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A Mano - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
335 N Dearborn StChicago, IL 60601
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(312) 629-3500
- Nearest Transit:
-
Grand-red (Red Line)
Clark/lake (subway) (Blue Line)
Clark/lake (elevated) (Brown Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
94 reviews for A Mano
Review Highlights
-
"The gelato more than makes up for it." In 33 reviews -
"I love the pumpkin ravioli." In 10 reviews -
"the antipasti bar alone is a delight." In 4 reviews
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94 reviews in English
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Review from Mihir S.
Chicago, IL
3/5/2010
I just heard that A Mano is closing. They blame the economy but I blame them for not creating better promotions. $5 pizzas on Thursdays ruled!
They have (or will have had) excellent pizzas - thin crust, zesty sauce and fresh toppings. The mussels were some of the best I've had in Chicago - big juicy and garlicky.
The wine selection is top-notch and wallet-friendly as they are linked to Bin 36.
A Mano, Rest In Peace. -
Review from Andrea R.
11/18/2007
I should probably start by thanking the very nice hostess for squeezing my group of 4 in for 7:45 reservations even though they were booked until 9:30. My friends and I have been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened 5 weeks ago so we were excited to get last minute reservations. That being said I should know better than to try a restaurant within the first few months....A Mano, like most new restaurants, still has their share of kinks to work out.
The meal started off pretty well. The waiter was very accommodating and let us picky winos taste a few different wines so we could figure out which one we wanted to order. Then we placed the order for our food. While the waiter was explaining the menu some blood dripped from his hand on to my friends place mat. Yes, ummm.....ewww. He looked really embarrassed, explained he just opened a bottle of wine...so he wiped off the blood and then rushed off to get a band aid. These things happen, but what bothered me is that he didn't bring my friend a new place mat so she said there for the rest of the meal looking at the blood stain on her place mat. Yeah, kind of gross, but moving on...
So we decided on the scallops, mushrooms, peppers with goat cheese, sausage and potato pizza, a half order of the mushroom risotto, and a half order of the gnochetti. Everything looked really good and we were getting hungry so we were anxiously awaiting this food. So we waited, and waited, and waited...it took over an hour for them to get us our food! And we just kept drinking our wine and getting hungrier (not to mention more intoxicated) as the night wore on. We checked in with the waiter several times and even suggested he bring things out one at a time (since we were sharing a bunch of small plates), but he said that's not how they do things here. Well, A Mano...I think you may need to change your ways or you're going to lose many customers! Just a tip...;)
FINALLY the food arrived! And I have to admit it was pretty good- I especially liked the scallops, the mushrooms, and the risotto. The pizza had potential, but it was absolutely burnt on the bottom(totally black). We ate it anyway because at this point we were going to eat anything! We were still pretty hungry when we finished our meal (every dish is SO small), but not having another lifetime to spare to wait for our food we decided to just order some sorbet for dessert. The sorbet wasn't anything special, but it did the trick of filling us up...
The waiter did take care of some of our meal at the end of the night- he took the burnt pizza off the bill, as well as some wine and one of the sorbets. But this was to be expected after the long wait and blood we had served with our meal.
Overall, A Mano has some potential. They need to move things along in the kitchen much faster, but they have a good menu and the restaurant itself is really cute (gotta love the open kitchen). One of my friends commented that it's very similar to Quartino and with Quartino being right around the corner she's not sure why she could come to A Mano. Part of me agrees with that (quartino's prices seem more reasonable), but I'd be willing to give A Mano another shot... just probably not until after the New Year to give them some time to work out those kinks.Listed in: Italian restaurants in Chicago
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Review from Helen C.
10/9/2009
We had planned for tapas but alas, that pesky thing called work got in the way and we missed the window for specials. Both having recently been on holiday (vacation, not early christmas), something-on-special was all we could afford, but it had to either be or go well with wine... Bin 36's special was on cheese but a MUCH better deal was downstairs with A-Mano's $5 pizzas.
The space is nice, I like that you can see into the kitchen and even though it's fairly vast, it doesn't feel it. The tables for 2 could be slightly bigger though, we had to play plate shuffle to make things fit.
Wine-wise, we decided on a bottle. They sell carafes, roughly two glasses, which price-wise add up to the same as a bottle and we were lazy and didn't want to have to choose twice. But it's a nice idea. The bottle list runs the gamut from not-very-cheap to wait-till-sunday-when it's-half-price to GULP. It seemed like a good selection with lots of Italian reds. On Tuesdays, carafes are $10.
Pizza-wise, these are goooood. Thin Italian style crust, though it could be a little thinner, and for want of a better word, 'gourmet' toppings. I was sad that it didn't occur to me that unless it said tomato, there was no sauce - i know, i know, i'm the anti-tomato brigade but pizza sauce doesn't count, as all us tomato-haters know - so my clam pizza was just cheese, capers and clams. It was delicious, very salty, but sauce wouldn't have done it any harm. My friend had the mushroom one and it was completely the opposite, very sweet and crunchy with nuts. Both were pretty special for $5, anyway.
