On Birthdays, We Bowl

It's official. I'm 23. I can no longer share in Taylor Swift's appreciation of being old enough to call yourself mature, but still young enough to pretend you're a student. And if you're 23 and still a student - come on, time's time.

While this year's birthday wasn't the biggest milestone (I mean, the only pop culture reference I can think of is Taylor Swift), that's not to say I wasn't going to celebrate. So, with a few mates rounded up from around the country, I arranged a bit of a flatwarming and a trip into town. As part of the night's entertainment, we headed to Manchester's best boutique bowling alley, All Star Lanes.

When I told my mates that we were going bowling, they weren't particular impressed. Picture bowling balls stuffed with chewing gum and watered-down pints attached onto a shitty arcade. All Star Lanes is far classier and, as is my usual want in any place of interest, has a twist of Americana.

Whether you book ahead or not, there's usually a wait before you bowl. But the hostesses are great and there's a pretty impressive bar to keep you from going thirsty. As it was my birthday (did I mention that?), I was served up a mojito on the house and a delightfully retro card (see bottom).

Once you're on the lanes, you get your own little booth (no sticky benches a la Megabowl) and the waitresses, dressed in throwback diner attire, are always popping up to take your order. I should mention that there's also a restaurant - although I haven't had chance to try the food yet...

Up on the hall of fame board there are a number of local celebs - mostly Coronation Street fodder and a few footballers - as well as Rihanna, who was in after one of her tour dates in Manchester. It's all pretty reasonably priced too - I priced up a game at my local alley and it wasn't much cheaper than the £8.95 you pay per game at All Star, and the drinks are pretty standard fare for a cocktail bar in the city centre. 

They also put on weeknight offers, including a free round of drinks on a Friday if you bowl a strike when a red pin drops down. It's one of my favourite ways to start a night out and is great for a bit of after-work bonding. It's just a shame I work miles away.

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Down And Dirty

My parents have been offering to take me out for a flatwarming dinner for a while now, and this week, a month after I moved out, we finally got together for some nosh! As I was given choice of cuisine, I suggested we try out Mud Crab in Didsbury, a restaurant/bar renowned for it's burgers and  cocktails.

Not my parents' usual kind of place but the menu caters for all (sea bass for Mum) and my Dad and I were drawn in by the Build Your Own Burger section. I went with the Original Dirty Burger which, as its name suggests, is a good old fashioned meat-fest.

I've come to the conclusion that when it comes to food, if in doubt, add the pig. Which is exactly what Mud Crab have done with the Dirty Burger, throwing a healthy serving of pulled pork on top of a grilled cheeseburger. Their house BBQ sauce, which is mixed with caramelised onions, ain't too bad either.

You also get the option of adding bacon (always bacon), fried egg, onion rings and SPECIAL FRIED CHICKEN! All tied together with a generous helping of seasoned fries - on the one hand, heart disease, on the other, BBQ goodness.

Of course, that's just a small corner of the menu. Mud Crab do all sorts of food, from pancake breakfasts through to massive calzones. No matter what you choose, it's in a great setting (it's the kind of place where they grow flowers out of old paint pots) and the waiters are probably more relaxed than you are when you release that belt buckle...

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