Making A Great New Memory
Forty-five years after leaving Virginia Beach, Virginia behind, I recently found myself walking its sands and streets – well, its boardwalk, anyway – in search of some of my old haunts, most of which are now merely ghosts of days gone by. But while I was looking up old memories I found a new one in the form of a delightful Italian place called Mannino's.
To be clear, because there are a couple of area locations, I discovered the oceanfront iteration of the eatery, sandwiched in between the Pocahontas Pancake House and North End Pizza. But don't let the somewhat unprepossessing storefront put you off: it's what's inside that counts, and what's inside on Atlantic Avenue near the intersection with 35th Street really counts!
Arriving for our 6:00 reservation, my wife and I were promptly seated at a nice, quiet booth by a very personable hostess. Normally, I prefer a table to a booth, but since I didn't specify, I wasn't going to quibble. No fancy tablecloths here, just a utilitarian wood tabletop set with tableware wrapped in black linen. The padded banquettes were surprisingly comfortable. (That's one reason why I usually prefer a table with chairs.)
Billed as “an upscale casual restaurant offering Olde World Italian cuisine infused with updated New York stylings,” the place was pretty old school as far as décor goes. Lots of dark wood, dark colored flooring, white drop ceiling that has seen better days. Kind of a tarnished elegance vibe. I liked it. It reminded me of me.
Our server appeared almost instantly and, like the hostess, she exuded pleasant personality. I harp on that point because I detest a waitstaff that makes me feel like I've intruded on their evening. Outgoing, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful, Kaitlyn (I think that's spelled correctly) was the epitome of a professional server in the “Olde World Italian” style. European servers take their jobs seriously and are proud of their profession, unlike many of their American counterparts who are obviously just there for the tips and the paycheck while wishing they were somewhere else.
Anyway, off that soapbox and on to the menu.
Mannino's has an impressive wine, beer and cocktail menu. We arrived during the 5 to 6:30 pm “happy hour,” a concept rapidly disappearing from the dining scene, so my wife's Mango Tango cocktail was not only delicious, it was also half price! Me? Give me a cold bottle of San Pellegrino and I'm a happy man, so I was a happy man.
Mannino's features an impressive variety of antipasti ranging from clams Posillipo, through calamari fritti and fried local oysters, to bruschetta con Gorgonzola and a roasted garlic antipasti plate. Anticipating the entree portions to come and the possibility of dessert, we refrained from indulging. My wife, however, is a sucker for she-crab soup, now know simply as “crab soup,” so she had a cup and verified that “Mannino's Award Winning Crab Soup” definitely qualified for whatever award it won.
A nice selection of insalate followed the antipasti and zuppe categories, but, again, we passed them by for the main event.
Oh, dio mio, what choices!
Pastas of every kind, from simple penne alla marinara or spaghetti pomodoro to gnocchi Margherita and tortellini rustica and several more delectable offerings.
Then there were the piatti di pesce: linguine con vongole, scampi fra diavolo, scampi francese, and linguine frutti di mare.
The al forno offerings included lasagna Bolognese, portabella parmesan, eggplant parmesan and manicotti formaggio.
Then came the chicken dishes and the veal dishes and a few chef specialties like jumbo shrimp rosé and a vitello and portabella stack.
What if you – like me – have a lighter appetite and want smaller portions of lighter fare? Nessun problema! Order up penne semplice or scampi della casa or the linguine aglio olio.
I chose that last option and it was perfection. Just perfectly cooked linguine pasta tossed with garlic, olive oil, fresh parsley, and a hint of red pepper, it couldn't have been better. I've had aglio e olio overloaded with garlic, I've had it too oily, too dry, not garlicky enough, too much heat from the red pepper....here it was perfectly balanced and seasoned. BUT.....I asked Kaitlyn to go outside and find four or five starving Italians to help me finish it. Don't believe the “smaller portion” disclaimer. If that was a small portion, I'm glad I didn't order a large one! More than worth every cent of the $18.99 price.
My wife went with the $20.99 linguine pesto Genovese, consisting of fresh house made basil pesto, toasted pine nuts, and pecorino cheese tossed with perfectly al dente linguine. She declared the pesto to be the best she'd ever had – and she's had a lot of pesto over the years.
Dolce? Ma certo! How do you turn down house-made chocolate chip cannoli (me) or the sampler of three house-made gelati (her...with a little help from me)? Bring the hand truck now and just roll us out.
Mannino's was conceived in 2008 by a father and son chef team whose goal, according to their website, “was – and is – to give patrons great Italian food at a reasonable price point with wine choices to match. The Mannino’s Italian Bistro Family works with great passion and attention to detail to try and ensure that our guests develop a sense of home and comfort while enjoying their dining experience.” All I can say is, “mission accomplished!”
The Mannino's Italian Bistro location I visited is at 3420 Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach. They're open daily from 5 until 10 pm. It's an oceanfront place, just a block off the beach, so the dress code is somewhat flexible. I'm sure they would prefer classy casual, but there were shorts and t-shirts in evidence when I was there. Reservations are not required but are suggested. Call them at (757) 390-2580 or go online to https://www.manninositalianbistro.com. Parking is an issue as it is everyplace in an oceanfront tourist area. If the parking gods are smiling, you might luck out and find some limited on-street spaces, but there are also parking decks nearby. Just factor twenty bucks or so into you dining budget.
I only wish Mannino's had been around back in my Virginia Beach days. It would have taken wild horses to drag me out of the place. Sadly, I can't say I'll become a regular but it definitely won't be forty-five years before I return for another remarkable dining experience at Mannino's.