By the way 'whole clams' actually means in the shell. We discussed this for ages thinking maybe it just meant they weren't chopped up, but no, they're in the shell. I hope they're not put in the pizza oven to die. That made us sad. Boiling water is more dignified. Poor seafood. Tasty though.
We finished with some gelato (can someone tell me why gelato is called gelato here, and not just ice cream? There is no difference? Gelato is just Italian for ice cream? Or am I missing something?) Semantics aside, the strawberry balsamic gelato was great, the black cherry sorbet was great, and the limoncello sorbet made us both scrunch our faces up just like when you eat a lemon - perfect.
The neighbouring tables had piles of delicious looking pasta, and my friend tells me their lunch deal is unbeatable - $11 for pizza and antipasti. Our bill for dinner was under $50, including wine, which is incredible. I'll be back even at full price (or Sunday, for the wine....). -
Review from Dan G.
8/28/2009
Two little piggies went to A Mano on a Thursday night, and it was $5 pizza night.
On top of that sweet deal, they are hand tossed and cooked in their brick oven. I watched with attentive curiosity at the kitchen assembly line of getting the many pizzas ordered rolling out of their oven. I like to make pizza at home. So, I took note of how they worked the dough to make the crust. It came out piping hot and slightly charred with a nice doughy crust and thinner middle. These are typical Italian pizzas that are lighter on the toppings and include quality ingredients for your choosing. Combos are a bit different, but don't be shy in trying them. We saw a tasty looking whole clam, roasted garlic and Parmesan pizza at a table near us that I regretted not trying. We decided on the Salami with hot peppers, and Margarita. I was pretty pleased with our choices and the peppers were a nice complement to kick up the heat on the spicy pie.
We also had a delicious heirloom tomato salad. It was our starter, but I had to rave about the pizzas first. A few huge slices of green and red tomatoes and fresh basil and mozzarella. The kosher salt on the veggies was really tasty and the pesto/balsalmic drizzle was a nice extra level of flavor.
Our mains were the lasagna and spaghetti pomodoro. The lasagna was really excellent and had beef, pork and veal between cheesy layers of pasta swimming in a scrumptious San Marzano tomato sauce that I found myself mopping up with their crusty fresh Italian bread. My wife loved her pasta too and said that it had some nice heat to it. But, that could be because she dumps a mound of red chili flakes on just about everything she eats.
We finished with a few gelatos and sorbettos, which are house made. We had the Espresso, Chocolate chip and black cherry and all were very good. The chocolate chip being my favorite of the bunch.
Service was great and they had our salad split without asking. Our waiter was really helpful and let us know a little about their dish sizes and what a few good eaters could put away. We grazed well and left with some take away.
I really like this place and this kind of tasting Italian menu is one of my favorites. If for no other reason, drop by to have a pizza. Quite the deal for $5. Mangiare bene!Listed in: Pizza Guy, Mangiare Bene!
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Review from Tia T.
Chicago, IL
11/9/2009
After discovering A Mano's special, I have reserved my pizza outings for Thursday nights. For just $5, you have your choice of a variety of satisfying pizzas which are normally $12.50 each including:
- Classic Margherita - Tomatoes, Basil & Mozzarella
- A MANO Fennel Sausage - Fingerling Potatoes & Arugula
- Buffalo Mozzarela - Oven Dried Tomatoes, Basil Pesto
- Prosciutto di Parma - Arugula & Mozzarella
- Wild Mushrooms - Caramelized Onions, Taleggio Cheese, Hazelnuts, Truffle Oil
- Soppressata Salami - Spicy Peppers, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella
- Fresh Whole Manila Clams - Roasted Garlic & Capers, Shaved Parmesan
- Gorgonzola - Fresh Red Grapes & Toasted Walnuts
In addition to offering a great value, the brick oven pizzas also happen to be very tasty. The large variety of ingredients that generously top each pie are of very high quality so I keep coming back to try them all.
Make sure to bring a dining companion or a two so you have the opportunity to try a few different varieties.
Fortunately, there's not a big prerequisite for a Thursday at A Mano... just make sure you've GOT FIVE ON IT! -
Review from Amy H.
11/24/2008
I really wanted to love A Mano and even gave them several chances to redeem themselves. Maybe it's just me, but I've always left feeling meh about this place.
I tried the lunch buffet once and even though everything looked fantastic, the taste was just...I don't know...kind of off. Plain. Missing something. I've also popped in a few times for a quick sammich to-go from their deli counter and I also feel that the sandwiches are just missing something...something that I can't put my finger on. (Sorry, I know that isn't helpful.)
The restaurant itself is really cute, which is why I'm so dissapointed with the food. According to Yelp, two stars means "Meh. I've experienced better." and I have. Sorry, A Mano. I tried to like you. -
Review from Tammy C.
8/5/2009 5 photos
(See pics)
Stumbling into a cafe lookalike thinking it's just a sandwich place with a revolving door. But down a few steps you will discover this beautiful hidden gem.
Food is always fresh, delicious and innovative, with clean and crisp style. The presentation is always beautiful. The service is always great and friendly. I love seeing the kitchen right in the middle and admire their cooking from a close distance.
The space is also very natural looking, very wood and bamboo style tables and chairs with stainless steel for the kitchen. -
Review from Susan F.
