto’s Perfect Trees!

Carrie and Big. Bert and Ernie. Cookies and milk. Some things just work better together, and without a tree Christmas just doesn’t work. The festive aroma, the decorating ritual and above all, presents underneath are part of what make Christmas, er, Christmassy!

Now, with there only being one days left till the big day itself, we’d hedge our bets that some of you are still scrambling to find the time to even choose a tree, never mind get it dressed up in time for Christmas morning. This is where we’re on hand to help! Here are Pesto’s top five tips for choosing the perfect tree!

1. Size does matter. If, like most of us, every inch of living space matters the last thing you want is a monster Redwood Christmas tree eating up your lounge. If you’re struggling to squeeze in a Tesco pot-plant, steer clear of lavish big trees, however tempting! Pick the perfect space for your tree and measure it before going shopping to save yourself a world of hassle later in the day.

2. Age also matters. A recent Facebook post from a most unlucky festive relative served as an excellent reminder that choosing where you buy your tree is every bit, if not more important than the tree. The relative in question splashed out a rather decadent £75 at her local farm shop only for the tree to wilt and die within ten days. Finding out whether your local tree stockist buys in their stock weekly or if it’s one big delivery will allow you to gauge how ago the tree was cut and judge whether it’s likely to be a duffer by Christmas morning.

3. Hate hoovering? The Norway Spruce might not be the tree for you…Some trees emit that gorgeous festive aroma, others retain their needles long after they’ve adopted that delightful shade of brown. For best needle retention the Noble Fir might be best for your household, while the Norway Fir really captures that festive scent.

4. Shape matters. As most Christmas trees in commercial shops have already been stuffed into nets, it makes it nigh on impossible to guess whether the tree in question has a classic Christmas tree shape, or is in fact a Side-Show Bob bonsai nightmare. Short of ripping the net off in-store (and possibly being removed from said shop) all you can do is try to find a small platform from which to gaze down the top of the tree to assess how even the branches are. Or you could try grabbing a tree from a local seller, who tend not to net their stock.

5. Fake it. If all of the above just seems too strenuous for arguably the most time-consuming month of the year, pop into John Lewis and buy a fake. Buying a fake does have its upsides; no messy pine needles, no faffing with nets, no watering around hundreds of potential fire hazards and best of all you can shove it in the attic and drag it out next year saving you time and money in the long run. All that aside, fake trees are rather naff, and it might just take you all year to find one that looks anywhere near as pretty as a genuine festive fir.

Struggling for a last minute stocking filler? Pop into Pesto today and pick up a gift voucher!

Keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter for more frequent updates.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Bradshaw

http://goo.gl/xu0Cp

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_Spruce

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_and_Ernie

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai

Cinepanettone & Cocktails

Think Christmas movies, think It’s a Wonderful Life, Scrooged, Nightmare Before Christmas, the Snowman and countless other festive feelgood classics. On the other hand, think Italian Christmas movies, and imagine Carry on Camping with a festive bent.

Cine-panettone are Italian comedy movies released over the Christmas period often based in, or featuring characters from the salubrious city of Milan. They also happen to feature quite a lot of nudity and some exceptionally bad acting.

Despite poor artistic merit, garbled plot-lines, gratuitous nudity and lowest-common-denominator, fore-head walloping humour, the cine-panettone offerings continue to drive festive film lovers to the big-screen in their droves.

While seasonal blockbusters Hugo, Arthur Christmas and Puss in Boots dominate the box office in the UK and America, Vacanze di Natale a Cortina is set to take the Italian box office by storm following the official theatre release today. You can check out the clip below, but it probably won’t make too much sense unless you speak Italian.



Now, Italian festive cinema aside, the team at Pesto Deansgate have a Christmas cocktail treat in store for all the party-lovers out there! This week we’ve been filming the making of some of the brand new cocktails as concocted by our very own Bartenders Extraordinaire Marcus and Christian! The guys talked us through how to make a couple of their own creations as well as their twists on cocktail classics. We’ll be sharing our secrets on YouTube in the coming days, so watch this space!

