Welcome to Mana Food Bar 1742 W. Division, Chicago. We came in for a late lunch on a Saturday. It was surprisingly quiet with only one couple dining at one of the two booths.
Here are some photos of the gorgeous, earthy yet modern space. I got them off of the Mana Food Bar facebook page.
I started with the Apple Cider, Cinnamon and Nigori Sake cocktail - $8. It was very delicate and not too sweet. The cinnamon tasted freshly grated. Jared ordered the 14 oz Avocado, Pineapple and Coconut Water Smoothie - $8, which was deliciously fruity and just the right amount of creamy. Luke had a very tasty Two Brothers French Country Ale and a Sapporo - both $5.
We decided to start with the vegan Blue Corn and Plantain Tamale, which was one of the two verbal specials. It was served with a sweet/spicy relish. It was fairly moist and I think I preferred it without the sauce. The absence of cheese was not a fault.
Unfurled...
Next, we ordered a couple of salads: Seaweed and Cucumber - wakame and cucumbers in lemon sesame dressing with daikon (radish) sprouts - $5. There was also a bit of oil in it but it didn't taste like sesame oil. I love seaweed, so I thought this salad was perfect. I could have eaten a giant mound of this alone.
...But then came the next salad! Jicama, Mango and Cucumber Salad - with cilantro and chili lime salt - $5 Very summery and crisp. Dressing was tart and spicy. Great.
The next three items we ordered were sinfully rich. The Blue Cheese Tart - with caramelized onion - $5 - was served warm alongside a sweet/tart red beet salad. The crust was perfectly soft and flaky and the cheese sooo creamy. Several bites preceded the taking of the photo!
The Sweet Potato Pancake with apple cranberry chutney and crema - $6. This was probably my least favorite, but that's only because it was fried. The chutney was fabulous. In fact, I might even say that the savory potato pancake was just an excuse to eat the chutney. There, I said it. Also, the scallions on top were the perfect garnish. Mmmm...
Finally, the amazing pasta dish. Tomato Pumpkin Ravioli - in a sage cream sauce - $7. These 4 little squares of pumpkin-stuffed tomato pasta heaven were topped with a delicate, rich sage sauce with just a tiny hint of sweetness.
In addition to all of the above, we also shared a large order of the Curry - cauliflower, peas and sweet potato over brown rice with a cilantro relish - $13. The photo of that was unusable. It was very tasty though with a flares of ginger and chili.
The service was casual, but attentive and friendly. This was the most enjoyable restaurant meal I have had in quite a while. Needless to say we were very pleased with ourselves after this meal. I wonder if anyone can go wrong ordering from this menu. I have every intention of going back to find out!
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