10/20/2008
I am def a fan. After seeing this playing being built a few months ago, I finally had the privilege of coming in here and relaxing with wine and cheap food.
The atmosphere is minimal but very exciting at the same time. Everything is very open, but the floors are leveled with creates a diff illusion wherever you sit.
The wine is very good here, and there are many pizzas you can choose from that are only $5! (salmon, potato and sausage, margherita, etc.)
They are medium sized, not heavy, but are different.
The service is great here and the food comes out pretty quickly, probably because of the amount of chefs here.
This is a great place to come to after the office, and have intimate conversations with friends and friendlies. -
Review from Carolynne M.
Chicago, IL
11/24/2008
Wow, I really wish I could give A Mano a higher rating, because I really liked the space and the food was pretty darn good, as well as the wine we selected.
But the night we were there the service was very spotty. It took a long time for someone to take our order and then come with a check at the end. We ordered the "dinner for two" which meant for a set price we could order any appetizer or pizza, any pasta dish and any dessert for $29 each.
We started off with the Margarhita pizza which was very flavourful with a good texture to the crust. I then had the pumpkin ravioli which came with walnuts and big shavings of parmesan. it was good but after the pizza and wine I was halfway to food coma and couldnt finish it. (It was better the next day anyway). Finally for dessert I got the affugato, which is gelato (chocolate hazelnut) smothered in a shot of espresso. Too divine!
its very expensive for what it is, although due to its location and tourist-appeal I am sure they do very well for themselves. I guess the bar area has much better food deals than the dining room. If I was in the area, i would come back to do that, but probably not the dining room again. -
Review from Claire Y.
Chicago, IL
5/30/2009
Really, 2 and a half stars, at best.
An OK place. It's sort of cute and all (and somewhat convenient location if you're doing shopping in the River North area), but the food wasn't anything impressive. Our food was nearly as salty as the Dead Sea and pasta was oober al-dente (almost chewy). A surprising finding at a self-proclaimed Italian "trattoria."
The wait staff is very friendly and attentive, however. I do feel bad that their dessert menu didn't get a chance from us last night, but there was just no way we could've stayed there any longer past the ~1 hr of eating salty food in a considerably loud surrounding. -
Review from Daniel W.
Chicago, IL
11/3/2007
I dined at A Mano last week after a friend recommended it for a late night dinner. It's located next to Marina Towers, House of Blues, and directly under Bin 35 (I think they are sister restaurants or they share a wine list). This restaurant is brand new and you can tell. The decor is very nice with it's exposed brick walls, candles, comfortable pillows if you sit in the right spot, and a bit loud. The kitchen is exposed, as well as the brick oven.
We arrived and were immediately greeted and seated by very nice and pleasant hosts (yes, plural, two people sat us). I was on a first date so we both were craving a drink, and fast to cut the edge. After a few moments of not having a server we were greeted by the hipster looking manager. He was very pleasant, went over the complicated menu and wine list. He did take the drink order. He was then followed by servers (yes, plural again- they must use the buddy system here???), They tried to take the drink order again, went over the menu again, and left us to chat.
Even though I had the menu explained to me twice I still do not understand what I was supposed to do. They told me that some plates you share, and some you don't but this is not clearly outlined on the menu what goes where and how to order. This is supposed to be Italian food but there were no dishes on the menu that screamed Italian. My date and I ordered a brick oven pizza and a weird salad to be on the safe side. They brought a salad that was not a salad, rather an antipasti. The plate was nothing more than three leaves of lettuce, two slim slices of pepper, and goat cheese. Hello?? Why is there a French guy in my Italian restaurant? The antipasti was so small a child would have had to order two plates to fill up.
The pizza came out and despite the waitress serving us the wrong pizza (we ordered veggies and were served sausage), it was delicious. We didn't complain.
The problems with the service are minor and I think they are just so new that they need to work out the kinks. I am sure that the next time I visit they will be squared away and more organized.
I am pissed at Metromix because they were there doing the new restaurant review thing and didn't interview me and my date, but the couple next to us. You might see me in the background so at least my hair made the shot.
Kudos to the waitress for comping me a glass of wine. I will always return to a restaurant that comps me a drink. I didn't complain about anything so I think she was just being nice, or enjoyed us as customers. I have a rule I learned from my uncle that if I visit a restaurant, or mainly a bar more than a few times and they do not buy me at least one drink, then they do not really want my business or know how to win a customer. Sometimes restaurants and bars forget that they are indeed in the hospitality business and no one was forced to dine there. That is how I weed out the good and the bad.... They passed the test!
I recommend A Mano as a date place because it is loud and hip. The food portions are small which is good because who wants to eat like a pig on a date anyway. The bill was surprisingly cheap even though we ordered a few wines. I was so happy I over tipped.
This restaurant is for tourists, and first or second dates. -
Review from Mike B.
Brooklyn, NY
1/3/2008
Well,
My wife and I tried it out the Saturday before New Years...and I gotta say, I enjoyed it a great deal.
Tina had a sampling of 2 different pastas, the Pumpkin Ravioli and the Spaghetti with tasty little meatballs.
The special of the night was a Florentine favorite, a "Bolito Misto", which is basically miscellaneous boiled meats.