What are you up to over the festive season? Have you got a cocktail recipe you’d like to suggest? Let us know on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pestorestaurants) or Tweet us @pestorestaurant

Interview: Victoria Jones

This week we’re catching up with Pesto’s Vicky Jones, who along with a passion for cocktails (a common theme among the Pesto team…) enjoys a bit of Ryan Giggs, Keith Lemon and, er the Royal Family!

How long have you been part of the Pesto team?

Altogether – nearly three years. I was based at Pesto Trafford Centre for two years and I’ve been at Pesto Deansgate for almost a year now.

What is the best thing about working for Pesto?

The team! I have so much fun at work every day because of the people I work with. Everybody knows each other by name and face; instead of being just an employee you’re a person.

What is your favourite Pesto dish and drink?

My favourite Pesto dish changes depending on my cravings! I’m pregnant so it really affects what I eat. When I recommend a dish I always suggest the king prawns in white wine. Its great! My drink choice would have to be a Cosmopolitan, though I must confess all the cocktails here at Deansgate are to die for!

What’s the funniest thing to have happened to you in the restaurant?

I didn’t find it very amusing but the rest of the staff did; I was walking up to a table to take an order, but tripped up on my way. I tried to pretend nothing had happened and the customers were lovely and didn’t say anything but I turned around and the staff were in hysterics. Later the customers were talking to one of the team and it turned out they found it funny too. Rather embarrassing!

Which three celebrities (dead and alive) would you invite to dinner at Pesto?


The Queen – I love the Royal Family and I hear she’s quite funny! Ryan Giggs, just because I love him and finally Keith Lemon (Leigh Francis) from Celebrity Juice as he is hilarious.

What inspired you to become a manager?

I kind of fell into it really. After moving back from Australia I started working in a pub and I continued to move up from there. It’s the perfect job for me as its very flexible and I get to talk a lot – one of my favourite past-times.

After a meal at Pesto, what’s the best thing to do in Manchester?

I would suggest the theatre as there are always great shows on, then a couple of cocktails at Pesto!

What was the last show you went to and how was it?

I saw Sister Act at the theatre recently; the show itself was great, really funny, but it was nothing like the film, which was a little unexpected.

What does the next year at Pesto hold for you?

Hopefully a really busy year; I want to learn all aspects of the business, that’s my aim!

Lattè Art at Pesto

Our restaurant managers have been busy this week with the lovely folks from Limini Coffee, who popped down to Pesto Italian Restaurants Trafford Centre to share their coffee art skills with the team.

Limini lattè artist Youri taught assistant manager Lito and the Trafford bar team how to create flowers, love hearts and teddy bears, though they might be a few more sessions away from perfecting the teddy bear!

Our coffee and machines are all provided by Limini, who we reckon provide the tastiest coffees and hot chocolates out there! So the next time you pop in on a cold winter day, treat yourself or someone else to a delicious hot drink, topped off with an adorable love heart, flower or teddy bear!

And while we're on the subject of treats, Christmas is less than seven weeks away, why not treat the office, family or someone special to a festive meal at Pesto? Check out our Christmas menu here or arrange a table here.

http://www.liminicoffee.co.uk/

http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/location/trafford-centre/

Bonkers Bank Holiday!

Ordinarily bank holidays are an opportunity to kick back and relax, chillax, if you will. However, this August bank holiday is set to be anything but laid back, with Manchester Pride taking over the city and Jenson Button bringing his F1 car down the city's gorgeous Deansgate.

Pop heavyweights Alexandra Burke and Pixie Lott are just a couple of the many artists performing at this years Pride Festival.

Local talent, including Corrie's Bruno Langley and Hollyoak's Abi Phillps will also be performing at the Big Weekend in Sackville Gardens, while authors, including bestseller Louise Rought will be delivering talks in Deansgate's Waterstone's book store.

The Parade starts on Deansgate at 1pm on Saturday through St Ann's Street, Cross Street, Albert Square, Princess Street and finishing on Whitworth Street – why not get yourself down to Pesto Deansgate for noon and kick off the day with some of our delicious cocktails? Noon isn't too early for cocktails, surely...? 

Our personal highlight of the Pride weekend is the Pink Dog Show (yes you read that correctly) Manchester & Cheshire Dogs’ Home has teamed up with Barking Barbers for this camp canine carnival – not one to be missed!

