Manzanar Restaurant

"Gustavo Barbero is one of the partners in the much-lauded Parador La Huella in the upscale beach town of José Ignacio. After years of working at their father’s restaurants, his daughters, Jimena and Victoria, proposed a new endeavor: a restaurant that would shake things up in Carrasco with a menu based on wood-fired cooking and a delicious dessert selection dominated by fruit. Manzanar opened in 2017 in an abandoned commercial building that had belonged to a supermarket chain (called Manzanares, hence the restaurant’s name). The vibe in the wide-open space is noisy and relaxed, as patrons enjoy the well-executed cocktail menu and watch the action at multiple wood-fired grills and in the pastry room. None of the Barberos are professional cooks, so the kitchen is run by Argentinean Vanina Canteros and Colombian Danitza Natalia Suesca, who send out a shot of house-made broth to guests as an amuse-bouche. They were the first in the city to add a dish of corvina (sea bass) ribs in place of the more traditional beef or lamb ribs. It’s a must-try. — MB" - Marcela Baruch, Nell McShane Wulfhart

"Soria says that there are many restaurants she has continued to support over the past few months, like Manzanar and Escaramuza." - Maria Yagoda