We had it in Florence, but we opted not to have it at A Mano when we were informed that Cow Tongue was involved.
However, I did have the fish special for the evening...the Branzino.
It was good...but not great. I enjoyed the atmosphere alot, our server was fantastic, the tomato soup we had to start was quite tasty...
Really, I'd say it's worth more like 3 3/4 stars, but you can't really do that on here, so I'm going the full 4.
It's the holidays, and we DID go see Sweeney Todd right afterward...
Anyway, it will get better and better with time. -
Review from Shaun K.
Chicago, IL
10/30/2007
This ristorante italiano just opended, so my rating may be a little harsh. The atmosphere is clean and cool, and I did like the shared sinks in front of the bathrooms - this was a lil touch of europa!
The service was very confusing and quite annoying. For example, the food runners brought out 2 half portions of gnocchetti instead of just one full portion, we weren't sure why and it was just for one person. They gave us free gelato, the hazlenut was smooth and authentic!, but then charged us $4 a piece per tiny ball. They did not bring out the vegetables I ordered, but charged for them too. The service was very sloppy - of course we complained and everything was then alright.
The dishes are a little bit too small to be considered european, this is more like european kid portions. But, the amatriciana was excellent. The gnocciale was superb, and was house cured, and the prosciuto and tuscan meat was perfect too. The food overall was quite solid, and I would like to see some olives added to the menu.
I will go back, and I hope the service is better, and maybe they will figure out how to plate a full pasta meal - but the food is good. -
Review from Hotfive D.
Chicago, IL
10/29/2007
We did love it indeed.
I'll just say that everything was very, very good, and--better still--it seems very, very promising. -
Review from steve k.
IL
1/28/2008
I didn't give A Mano five stars because the entrees were all too salty. However this is the only complaint I have. The small plates in the beginning were really freaking good. The cured hams, octopus, and mushroom salad paired well with the managers recommendation for wine. The service was excellent - attentive and not overbearing.
My date and I really wanted to try the pizza and it was well worth the hype. The pizza was super thin, the sauce was on point, and the crust was fantastic. I feel like it was super authentic, not like Domino's pizza authentic but Rome authentic. Like I mentioned before the pasta entrees were a bit too salty for my taste but they have the potential to be awesome.
The gelato at the end was unreal. The pistachio, chocolate, and mocha gelato made me want to make out with an Italian grandmother. It was very decadent in the best way possible and I'm not usually a sweets person.
I considered this meal to be an experience more than just a meal and I would highly recommend the pizza and small plates. -
Review from Vivian Y.
10/19/2008
The food is is FANTASTIC - I had been here for lunch one other time - loved the ambiance and the group dinner menu so we had our rehearsal dinner here on Oct. 17/08
We just had a small group of 30 people and Elizabeth Bolger was our coordinator for the event. She was very good at calling us ahead to make sure we knew of any menu changes and that we were happy with the selection they had. We had a selection of antipasti served family style - they were are REALLY delicious, but the serving sizes were not enough. We really wanted more prociutto and more salad.
The entrees were nothing short of perfection. We had a choice of Wild Boar Ragu, Skatewing or Brick chicken. My personal favorite was the skatewing. Pretty incredible that they were able to serve 30 dishes all cooked to perfection. Brick chicken was so well seasoned. I could sit there and just eat the skin - juicy and the fat from the crispy chicken skin was mouth watering!!!
Gelati - the marcapone cheese was the BOMB!!!
Wine was excellent. They are related to Bin 36 so always good wines!
Good times! -
Review from Cassie D.
8/27/2009
I wantd to like this place. I really wanted to. Especially since I came on a Thursday when pizza is only $5. Instead, well, eh.
The service was the highlight of the evening. We had the nicest waiter. Chatty but not overbearing and very helpful. He offered to "halve" a salad for my friend since there weren't any side salads on the menu. He also went and asked a chef whether they had a certain ingredient that my friend wanted to sub on her pizza. (more on her pizza later)
I ordered the prosciutto pizza. Prosciutto, arugula and mozzarella. It was solidly average. Not much mozzarella, a LOT of arugula. The crust wasn't as thin or as crispy as I would have liked but it was ok.
My friend's pizza was a bit of a disaster. She ordered the mushroom pizza but without the hazelnuts (because that seemed like a weird topping), subbing anchovies (which cost extra but that was ok, she wanted them). She got the mushroom pizza with hazelnuts, with maybe 3 anchovies, and very few mushrooms. The pizza tasted almost entirely like the caramelized onions that were on it. Not what she was looking for. In fairness, the waiter, when he saw that her pizza had been made incorrectly didn't charge her for the anchovies after all.
A marginal meal and I won't be rushing back, especially to pay full price. I thought our pizzas were worth about what we paid - I would have been seriously pissed if I'd paid the normal $12.50. Oh well, lesson learned! -
Review from Mara S.
Chicago, IL
12/13/2007
2.5 stars, but I'm feeling nice - it's the holidays.
I went to A Mano last night for dinner and was not that impressed. At first I thought it would be good b/c as soon as we were seated the waitress came over and seemed attentive. Ya, not so much.
