A Mano - Chicago

[jesteinf]

Bottom line, this place (same owners as Bin 36, and located below Bin 36 on Dearborn) is fantastic.

The Wife and I went for dinner following the obligatory hour spent at the company holiday party.

The best way I can describe the menu is an upscale version of Quartino. Lots of small plates, a few larger "main courses", but the emphasis is (for the most part) on sharing a lot of smaller plates.

We started with two items from the crudo portion of the menu. We had the scallops which were served with spiced grapes and pears and the hamachi which was served with bottarga and some citrus fruit. The scallops were good, but probably at about 97% of the freshness level needed to make the dish really pop. The hamachi was outstanding, with all flavors nicely complementing each other.

Next we moved on to a couple of items from the "primi" section of the menu. First we had the house smoked salmon served with burrata and some aged balsamic. This was tasty, actually a lot like eating lox a cream cheese. Our other dish was really interesting. Described on the menu as Ribolitto Da Delpina, this was bread that had been left to soak in minestrone soup overnight and was then baked. The bread was served with a sunny side up "farm fresh" egg on top. Just fantastic. A perfect dish on a cold winter night.

We then decided to forgo any of the main dishes and go with a pasta and a pizza. For our pasta we went the the gnocchetti which was served in a sweet butter sauce with shaved parmigiano reggiano. The gnocchetti were exceptionally light and was sauced at just the right level (not too much, but just enough to know there was something there). This was pretty rich so we were happy that even what was billed as a "whole" portion on the menu was pretty small. For pizza we went with the prosciutto di parma with arugula. I have no desire to debate the authenticity of the pizza, so I'll just leave it at this...the pizza was good, not transcendent, but pretty good.

For dessert we shared three flavors of gelatto: chocolate, olive oil and mascarpone. I'm not sure if they're making it in-house or bringing it in, but all three were very good.

Being owned by Bin 36 I was expecting a nice wine program and I wasn't disappointed. We went with a caraffe of a pretty nice dolcetto that was fairly priced at around $20. We also had a couple of glasses of moscato di asti with dessert for $5 per glass. I took a look at the full wine list before we left and it was very nicely put together. Only three wines on the list (1 sparkling, 1 white, 1 red) were over $100. I would say the average bottle price was in the $40-$50 range, with many available both above and below that mark.

Final check after tax but before tip was $110, which I thought was very reasonable given the quality of everything we had. I can see myself going to A Mano very very often.

A Mano

335 N Dearborn St

312-629-3500

[ulterior epicure]

Alrighty: family vacation/gathering in Chicago. I'm responsible for taking care of three cranky old folks and my (younger) sister for one early weekend dinner. All are food adventurous, although the three older ones are not keen on loud and crowd. Need a budget-friendly place in River North (preferably). I've identified Quartino and a mano as possibilities. I've gotten yeas and nays for both. What advice?

[jesteinf]

I think A Mano would be a good choice. It's a quieter, higher quality version of Quartino. I've had a couple of fantastic meals there since the first one thata I posted about above.

[Alex]

I think A Mano would be a good choice.  It's a quieter, higher quality version of Quartino.  I've had a couple of fantastic meals there since the first one that I posted about above.

←

The menu looks very, very appetizing. I might have to go there a couple of times while I'm in town for the Heartland Gathering. I certainly have my eye on that "Lobster Infused Tagliatelle, Peeky Toe Crab, Fennel & Tarragon, Meyer Lemon Butter" and the "Pan Seared Skate Wing, Summer Peas & Orzo, Salsa Verde."

Have you been there for the "Traditional Italian Lunch Buffet" (Pranzo in Piedi)?

[jesteinf]

I've had that tagliatelle and it's fantastic. Never done the lunch buffet though.

[santo_grace]

We went for the first time recently and enjoyed our entrees of suckling pig and the pizza. My friend told me if I got pizza I would eat the whole thing - and I did. Salads for appetizers were also very good.

Edited July 25, 2008 by santo_grace (log)