As all the Pride excitement draws to a close, Formula One champion Jenson Button will be setting pulses racing as he brings his F1 car for a spin down Deansgate on Monday afternoon! If you're making your way into town to catch a glimpse of Jenson, why not take the best seat in the house on Pesto Deansgate's leafy terrace?

If you'd like to share your bank holiday weekend photographs with Pesto, why not head over to our Facebook page and pop them on there? If Twitter is more your bag, you can follow us at http://twitter.com/pestorestaurant

http://manchesterpride.com/
http://jensonbutton.com/
http://formula1.com
http://alexandra-burke.us
http://pixielott.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Langley
http://abiphillips.com
http://manchesterpride.com/whatson/bigweekend/sackvillegardens
http://louiserought.com
http://pinkdogshow.co.uk/
http://dogshome.net
http://barkingbarbers.co.uk
http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/location/deansgate/ 
 

Pesto Italian Restaurant Deansgate manager Anthony Mahmud is a busy man, don't you know? Who has time for interviews when you're busy mingling with the likes of Heather Morris of Glee fame, snapping pics with Katy Perry or, er, having your face painted? Well, we were lucky enough to steal Anthony away from the daily glamour to deliver a good grilling about life at Pesto Italian Restaurant Deansgate.

How long have you been part of the Pesto team?

I have been working for Pesto for two and a half years. I trained at Pesto Trafford Centre, I then opened Pesto Liverpool One and then came to manage Pesto Deansgate.

What is the best thing about working for Pesto?

The involvement we get in the development of the brand. As we are a small privately owned company any suggestions any of the team make are listened and then acted upon.  It gives a real sense of ownership in what we do.

What is your favourite Pesto dish and drink?

There are too many to decide. For the food it’s between the Arancini, I have never had better, the Gamberoni Peppercocino and the cheesecake. I love them all.  My favourite drink is the Frangelic. It’s cocktail we created at Deansgate. It’s a Martini of Stolichnaya Vodka, Kaluha and Frangelico (a hazelnut liquor which is my favourite) topped with cream and crumbled chocolate. It’s divine.

What's the funniest thing to have happened to you in the restaurant?
During a warm Saturday’s afternoon we noticed a group of men across the road. Our outside section was full and everyone was intrigued to see what was happening.  The men dispersed and we notice a half naked man was tied to a lamppost. It was his stag do.  During the afternoon his party kept coming back and played trick on the poor stag. The funniest thing was not that everyone stayed longer to with more wine to watch but that three police vans drove past, stopped, laughed and then drove away.

Which three celebrities (dead and alive) would you invite to dinner at Pesto?

Madonna – As she’s fantastic
Jenson Button – As he’s amazing
Stephen Hawkings – As he’s interesting

What inspired you to become a manager?

I’ve lived and worked within the service industry all my life. I grew up in a pub and most of my jobs have been in bars and restaurants so, I suppose, it’s in my blood. I have been lucky to have worked with amazing managers, including my parents, who put their all into making the customer experience as amazing as it could be. These people have inspired me to become a manager.

After a meal at Pesto, what's the best thing to do in Manchester?
 
Go and party. We have amazing music venues, bars and clubs in Manchester.
 

What was the last show you went to and how was it?
Katy Perry. She was brilliant. She even got audience members up on the stage to dance for one of the songs. At the end of the song a little girl asked for a picture with Katy. Katy took the picture, looked at it and decided it wasn’t good enough so she took another. I thought that was really sweet.

 
What does the next year at Pesto hold for you?

Building of the success of Deansgate, meeting new customers and seeing friends who used to be new customers.

So there you have it folks! To read interviews with more of the Pesto Italian Restaurants team check out our blog at http://pestorestaurants.co.uk/blog or subscribe to the Blogger RSS at http://pestorestaurants.blogspot.com – alternatively you can follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pestorestaurant or keep up on Facebook where you can upload pics of your Pesto party and get tagging! http://facebook.com/pestorestaurants

Pesto Italian Restaurants Manchester Harry Potter event goes down a treat!

The Pesto Italian Restaurants Manchester Harry Potter event went down a treat this weekend, as kids from across the North West lined up to have their faces painted and sample our Butterbeer!