We ordered a pizza for an app that I liked, but it was nothing special. After we ordered the server came over with free white wine. It was a nice gesture, but I would have preferred speedier service.
We ordered some main dishes that again, were good, but nothing special. I did like the half order option, but they're pretty small (the server did warn us). Don't go thinking you're ordering a half order at Maggiano's or something... these are tiny...but good if you aren't that hungry. Or don't like to eat.
Our bill came after our plates had been gone for a solid 20 minutes. That's just annoying. Please don't drop off dessert menus and then leave for 20 minutes thinking that maybe I'll be hungry for dessert if you wait long enough since my 1/2 portion was made for a 3 year old. Annoying.
The atmosphere is decent, but it's pretty loud in there. I will go back because we have a work function there next week. Hopefully I'm more impressed when they're serving 50 instead of 3. -
Review from Jenn R.
Chicago, IL
12/30/2007
Maybe 2.5 is more fitting b/c the staff was nice. I have to agree with Joshua M & Mara S... it didn't impress me either.
We went for lunch so maybe their dinners are better, but I doubt I'll go back to try it. There are too many great Italian restaurants in Chicago to bother.
The lunch menu was sparse and unimpressive. The list of wood oven pizzas just didn't look that appetizing. None of the dishes really did. I got the margherita pizza and unless I got a bite of tomato and basil in one, it tasted like cheese pizza. My husband got the meatball panini and it was ok, but had limp lettuce and was REALLY messy.
Probably will not go back. I LOVE Bin 36, so I'll stick to them. -
Review from Ang R.
Chicago, IL
7/12/2009
You simply can't beat their summertime deals, especially the $5 pizzas on Thursdays. They're filling, and I'm here to tell you, folks, the pizza is nearly real Italian-style stuff. And the supplies they use are top quality, it must be said. The mozzarella was the good stuff, the prosciutto was especially wonderful (sliced paper thin, as it should be), and there were heirloom tomatoes laying around everywhere. It doesn't get better than that.
I can't state with enough certainty that for $5, you are having a BARGAIN of a dinner. I mean, really. It's not as authentic as Spacca Napoli, but it's pretty darn close, and for $5, it's filling and warm and tasty. Take advantage, because I'm sure $5 pizzas won't last forever. -
Review from Amanda G.
Chicago, IL
7/22/2009
For the price, I would not recommend A Mano for dining. The wine bar looked nice, but our food wasn't that good. First of all, we were definitely served rotten cheese with our cheese plate. It was supposed to be the "mild" cheese, yet it was much more flavorful than the other four cheeses, namely, it was rotten. I am the kind of person who can smell laundry detergent on people's clothes from three feet away, and I KNEW that cheese was rotten. The waiter did not believe me, but he did replace the rotten piece of cheese with some mozzarella (I am not 5 years old). My fish was pretty good, although it was small and the greens that came with it weren't really edible.
The ambiance was OK. It was nicely decorated with large windows. It is the kind of place where you end up sitting right next to fellow patrons on a bench, but that is pretty common. -
Review from Melissa R.
Chicago, IL
9/29/2009
I went to A Mano for a ladies' night dinner, and it was a perfect place for some yummy food, wine, and loud guffawing.
The restaurant itself is pretty modern, but has some touches here and there that give off that "you should feel comfortable here" vibe. Our waitress was really down-to-earth and helpful with trying to pick from their menu; she was attentive but not interrupting every five minutes to see if we were okay.
This is a great place if you're into sharing, because the menu has a ton of options that can easily be split. We started with a create your own cheese and meat platter, and I really should say salad plate instead. We ordered prosciutto and salami (each four VERY thin slices) and gouda (which was practically one bite of cheese). However, the main courses and dessert made up for that disappointment.
We split two pizzas (Buffalo Mozzarella and Fennel Sausage) and 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken with mashed potatoes. The pizzas were SO good, the crust was the perfect mix of doughy and crunchy, the sauces (both pesto and red) were divine, and the cheese was super melty. The 1/2 chicken was really tender and the serving of mashed potatoes (which were really creamy) was quite hefty.
For dessert we got the three scoops of gelato and cannoli. The scoops were tiny, but it gave you a little sample of each flavor: chocolate chip (could use more chips), chocolate hazelnut, and pistachio (I could have easily eaten an entire pint solo). The cannoli was actually five little ones that were neatly stacked and sprinkled with powdered sugar, they were good but nothing to gush about.
I would certainly come back here since the prices were reasonable for a nicer dinner out with a good location close to other nightlife spots. I will for shizzle be back on Thursday's since it is $5 pizza night...and their pizza was the best part of the meal. -
Review from ryan w. v.
Chicago, IL
8/6/2008
A Mano...
Let's see.... the harem and I had dinner here on a Tuesday evening in June. We made reservations for 7:30pm, but they were clearly not needed. Maybe 1/4 of the place was full with guests. The first table we sat at had a wobbly leg and even though our (very cute, almost hunky) waiter tried to fix it, we moved to another table. Second table was much better. Our waiter was very pleasant and suggested on a few items like the mole and copa cured meats and the mushroom pizza. We all found those items to be enjoyable. I had ordered the special of the day which was a variety of house made sausages served with polenta. The sausages were really good although I don't see them on the web site's menu anymore. Hopefully they bring it back.
