Harlan Thompson (the owner’s husband) sourced local woodmakers Steven Techlemen to create the bar from reclaimed wood beams, and Brandon Hards to craft the sturdy, earthy chairs. Photo: Grant Kessler
Harlan Thompson (the owner’s husband) sourced local woodmakers Steven Techlemen to create the bar from reclaimed wood beams, and Brandon Hards to craft the sturdy, earthy chairs. Photo: Grant Kessler
Jill Barron is not exactly the kind of person one might imagine opening a meatless restaurant.
“I think vegetarian food is pretty gross for the most part,” said the Chicago chef. A meat eater herself, before helping to open Mana with Susan Thompson, Barron often found herself cringing at the tofu imitations of meat in health conscious restaurants.
Yet while Barron eschews meat substitutes, she values healthy eating. She and Thompson, who both run de cero, decided to open Mana to encourage more diners to find delicious alternatives to meat.
“I want people to see that they can give up meat for one meal a week and still be happy,” Barron said.
The restaurant, which opened summer 2008, has a store front almost entirely of windows, allowing diners to gaze out on bustling Division Street.
Barron’s concept emphasizes a few ideas to make meatless more palatable to the average omnivore. As a “meatless” — she dislikes the title vegetarian — restaurant, Mana does not serve fake meat. Rather, Barron seeks ethnic dishes that just happened to not have meat in them. Creations like the Bi Bim Bop — an Asian meal with brown rice and fried egg — and the Mana Chilli are flavorful and full of protein — sans meat.
Barron also wants the food to be understandable, that is, to be simple enough for diners to know what they are eating. Her small plate concept allows these simple foods to shine through. Diners can order most menu items in small plates — ranging from $4 to $8 — or large plates — ranging from $7 to $16. These options allow savoring one dish at a time, as well as enjoying multiple menu items.
The small plates also let diners prolong the meal, which is exactly what many were doing on a recent snowy Wednedsay night. By 8pm, the tiny restaurant was packed. Couples lingered in the solid wooden booths. Perched on a stool by the beautifully stained wood bar, a woman ate alone, savoring the Bi Bim Bop and a glass of wine.
Like the food, the interior is simple and modern — exposed brick behind the bar, the surrounding walls bare but for streaks of light seeping through uniquely patterned strips. Soft music fills the atmosphere, switching seamlessly from hipster favorite Beirut to Middle Eastern instrumental.
The simple background and small plates allow visitors to focus on what makes this tiny hot spot truly great: the food. Barron says her Mana Slider is the best veggie burger she has ever tasted, and judging by enthusiastic online reviews, visitors agree.
The mini burger itself, for which Barron tried four different kinds of rice before she settled on brown — has a hearty consistency and mild taste. The mayo sauce on top has a spicy, flavorful kick. Put together with a sweet and soft Hawaiian roll and house made pickle slices, the burger ($3.50) is a well-balanced tease.
The blue cheese tart is another unique menu item. At $6, the tart offers about two explosive bites if split. The flavors in the tart — buttery crust, the tangy cheese, and sweet caramelized onions on top — balanced each other well. And for such rich ingredients the dish was surprisingly light, not greasy at all.
Other menu hits were the tomato pumpkin ravioli (small, $6, large $12) with a delicate sage cream sauce, the creative maki of raw vegetables wrapped in collard greens ($8), and the collard greens as a side ($3), which were cooked and seasoned perfectly. We finished the meal with a phenomenal avocado and coconut sorbet ($3), the two scoops separated by a paper-thin slice of dried pineapple. The sorbet was so creamy it is hard to believe it is vegan.
All told, Mana is a fantastic place for a date. The classy atmosphere belies the fact that the restaurant is quite affordable. For five small plates, dessert and drinks, our tab for two came to $43. With a great drink selection, adventurous food and a cozy aura, make Mana the next place you take your honey.
MANA food bar
1742 W. Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
773.342.1742
manafoodbar.com
Caitlin Elsaesser is a freelance writer based in Chicago