Marshall B.
Yelp
VERY disappointing, only mediocre...
My family and I have eaten at 'A Mano' a number of times over the past several years. Our most recent dinner there was Saturday June 3rd. This used to be one of our favorite places to have a great dinner at, but this time it failed in every area. There were just too many problems to be excusable....
We made a reservation and were asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. We said INSIDE, but when we arrived and they sat us on the outside patio which had plastic walls/tarps and heaters to sort of protect us from the cold and wind. It was poorly sealed, not warm enough - the heaters did not throw enough heat, and the cold wind kept blowing through onto us through openings that they had not bothered to seal. Good service is about many things including details and communication. (They failed). So we asked to be moved inside, which they did.
Once seated service was spotty form that point on. Took too long to get water and menus. And there was no water service after the first time until we asked them for it. Our waiter forgot to tell us the specials, so I reminded him to do so.
Bread given to our table was ok, but the olive oil they provide at each table is the cheap light type with little flavor, etc. The meals.... My daughter ordered "Tom's Carbonara" which she has had there before. The Duck in it was a little overcooked, and someone in the kitchen had a heavy hand with the pepper for this dish this time! My wife had the "Sautéed Spaghetti Squash" with shrimp, tomato and broccoli rabe. Presentation on the plate was ok, but not impressive. The vegetables were seasoned and cooked decently, but the shrimp was VERY overcooked. My entrée was where they really failed - TWO times. I order the "Chicken Burrata." Presentation again was ok, but the chicken was VERY overcooked. Very tough or close to impossible to cut with a knife and certainly difficult to chew. I sent it back. And since my wife & daughter already had their main courses I didn't want to wait long, so I ordered the Bronzino (fish) which I knew would/should be prepared and served quickly. It was. Presentation on the plate was only equal to a diner. The fish was slightly overcooked, but not by too much. Seasoning and sauce was bland, weak, just not good.
The overall attention and service to our table was poor, and overall the food was simply lousy.
To sum up the food... Seasoning was basic and poorly done, they did not know how to properly cook any seafood or poultry.
The only positive notes are that, we have had worse meals, and they did comp me on my second drink to try to make up for the problem with the chicken.
To us, it seemed as though they have either lost their chef, or he had a really bad day there, or someone was filling in for him, and doing a VERY POOR job of it. But that only explains the food. The service has also gone downhill and not at all as good as it used to be.
Looking at various (positive) reviews I have read about 'A Mano,' it appears that many people don't know what really good food is, or about serving & attention to details, or they may have had more than enough alcohol or wine to drink which has influenced their perceptions and memories.
We go out to restaurants to have a nice time, enjoy the entire dining experience, not to get aggravated, disappointed and feel that we have thrown away our money.
Suffice it to say, we are sadly crossing 'A Mano' off our list - we will not be going back or recommending to anyone.