Our waiter was probably the best part of the meal. The food was good and I would be willing to go back for lunch and try some of their paninis.Listed in: Dinner with the Harem
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Review from Eva V.
Chicago, IL
2/4/2008
Upscale Quartino. Excellent food, but portions are pretty small. The complementary sparkling water was a nice touch.
Gelato is excellent (I'm particularly fond of the olive oil), but a price of $6 per serving is a little much. Quartino charges $2 per serving.
Good date place. -
Review from Chrissy N.
Chicago, IL
8/3/2009
Had reservations for a group of 8 at 5:30 on Saturday evening. The place is very easy to find, just underneath Bin 36, but easily visible. To get in, we passed a big hand-written chalk sign outside the front door that said $5 cocktails Saturday. Good enough!!!
Not too crowded, seated immediately. The crowd was comprised of couples, a couple single-diners, and a couple families with kids in their teens. As soon as we were seated, wait staff came around and offered us sparkling water or still water. (Both are free.) Well, it was a nice touch, but when they came to keep refilling our glasses throughout the meal, they gave me sparkling, and I wanted still. We asked about the $5 cocktails, and the waiter told us that they don't have drink specials on Saturdays. We told him about the sign, he said it was incorrect. But here on their Yelp page, they advertise it as well. ????
The waiter was very nice, quick, and actually offered to do separate checks for all of us. Most places refuse to do that anymore because it is a huge hassel. Most of us had pizzas, since that is what this place is known for. They came out very fast! I had the Fennel Sausage Potato Fingerling pizza. Very yummy. The crust is just delicious. Everyone liked theirs for the most part.
For a cocktail, pizza, and coffee, (and 18% gratuity for our large party,) the total came to about $26 for myself. Not bad really. I would come here again for a casual meal. And I would have liked to have tried the gelato as well! So many yummy flavors! -
Review from Mike g.
Chicago, IL
6/24/2008
A love A Mano's menu. It is Italian done almost right. If you think about Italy--the restaurants and homes serve local seasonal food--so no place can really be "italian" until it focuses on that alone.
A Mano has a solid menu offering a but for everyone with prices for everyone. You can live it up and spend some cash or grab a pizza.
Sunday in the bar there was a good deal.
The wine list is, of course, fun. -
Review from Laura S.
Chicago, IL
12/2/2008
Just ok.
So much potential, sooooo not up to par. I went with a group of girlfriends on a Friday night and the place was EMPTY. Not good. The actual atmosphere is cozy - the kitchen is open and you can see the brick oven grills!
As for the food - mehhhh. The pizzas we ordered were burnt and the service was mediocre. The wine at the meal was the only bright spot. Do yourself a favor and go to one of the million other better restaurants in the city and SKIP A Mano. -
Review from Jen B.
Chicago, IL
7/8/2008
This place is totally inconsistent.
The wine is good. The gelato is better. The food is just ok.
My pizza was ok, but was actually way better cold the next day. One of my co-workers ordered some ravioli for lunch. It was only like 3 noodles though, not quite enough.
The service was horrible. I've been here twice - once for lunch and once after work for drinks and appetizers. We might have had the same waiter both times, but he was horrible. He took about 20 minutes to bring our bill at lunch when he could obviously tell that we worked in an office nearby and could not take a super long lunch. ugh. After work when we went though, I felt like he was rushing us through our wine and stromboli.
Anyway, I might go back, but just because it is super close to my office and happy hour food is kind of cheap for the neighborhood. Would not recommend it for lunch though. -
Review from Robyn T.
1/3/2008
I went for lunch here with co-workers and we've all dined out in Italy many a time so we're the toughest critics!
The food was good but not great. I did enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant with the open kitchen and beautiful wood-burning fireplace (what a fantastic smell!)
Our server gave us the option of still or sparkling water which I liked at no additional charge. Most lunch entrees were priced around $12. My colleague had the gnochiette which were nice but nothing spectacular.
I did enjoy my pizza - the fennel sausage with potato and arugula. The crust was thin but a little thicker than other traditional Italian style pizzerias.
There was also a lunch buffet that I'd like to go back and try which included some lovely looking antipastas. Good location and good prices. I'd probably go back because I liked the atmosphere. -
Review from Lesley A.
1/8/2010
I think my co-worker and I are trying something new where we break away from our frozen Lean Cuisine and Lean Cuisine knockoffs once a month for lunch. Besides, did you hear the news today that Lean Cuisines have more calories than listed on the box? For shame!
We were both curious about A Mano and were enticed by their great $11.95 lunch special where you get a choice of a pizza or panini entree, unlimited visits to the antipasti bar and a scoop of gelato. What a steal! And thank goodness for the antipasti bar! I scheduled lunch too late and we were starving when we arrived.
My favorites from the antipasti bar was the squash soup (house made), fritattata and crostini. My co-worker was partial to the eggplant salad.