We've added a selection of photographs from the event on this blog, but many more photographs can be found at http://pestorestaurants.co.uk/gallery or on our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/pestorestaurants

Two New Additions to the Pesto Italian Restaurant Team!

Spiedini and Gamberoni

There were two new additions to the Pesto Manchester Deansgate restaurant team yesterday, as two beautiful little birds decided to set up camp underneath one of our outside tables.

The birds, appropriately dubbed Spiedini and Gamberoni were nestled underneath a side table on the Deansgate restaurant terrace. 

Restaurant manager Vicki coaxed the birds into a box filled with treats to keep the tiny creatures safe until they are collected by the RSPCA Manchester later this afternoon. 

Can anyone identify from the picture what kind of birds they are? If so, tweet us your answers on Twitter @Pestorestaurant or leave us a comment on Facebook www.facebook.com/pestorestaurants

Check out our Wednesday blog for the latest human addition to the Pesto Italian Restaurant Team! 

Giggling with Glee!

The Pesto Deansgate team were treated to an unexpected celebrity visit this week when Heather Morris of Glee fame stopped by for dinner and drinks with fellow cast and crew team from Glee live! 

The Glee stars enjoyed our light and refreshing Peroni by the pint and a selection of cocktails, including Cosmopolitans and Frangelics and our brand new Bloody Mary's. Our gorgeous barmen Marcus and and Stuart were also very popular!

Pesto manager Anthony and assistant Vicky were lucky enough to have themselves papped with our celeb diners and after a few hours at the restaurant the Glee team lured Anthony away to act as a tour guide for the remainder of the evening. We shan't be posting those pictures!

The two night run of Glee live at the MEN ends this evening and Pesto is only a short walk away from the venue; pop in later and you lovely Gleeks might be fortunate enough to spot a celeb at Pesto!

For full menu information, directions, contact info and much, much more please visit www.pestorestaurants.co.uk

Pesto's Picks for June

With restaurants based in both the heart of Manchester and Liverpool (and soon to be Glasgow), Pesto diners are spoiled for choice when it comes to theatres, music venues, cinemas and great shopping. But with all this choice, where to start? 

We've scoured the streets, the papers and the mighty interweb to bring our lovely diners a comprehensive list of the best of the North West this June. 

First up, it's Manchester's very own Take That. The boys have eight sold-out dates at the City of Manchester Stadium starting tonight and running until the 12th of June. 

If you and your mates are lucky enough to be going, why not make a night of it and book a pre-show table at Pesto Deansgate? Our Festa menu is ideal for parties of ten or more, and best of all we've an excellent selection of cocktails to whet your appetite for the Take That party!

Next is Liverpool's favourite funnyman John Bishop, who'll be bringing his unique sardonic wit to the Echo Arena for a two-night stint on the 5th and 6th June. The Echo Arena is just a ten minute walk from Pesto Liverpool One and we're open late, so ideal for pre and post-show food and drinks.
 
If you didn't make it to London for the Royal wedding the TV highlights just didn't cut it, we recommend 'One Night at the Proms', a stunning audio-visual celebration of the Royal marriage from the National Symphony Orchestra and selected singers at the Lowry Theatre on Sunday June 12th. British favourites Rule Britannia, Jerusalem and The Dambusters March are just a few of the musical numbers to feature in the extravaganza. The Lowry Theatre is just a short drive from Pesto Trafford Centre, so why not treat yourself to a glamorous new outfit, followed by delicious Italian piatinni at Pesto and a night at the theatre?
 

Lastly it's there 'Here and Now' tour; a plethora of 80's pop legends bringing two evenings of cheese-laden chart anthems to Manchester's MEN (26th) and Liverpool's Echo Arena (25th). Without the aid of a Delorean, you'd be hard-pushed to see the likes of Rick Astley, Boy George, Bucks Fizz and Bananarama sharing a stage – this really is a one-off nostalgia-fest not to be missed! Both venues are within easy walking distance of Pesto Deansgate and Liverpool One.

If you're planning to attend any of these events and would like to book a table for your pre or post-show party, head to www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/bookings and make a reservation now. Easy!