Mani, as locals call it, is a family-friendly eatery downtown, just five to 10 minutes walk from campus. Founded in 2011, Adam Bru drew from European cultures to create the name “Mani Osteria.” In Italian, mani means hands, and in French, osteria means bistro (Mitani). With a welcoming, homey environment and an expansive, mouth-watering menu, Mani has become my favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor.

Restaurants like Mani were not always appreciated in the United States. In the early 1920s, food critics and nutritionists did not commend the rich flavors of Italian dishes and were not accustomed to the holistic experience of Italian dining (McMillian; Lehnert). As Italians started to rise on the social ladder in America, their food became increasingly popular, slowly making a name for itself. Now, out of 800,000 restaurants in America, 100,000 serve Italian food (McMillian). 

While Italian restaurants can range from fast food to fine dining, most restaurants on the higher end do not serve historically popular dishes like mac n’ cheese, which has become more Americanized than what Italians intended. Native Italian Patricia La Trecchia says, “The food quality in Italy is considerably better than what we find in this country” (La Trecchia 46), which can be seen with mac n’ cheese. In almost every grocery store in the U.S., you can find boxed mac n’ cheese, artificial cheese included! As time passed, however, Americans started integrating Italian cuisine into the ever-changing U.S. melting pot of cuisines. 

For my friend’s birthday, we ordered the homemade oven-baked bread called focaccia, the arugula salad with prosciutto, and three pizzas – the margherita pizza, tartufo pizza, and quattro formaggi pizza. As for appetizers, the focaccia was fresh, and the sweet butter was to die for. The zesty lemon vinaigrette enhanced the explosion of flavors from the arugula and prosciutto. The fmain course came out quickly, and after taste-testing all the pizzas, my favorite was the tartufo. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted - the combo of forest mushroom, fontina, thyme, black truffle, and egg yolk was exquisite. The quattro formaggi tantalized my taste buds, offering blended cheeses mixed with perfectly baked dough and delicious red sauce. While we did not get any pasta dishes, I have heard that they are excellent, and I will go back to try them!

Based on my experience at Mani Osteria, I highly recommend everyone go to this one-of-a-kind restaurant in Ann Arbor. The smell of pizza throughout the room makes the food taste even better. Along with the fantastic service, this restaurant cannot be topped within Ann Arbor city limits. Mani Osteria and Bar is an immersion into the center of Italian dining, so venture down Liberty Street with an open mind and redefine your perception of Italian cuisine.