I had the A MANO Fennel Sausage (with fingerling potatoes & arugula) personal pizza for my entree. The pizza was 12" in diameter and lasted me for three lunches (though I'm sure for most people it would satisfy two lunches). The pizza was coated with arugula, the sausage was noticeably homemade, and the fingerling potatoes were an interesting touch of texture. I could not, however, stand the slightly burnt grainy crust produced in the brick or wood fire oven. If I come back, I'll opt for a huge panini - which is what my friend ordered..
For dessert I had the salted caramel gelato which I bet tasted fantastic alone. However, I could not wash my palate of the antipasti bar and arugula entree tastes so the caramel gelato was unpalatable. Now I know to opt for a fruit ice next time. And yes, there will be a next time!
The ambiance is nice, spacious, but a little dark. It's kind of the basement of the Hotel Sax. -
Review from A L.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2008
My friends and I decided to check out this place last night based on the strength of reviews on Metromix. This restaurant has been around for 3 months or so and is located below Bin 36.
We were seated quickly (Monday night!) and our server quickly came by to get out water orders. We decided to get a bottle of wine and were happy to see quite an extensive list of Italian wines at very decent prices (30 and above). We were deciding between 3 bottles of wine and asked our server to help us choose. He told us what he liked best and since that was actually our fave of the 3, decided to go for it. It was not the most expensive bottle of our choices, so we were happy to see that he was honest and did not choose the most expensive. The wine was pretty good too!
For food, we asked our server again for suggestions, and boy are we glad we did. He made excellent pasta suggestions. But, I am skipping ahead of myself. It is important to note that this restaurant is very authentic in serving sizes, NOT American. So, half portions of pasta are offered and they are 3 oz. The 3 of us girls started with the soup of the day (white bean, quite nice) and a pizza (prosciutto and arugula, yummy!). It was all very good and we were afraid we wouldn't have enough food, even after our pasta dishes came out. Boy were we wrong! The 3 pastas came out and were ALL delicious! The fettuccine with shaved black truffles was our fave, and then we also got the risotto and this small ravioli dish. It was all so rich and wonderful. We also got a side of the cauliflower which was pureed and quite delicious also.
For dessert, we all got different gelati and sorbets. The gelato was smooth and rich and yummy, the sorbets were all good, very tangy, but a little overpowering.
Overall, this restaurant had great service, good ambiance, and wonderful food. Will definitely be back! -
Review from Lindsay R.
Chicago, IL
5/6/2009
We stopped into for a Thursday night dinner and was greeted by a wonderful smiling host. We were seated in a 1/2 full dinning room with a great view of the open windowed kitchen. The waiter was shocked I didn't want the "free" bottled water and kept saying "its free".
He was not the friendliest person and once the large group of people were seated in the party room we didn't even see him again until we needed the bill. Our order was taken by the waiter then the bus boy delivered it and we never saw our server again not even to refill my wine or my boyfriends coke. The food was not even that good, my lasagna was not good at all and Its my favorite dish. I would have enjoyed a TV dinner better. I was really excited about this new place too. BUMMER! -
Review from david g.
Chicago, IL
2/18/2010
Went for the lunch special, $12 for a pizza, unlimited salad bar (two salads, hummus, breads, cheeses, olives, and soup), and gelato isn't bat at all.
The pizza was pretty good, not sure exactly how to describe it though, as it sorta crosses over a few styles. The crust was trying to be neopolitan style, which is hit mostly, although it was a little too soft for it (needed a bit more crisping). the crust was puffy and crunchy, but dry. the sauce and cheese combo was more like NY style. So, I guess the pizza has an identity crises, but it worked, and I was happy.
I'll def try it again on a thursday for the $5 pizza special! -
Review from Rachel W.
Chicago, IL
4/22/2009
I had no idea this place existed, and was surprised to hear it's been around since 2007. Apparently a pipe burst in hotel sax and they were closed for 2 months, did some re-decorating and had a grand re-opening of sorts. Maybe that's why they've been getting press lately.
Either way, we had a great experience, I loved the atmosphere and ambiance, it's decorated perfectly, and although its a large space, it's broken up well. Also, you can watch the chefs making pizza.
The host was extremely friendly, as was our waitress, and she was attentive. Great wine list; they'll also do wine by the carafe, which is nice.
The antipasto bar sounded yummy, I went w/spaghetti and 'nona's meatballs', and it was delicious, with plenty of tasty homemade meatballs. I also got a side of the mud & grass which BLEW me away. It was warm kale w/a creamy chickpea spread and was incredible.
I'll def be back to a mano. -
Review from Kimberly W.
San Francisco, CA
3/30/2008
What a great find! I love the look and the feel of the restaurant. Great open kitchen to watch what is going on.
A few of my girl friends and I popped in for a few glasses of wine and some light bites on a Saturday. They have a great $5 bar menu plus on their main menu they have $5 starters. We had a great glass of red wine (negroamaro) which was $8 per glass. If there are two of you get the 1/2 carafe for $16 which is two and a half glasses per person.
For food we ordered the grilled calamari (yum!), polenta fries (yum!) and grilled eggplant (the best!). Afterwards we could not resist ordered the hazelnut chocolate torte and a glass of Moscato. The torte was ok...the flavor was not as powerful as the other food but the Moscato (at $3.50 per glass!) was tasty and a great deal.
Only drawback is the bar seats are not very comfortable. -
Review from Andrew C.
