When it comes to your other half popping ‘the question’, many people fantasise about how exactly their own proposal might take place.
A romantic holiday, a meal out at a swanky restaurant, or a big surprise in front of family and friends – these are the kind of movie-worthy scenes we’ve come to expect, thanks, in large part, to Hollywood directors.
But one Manchester man has had a different idea, instead asking his favourite pizzeria to help him ask his girlfriend to marry him by inscribing a romantic message inside a takeaway box.
The request came through, independent Northern Quarter pizzeria Noi Quattro revealed, on an order ticket from the takeaway delivery app UberEats.
Image; Noi Quattro
Image; Noi Quattro
Opting for a single Pomodorino and Bufala pizza with classic dough and a Focaccia All’aglio, in the customer notes section the hopeful boyfriend added: “Can you please write <<Will you marry me>> in the Bufala pizza box? I’m proposing to her today.”
More than happy to help play their part in the couple’s love story, the restaurant obliged – writing the message on the inside of the box in large block capital letters.
Later sharing a picture of the receipt and pizza box itself to social media, the restaurant asked followers in the caption: “Well, how can you say no ?”
Image; Noi Quattro
Image; Noi Quattro
Since being shared on Wednesday night, the post has been liked over 400 times with followers quick to praise the restaurant and the man in question for such an ingenious proposal.
One person wrote: “a proposta perfetta non esis..” (meaning ‘the perfect proposal doesn’t exist…’)
A third simply wrote: “Inspo” before tagging what appears to be her boyfriend in the comments.
Of course, the question on everyone’s lips is this: did she say yes? Naturally, we asked, and as of yet the restaurant does not know – simply saying “we’re waiting for a sign”.
Watch this space.
Feature image – Noi Quattro
Food & Drink
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Georgina Pellant -
20th October 2022 
