A Mano
335 N. Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 629-3500
http://www.amanochicago.com/
Hours: 11:30-2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday;
11:30-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Prices: Antipasti Bar, $12; Pizza, $12.50; Entrées: $12-$24
A Mano, from the owners of the popular Bin 36 restaurant upstairs, is a delicious addition to Chicago’s growing collection of contemporary Italian trattorias with a stylish and casually chic vibe. And with its Bin 36 lineage, A Mano offers multi-faceted wine and cocktail menus. With its openness and varied seating spaces, the restaurant is an irresistible place to relax and enjoy conversation with friends over a nice glass of wine or a cocktail and some intriguing country-style Italian food.
Located in River North, but very near the Loop, A Mano works very well for lunch, as an after-work wind-me-down or as an interesting place for a casual dinner. On warm weather days, there is a comfortable outdoor seating area overlooking Dearborn.
The lunch menu offers a stellar combination of authentic wood-fired oven pizza, soup, salads, Panini and pasta. A welcome and delicious feature which separates A Mano from other trattorias is a robust antipasti bar ($12 per person) that can be ordered alone or as an accompaniment to the menu items. One can easily construct a balanced, filling meal from the antipasti bar alone, but coupled with a Panini, pizza or pasta dish, the meal is a taste treat, indeed. The antipasti items change daily, but you’ll find some salads, tapenades, Italian cheeses, crostini, frittata, focaccia, grilled vegetables and homemade soup.
The dinner menu offers a nice selection of Italian specialties. If you’re interested in some shared appetizers for the table, A Mano offers a variety of smoked meats and Italian cheeses. Other starters include a nice Trio of Bruschetta and an Antipasti Plate. Salads are plentiful, including an Asparagus Salad, Prosciutto di Parma with Summer Melon, Caesar Salad, Heirloom Tomato Salad and an Argula Salad.
The wood-fired pizza is very fresh; the crust is thin and crispy. We enjoyed the house made A Mano Fennel Sausage as well as the Classic Margherita. Other intriguing choices include Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Whole Manila Clams, Wild Mushroom, Prosciutto di Parma, and Soppressata Salami.
Panini selections run the gamut from hearty to light, and all are tasty. Choices include Prosciutto & Mozzarella with oven dried tomatoes and arugula, Grilled Vegetables with fresh goat cheese, Chicken Parmigiana with marinara sauce and arugula, and the house specialty, Nonna Caputo’s Meatballs with marinara sauce and fontina cheese.
Pasta dishes are also given solid attention. Among the more unique choices are Linguini with mussels, clams and shrimp in a white wine and saffron broth, Garganelli with Wild Boar Ragu, Raisins and Pine Nuts, Lobster & Scallop Ravioli and a Risotto of the Day. Entrée choices include Grilled Flat Iron Steak, Whole Roasted Fish of the Day and a half Rotisserie Chicken with olive oil mashed potatoes.
A Mano offers a generous dessert menu, including Cannoli, Chocolate and Espresso Mousse, Tiramisu and a Strawberry and Pizelle Neopoleon. We thought the homemade gelati and sorbets made for an excellent, refreshing finale.
Don’t forget to check out the nightly specials. There are good deals for everyone, even the kids on Monday.