Chicago, IL
6/21/2009
A Mano was kind of a last minute choice for our group on a Thursday night but it turned out to be a good one. I was pleasantly surprised, especially considering the neighborhood (Near North right next to Harry Caray's).
We ordered a selection of meats and cheese as an appetizer, one of the cheeses was not on the menu, but was highly suggested by our waiter, definitely a good choice. We then ordered 2 pizzas for the 4 of us, the clam pizza and the prosciutto and arugula pizza. Both were very delicious.
The clam pizza, while a bit weird at the thought, was excellent, the saltiness of the clams mixed with the rest of the pizza, the creamy salty cheese, the crust and the sauce. WOW, I was impressed. The prosciutto and arugula was also excellent, with the arugula put on at the last minute, so it hadn't wilted. Delicious!
Finally, we ordered gelato and a piece of tiramisu. From the sampling of gelato we had, the only flavors that seemed to be really good were pistachio and the chocolate. In the end, it's still gelato and very delicious, so it's hard to complain! The tiramisu was very good, reasonably portioned (not HUGE like some places) but still very flavorful and light, the way tiramisu should be.
The atmosphere was nice and classy, but we were still comfortable dressed a bit down (shorts and loafers). The only real drawback that I felt while we were there was more than once we felt a little abandoned by our waiter. To his credit, he did his best to make sure we were ok when he did come around.
I'll be back for more pizza in the future! -
Review from Abbey P.
Chicago, IL
5/29/2009
In light of my past reviews I've decided to review something better so I don't look like such a negative nancy...
I'm a huge fan of being outside so I stopped at A Mano on a whim when I saw the "$10 wine carafes" (the Tuesday special) sign outside the patio. I split a 5-star wild mushroom pizza with my boyfriend (although he wasn't a fan of the hazelnuts on it-- more for me!) and people walking by heard stuff like "Oh mfff gahhhhfff" as I would ecstatically stuff whole slices in my mouth at a time. I couldn't get enough and will be returning to try the clam pizza. I will most definitely be returning on Thursdays for their $5 pizzas-- $12 is pushing it normally but still worth the amazing taste. $5 however is an f-ing steal.
The second plus is the people watching. It's below ground level and we could watch people going up and down Dearborn. If you consider people-watching a sport, you'll love this place. Some people might not like the feeling of being below ground or catching a sliver of the traffic below, but I thought it was great.
Why I deducted a star: the carafes were mini! I know it's a special and getting as much as we did for $10 is better than what we normally would have paid but... totally not worth it as a special. Other places serve much better happy hour deals (ahem Flemings and McCormick & Schmick's). -
Review from Manny S.
Chicago, IL
11/17/2008
I go to A Mano regularly and I really like it a lot. I find that I eat at the bar far more often than in the dining room and that always a great experience, not to mention an incredible deal. Each menu item at the bar is only $5, and its a great way to introduce you to what the full menu has to offer. I do think if you expect the entrees to be large, depending on what you get, they may be a tad small, but Ive found them to always be very good.
The atmosphere is warm and with the kitchen in the center of the restaurant there is something always fun to watch. Its obvious that they purchased top quality equipment and put a lot of thought into the space itself.
The polenta fries are not to be missed, and the sausage, potato and fennel pizza is to die for. The gelato is excellent too, but I would opt for one of their fantastic Italian dessert liquers instead. -
Review from Naomi M.
Chicago, IL
1/14/2008
Full disclosure: I'm married to a former Bin 36 employee and we went to dinner with another former Bin 36 employee, so the GM knew us.
However, I was very happy with my food. The cotechino sausage polenta was an absolutely perfect and comforting start. I devoured the "black pig" pork chop. And the gelato was hands down well-worth four stars all on its own. It tasted just as good as any gelato I've had in Italy. And free sparkling water is always fun. My tablemates went for more adventurous dishes, but all I wanted on that cold Chicago winter night was something comforting and honest, not dazzling, and I was not dissapointed.
It's a new restaurant so they're ironing out their kinks, such as our waiter. However, it was a pleasant evening in a comfortable setting. -
Review from Susie S.
Chicago, IL
5/13/2008
After having some wine upstairs at Bin 36, we headed downstairs for our dinner. I'm not sure if A Mano is directly associated with Bin 36, but they do carry several of their wines. Since we weren't very hungry, my girlfriend and I shared the Margherita Pizza. I've had better, but it was filling enough for the 2 of us.
The first thing you'll notice when you walk in is the open and brightly lit kitchen. It's the centerpiece of the entire restaurant. One of the coolest open kitchens I've ever seen.
We were seated right away, and were greeted with an 'interesting' waiter. He was well rehearsed in his 'these are the specials' spcheal, which meant it lacked personality. He was kinda hard to understand (pretty sure he was Italian) He was a bit pushy, and didn't seem very happy that we were only going to order a few glasses of wine and split a pizza. Once we finished, our plates and glasses were quickly whisked away by our bus boy.
After feeling rushed, we finished up our wine, and paid the bill. This is another great date place or a fun place to go with a group of people. It looks like their's going to be a pretty cool outside patio for the summer. I'll go back and try it out. Maybe even order dessert this time!
