So as not to leave anyone in suspense, let me start off by saying that dinner at Manuela was overall delectable, although the appetizers were much more memorable than my main dish. As is my wont, I looked over the menu available on the restaurant’s website and read a few Yelp reviews before going. Based on the reviews, there appears to be a consensus on one of their items: Manuela’s cream biscuits are a MUST, apparently. So, it being my first time at this restaurant, we ordered this sine qua none appetizer. The trio of biscuits came with a scoop of sweet, whipped butter and a ramekin of jam (odd sidenote: the online menu lists “aged country ham” as part of the dish, but our plate didn’t contain any. Not that it was an issue for me—I’m vegetarian anyway. Just wondering if they modified this dish but didn’t bother to update the menu). Incredibly, the biscuit seemed to melt in one’s mouth along with the butter, and, in short, it was every bit as amazing as the Yelp reviews had led me to expect. If I were the Queen of England, those would be the biscuits I’d have with my tea, like, every day. The rest of our order was as follows: the roasted cauliflower as a supplementary appetizer, the “Burrata” for our salad course, and for our main courses, I had the “Grilled Local Yellowtail” while Charlie ordered the “Roasted Local Oyster Mushroom.” I’m able to comment on them all as I ate them all, including half of Charlie’s entrée.
According to the menu, the “Burrata” is comprised of chopped Persian cucumber, “sungold tomatoes,” smoked trout roe, urfa vinaigrette, and polenta toast. These ingredients listed on the menu didn’t seem to match what I was actually eating—I couldn’t taste the presence of roe, and I didn’t see any polenta toast, although, for all I know, the white blob on top the cucumbers was the polenta—but that hardly matters when the whole thing was so damn tasty. The cucumber was refreshing and satisfyingly crunchy, and whatever the condiments were, they complemented the cucumber nicely. The cauliflower was a tad over-roasted in my opinion, but enjoyable nonetheless, even though I was so preoccupied with the other dishes that I didn’t try that appetizer until the plate of roasted veggies had gone cold. The flavor was vinegary, which you wouldn’t think would work for cauliflower, but somehow, it does.
As I said, the only dish that was something of a letdown was my entrée. When it arrived, a woman perusing the menu next to me asked if I would recommend the dish. I told her that it tasted like tuna, “So, if you like tuna…” The fish itself tasted fresh; I guess my gripe is more about the lackluster aioli sauce. Recent disappointments involving fish make me wonder: Is it difficult to create a sauce that elevates fish dishes? I suppose it must be. The taste of fish is so dominant and incompliant that cooks either have to season it with just salt, or risk pairing it with something completely incompatible. Another question to muse upon: at this self-styled “organic” restaurant, which of the menu items or ingredients were actually organic? While the restaurant’s website vaguely mentions a mission “to source only organic, sustainable, and ethically grown produce, meat, and seafood,” individual items or ingredients were not specifically labeled as organic or conventionally grown.
The entrée Charlie ordered might sound rather boring, but in fact, the roasted oyster mushrooms seasoned with malt vinegar were more exciting than my fish. If I visit Manuela’s again (and I intend to), I would either stick to the appetizers and salads, or, if I had to order an entrée, it would probably be the mushrooms.
