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A taste of Cafe Manna
Last night in Brookfield, Robin Kasch softly opened Café Manna, her new 100 percent vegetarian restaurant at 3815 N. Brookfield Rd.
The restaurant is on the small side and not all the decor is finished, but head Chef Jason Stevens was fully prepared for the crowds that showed up last night.
We sat down to a complimentary starter: cashew coconut hummus ($5.75), which was served with an assortment of fresh olive-stuffed breads. The hummus was soft, light and airy -- a refreshing first course.
For an appetizer, we ordered the wild mushroom and goat cheese crostini ($8.50). Six toast points came smothered in a layer of melted chevre, and piled with wild mushroom duxelle. They were delicious.
For the main course, I ordered the sesame-encrusted tofu with asparagus and sun dried tomato risotto ($14.75). The tofu was well flavored, although I wanted thicker slices. The thin pieces were beautifully fanned around a mound of some of the most robust risotto I've ever tasted. The sun dried tomatoes popped with flavor and the saffron hit the spot.
My guest ordered the Middle Eastern vegetable stew ($13.25), which was a decent-sized helping but didn't nearly fill up the enormous serving bowl. The stew was hearty with garbanzo beans, potatoes, root vegetables and spinach in a turmeric broth. This entrée came with more of the olive bread.
We had no room left for dessert, but couldn't help noticing how tempting the tapioca pudding looked when everyone around us ordered it. It was plated with fresh fruit and cookies.
The presentation at Café Manna is exquisite. The menu, truly a vegetarian's paradise, made for some difficult dinning decisions. The restaurant officially opens at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18.
Talkbacks
MrTemplate | Aug. 31, 2008 at 11:36 p.m. (report)
Our family dined at Manna's last night. The restaurant is clean, some might say sparse. More to the point, though, there is nothing to absorb the ambient acoustics; with only three other tables being served at the same time, it was almost impossible to hear one another, much less our server. Sound-absorbing materials should be considered without delay. We ate close to sunset. and while the sunscreens were finally lowered, i was still somewhat blinded by the low sunlight coming through the west windows. More practical shades should be considered, if not for the patrons, for the folks behind the reception desk. Ambient whining aside: The crostini appetizer was fabulous. My sesame encrusted tofu entre was delightful, but my asparagus and sun-dried tomato risotto was bland and pasty. my wife's tempeh was a biscuit, and the soba noodles had been cooking for some time before they were served. very overdone. (She admitted later that she erred; she thought she had ordered tofu and noodles, and admits she's not a tempeh fan. but she thought the noodles were overdone.) I congratulate the restaurant on it's efforts, but feel the establishment still has some ambient and preparation issues that in my opinion should be addressed. i plan to return to the restaurant in the future, but will steer towards more stable fare, at quiet times, avoiding the afternoon sun.
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Five_18_Prods. | Feb. 17, 2008 at 10:57 p.m. (report)
If you don't try Cafe Manna because it's "vegetarian", you are simply missing out on a culinary delight! Robin Kasch has created an exquisite dining experience in an Eco-Friendly environment with food that is out of this world! I will be making special trips to Brookfield for Mrs. Kasch!
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mikeyp3 | Feb. 15, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (report)
I also had the good fortune to dine at Cafe Manna's "sneak peek" on Wednesday evening. While I'm not a vegetarian, I love trying new things. The unique offerings at Cafe Manna provided an amazing variety of flavors and made this the most memorable meal I've had in a long time. I will definitely be going back soon. The "chili" was awesome -- you have to try it.
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Armin | Feb. 14, 2008 at 6:28 p.m. (report)
I also was at Cafe Manna last night. It was great. May it be crowded all the days of its life.
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