Fantastic, Mr.Fox

So this is the story (thus far) of a friend and former colleague who has done the impossible, successfully opened a restaurant. I say impossible because there are many times in the journey from first thought to concept then pain, rejection and frustration before you reach that holiest of holy grails; opening night.

It would be impossible to know how many ideas and initial attempts are made without ever reaching that goal, I imagine the odds are as long as securing investment on Dragon’s Den.

As someone involved in a project that currently sits at the second stage of the first paragraph, I speak from the heart. (Our time will come).

Danny Fox and I were partners in crime a few years ago, and before beginning work for a client in Manchester, I sought him out to buy him lunch and pick his brain.

On a sunny Saturday we lunched at Victor’s in Hale, then he took me to his building site. I was under strict instructions not to share the pictures I took that day until after he opened. As he has just entered week four of full trading, I feel I am now able to tell this small part of the story.

Danny is of the impression - as am I - that there are no original ideas when it comes to creating a restaurant. Our ancestors have tried pretty much everything already; you can substitute Instagram menu posts for town criers announcing the latest fare, or marble tables without a table cloth – yes, allegedly Monsieur Boulanger, the first ever restauranteur, did this in Paris in 1765.

He has cleverly taken influences from different places and created a space that feels otherworldly, as well as welcoming. There are touches that you can easily miss at a glance, however they will sneak up on you and surprise and amuse when you take the time to look closer.

When I saw the stunning green crackle tiles on the floor, patiently waiting for the tiler to individually lay them, I stopped in my tracks. The depth of colour struck me initially, then afterwards, the detail of the light reflection stood out. You might have to take my word for it, as they clad the under-bar, which is easily overlooked unless you are a dog, baby or tying your laces. The room is dominated by an incredible pizza oven, all curves and a vibrant shine.

The sourdough pizza recipe was worked on ad infinitum until Danny was happy. I have up until now, only tried 3 slices (thank you James and Grace for sharing) but I will be back for a whole one soon.

The first night I was in, the fire brigade arrived within 10 minutes, an issue with something important but not an actual fire. No evacuation required, just an apologetic acknowledgement that ‘things happen’ and we hope to see you again soon.

One week later and there I was, with three friends to give the menu a good seeing to.

Some lovely servers and the most charming head chef, with the owner expediting on a busy Monday night. You can’t ask for much more. Well, Danny might ask for more but he understands that the ultimate end goal, is about attaining then maintaining consistency.

As I am currently at the start of the journey that Danny began a long time ago, I can only appreciate his achievement. I won’t use the word success yet, the restaurant is still in its infancy, but I can tell you this is a hit.

Or should I say, Fantastic, Mr Fox.