A Mano

I'm not a manager at A Mano but I eat there quite often and I LOVE it. The menu is full of delcious, authentic Italian options. One of my favorites is the Thursday night special, veal involtini, the best veal I've ever tasted. I'm also hooked on the pizzas, they're perfect, baked in a wood-burning oven. Fun place, the people are cool - really inviting and warm. Don't forget to try the gelato! more

I can't believe a user on here said that this place has the best pizza in Chicago. Apparently, that person has not tried enough Chicago pizza. I had the margaritta pizza form here and it was soo bland. It tasted like cardboard! I really think the good reviews written about this restaurant is from the manager at Amano. The service is extremely slow. It took over an hour to get the food! The appetizers look very pretty, but they taste terrible. The asparagus salad consisted of a measly 6 butter drenched asparagus placed in a crisscrossed fashion. Included in the asparagus dish is diced black olives that look like goose poops. Don't eat it, it's gross! The chicken dish I ordered tasted like airline food. My friend ordered a steak and he said it had a weird chemical taste. Overall, their pleasant ambiance did not compensate for the slow service and disgusting food! Pros: the outside seating was pleasent Cons: everything else more

My family is Italian and I've been to Italy several times, so I tend to be a bit hard to please when it comes to claims of ""authentic"" Italian food. This place came the closest to the real deal by far, in comparison to other restaurants I've tried. I've especially enjoyed the lunch buffet, it's just like what you find in Italy! more

Ok, I'm a Pizza Snob and am proud of it! A mano has the best in the city (thus far) Seriously, if you're looking for the real deal, thin, crisp and chewy with great toppings and a wood oven char, this is the place. I was there on a Tuesday night, had 3 different pizzas - Clam - in the shell, no less, Margherita- I'm a purist and Gorgonzola Dolce- grapes and cheese. Only issue, there are only 5 or 6 pizza choices, could be more in my opinion. The Patio sets below street level on Dearborn and is really cool, it was full but we didn't feel packed in (Quartino take note) The service was really good, and the server recommended a White Pinot Noir from Italy that blew me away, ask for it, I can't remember the name. (no, I wasn't tipsy) Anyhoo- it was great and we will be back. Pros: Pizza and Wine, Sit Outside Cons: Limited Pizza Choices but what they have are great. more

May husband and I had dinner at A MANO last night and really loved it. We sat outside which was really nicely decorated with flowers and plants. The food was very good - we shared some antipasto (prosciutto, octopus and eggplant caponata), a pizza - again prosciutto!, and split a pasta and a the whole roasted fish. All were great. We polished off two carafes of wine as well. Finally, we shared some of the gelato - a combo of three flavors, and it was delicious - I'd come back just for that. The whole tab was about $90 plus tax and tip - so a pretty good deal. Pros: solid food and service Cons: a little noisy more

Pros: The menu reads well!! Cons: Everything else about the place more

We ordered a salad, soup, pizza and pasta dish to split. They were all bad. Salad tasted like pure salt. People working there seemed nice though. Maybe just ordered all the wrong things. Bin 36 upstairs is way better as far as the food goes and the wine flights are a lot of fun. Don't waste your money here. You can do much much better somewhere else. Pros: ambience could be fun for a night out. Cons: the food. more

This is a great date night spot - well, not if you're a student because the prices are a little steep, but - if you're willing to shell out the extra cash, definitely come here. I loved the wide open concept of the restaurant - I don't think a walk-in should have a problem being seated. I made reservations for a party of two on a Friday night and was seated immediately. They don't serve the ""traditional"" Italian fare of heavy pastas and bread-y foods, so don't come here if you want a good lasagna or the like. I suggest ordering the trio of appetizers as they have so many to choose from, you'll be overwhelmed. The carpaccio is amazing. I wouldn't say this is the most amazingly romantic restaurant, but I think the atmosphere lends itself to being a good place to bring anyone from a boyfriend/girlfriend to a large group of friends. Pros: great wine list, great service, cute chefs in the kitchen, great ambience Cons: none that I can recall more

My wife and I went to Italy in May of this year and have ever since been eating at various Italian restaurants around the city really just for fun and to stir up our favorite memories. Well, we just got home from an absolutely wonderful meal at A Mano and felt more like we were back in Italy than in any restaurant we have been in yet! The service was terrific and complemented with excellent recommendations and a great fun loving attitude! We had the salumi and the goat cheese for apps-- very very tasy! The wine selection was excellent and we loved the 1/2 carafe option (just like Italy :-) ). We had the Margherita Pizza which was a huge favorite for us in Italy and this one definitely held its own! Then our main dishes were Farfalle Amatriciana and the Pumpkin Ravioli, both just alive with flavor and freshness! And lastly, our favorite dish from Italy, one we had several times a day minimum -- Gelato. All we can say is that they do it right!! And we splurged a bit and had the Robiola & Ricotta Cheesecake as well, which was one of the best cheesecakes we have ever had--nothing like sprinkling a little aged balsamic vinegar on a dessert :-) We will definitely be going back!! We recommend you go and ask for Cenna, she is the delightful waitress who made our night!! Pros: You can go big or you can go small Cons: Not as busy as it should be more

We have already been to A Mano 3 times (so, obviously, we enjoy it)! The food is delicious (with a really big selection of different choices - meats, veggies, pizzas, chops, greens) to satisfy our taste buds each night. We even ventured away from the pizza/pasta route last time and tried the pork chop - and it was delicious. Pros: Excellent Food and Atmosphere; Great Selection of Choices more

I came to A Mano with a group of friends for the first time tonight for a special occasion dinner. Contrary to the previous review, the night could not have progressed more perfectly. Our server was on point with all the preparation details of the dishes we ordered and very clear about portion size. The half size pastas (try the delicious pumpkin ravioli and wild boar pappardelle, all made by hand!) were a perfect tasting size to sufficiently wet my appetite for the main course - a t-bone steak with balsamic vinegar, prepared tuscan style. The cured meats were absolutely fabulous - moist, flavorful, thinly sliced and from artisanal producers throughout the states and Italy. I have never tried anything like the mole salami, the perfect complement to the eggplant caponata antipasto. Last but certainly not least, the homemade gelato were absolutely fabulous! We left so thoroughly satisfied that our only disappointment was not being able to try everything on the menu! I disagree with the previous reviewer,... perhaps the restaurant wasn't the root of your birthday conundrum. Pros: Ambiance, Wine List, Service more

I made reservations over 1 week in advance for a birthday dinner at 8:30. We weren't seated until 20 minutes later and didn't see a bit of food until 9:45. I had to complain just to get our wine orders. Once the food came the SERVING SIZES WERE TINY- a ""full pasta"" order was less than a handful and the clam pizza was unimpressive (watch out- shells included). Our appetizer was a few leaves of arugula with a dab of goat cheese and some peppers. Everyone LEFT STILL HUNGRY. It look so long that I was late for my after-dinner plans. While the ambiance was very nice (view of kitchen, very open), I recommend going elsewhere- the food is NOT WORTH THE WAIT. Pros: Ambiance Cons: Food, Service, Serving Size more