Let me begin by saying that I am no stranger to a cheese toastie. Our toasted sandwich maker comes out at least once a week for a quick, cheap, easy meal, and is probably - besides the kettle - our most used kitchen appliance - why make toast when you can make a toast-ie, right?
Sometimes, only two perfectly golden slices of toast encapsulating stringy melted cheese and, if I’m treating myself, some sliced chorizo, will do. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and something that Manchester toastie masters, Frankie’s, know just as well.
The family-run eatery, on Portland Street, are famed for their cheese toastie creations and adorable bull terrier branding, with the business named after Barry Chui’s beloved dog.
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Now, the comfort food cafe has opened up a second site inside the Arndale Market. Inside the former Blue Caribou unit, the small stall, named Little Frankie’s, is dishing out a range of unusual toasties with a whole host of fillings, including cheese and beans, ham and cheese, tuna melt and mac n cheese.
I made my way through the market to get my hands on one of their toasted creations, ordering a Supernoodle and cheese toastie - the three things I ate most of as a student.
Prices for the toasties start at £4 and go up to £6.50 for a builders breakfast and cheese. There are also six vegan options on the menu, made with a plant-based alternative, which are a little pricier, going up to £7 for jackfruit and cheese.
Not only that, but Little Frankie’s also serves fries, as well as sweet toasties containing nutella, banana and nutella or Lotus Biscoff.
The milkshake menu is even longer, with dozens of flavours to choose from. I ended up ordering a Supernoodle and cheese toastie and birthday cake milkshake, fully ready to undo my diet to enjoy this homely, cheesy treat.
As everyone knows, it doesn’t take long to make a toastie, and with six irons in the kitchen, Little Frankie’s can rapidly fire them out of the kitchen in no time. I was sat down with my dinner within five minutes of ordering.
When I was in university, Supernoodles on toast was a regular cheap meal, as were cheese toasties. I don’t know why I never considered marrying the two, but I’m glad Frankie’s have.
The Supernoodle toastie consisted of perfectly melted cheese with chicken flavoured noodles. The texture wasn’t my favourite, but the flavours took me straight back to being 19, though I do think bacon noodles would have been a better option.
My favourite part of a cheese toastie is when some of the cheese around the edge burns a little and you get a little crunchy piece, and there were a few little bits that had caught the iron and satisfied my cheesy needs.
The toastie cost £5.50, which is perhaps a little steep in my opinion when you can replicate it at home much more cost effectively, but I suppose the price paid is less for the ingredients and more for the fun and nostalgia.
The milkshake, piled high with whipped cream and sprinkles, was delicious, and with the warm weather, it was an ideal way to cool off, too.
Frankie’s opened their first Manchester venue back in 2018 after ‘a typical sarcastic born 'n' bred Manc lad, who was sat in his gaff* (home) starving to death* (really hungry), and discovered that his fridge had nowt* (nothing) decent to eat in there’.
Barry began to think what culinary masterpiece he could create with what few items were left in the cupboard and fridge. After googling various recipes he said: "I could just murder* (devour) a cheese 'n' bean toastie right now", and alas, Frankie’s was born.
The new Arndale Market Little Frankie’s is now open seven days a week for all of your cheese toastie needs.
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