A Mano

A Mano Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: CNNA Architects' Richard Nelson artfully adapted a former neighborhood residence to restaurant purposes, following owner George DeMeglio's design ideas. Recycled timbers and joists from the original structure lend texture and visual interest to the décor. The capacity is limited, yet there is a fine, nice sized bar.

Likes: Espresso. Way above par.
Dislikes: Very limited parking and when full, the noise level gets annoying.

Food & Drinks: Chef Chandler Cottingham went to Italy before the restaurant opened, and at A Mano ("by hand" in Italian) puts his experiences to work to craft a menu that is decidedly "nello spirito" of Italian fare. House-made pastas are plenty to share, and provide a glimpse of the kitchen's gift for blending seemingly disparate ingredients. Pickled rainbow chard stems gave the fusilli a tangy lift, cutting through the richness of a sauce that's buttery but light and studded with creamy scallops. Braised tender pork cheeks resting on parsnip and apple played myriad flavors against each other. Topped with strawberries, the panna cotta for dessert seemed more like a custard cream than a true panna cotta, but the espresso and cappuccino were so enjoyable, we focused on them instead. The wine list offers good choices by the glass, but several are from "draft" containers, which we prefer to avoid. However, the house red, a blend, was delightful with the pork cheeks, especially as it was served slightly cooled. Parking is severely limited, so we strongly recommend an early dinner to avoid having to stow your vehicle on a busy street.