There is a new chef since my last visit here. I have been waiting for an excuse to visit Trattoria a Mano since we were there in late February. Finally my wait is over! We had out-of-town guests, that we wanted to impress so we went to Trattoria a Mano. I grew up in an Italian-American neighborhood, so I really appreciate this type of cuisine.
The restaurant is small so I would suggest reservations or be prepared to dine early. We arrived around 5:20 and were the second table to be seated. I made reservations through Open Table several weeks ago because it was Saturday night and this place is becoming very popular. You can link to Open Table through Trattoria’s website. Hours of operation are important too. Trattoria is open Tuesday through Saturday 5 to 9:30. Their website also has their menu posted with prices. Sadly the delicious dessert menu is not posted.
Trattoria a Mano makes it’s own pasta, which is some really incredible pasta! We started with a Romaine salad, a beet salad , and the grilled polenta respectively. All were delicious starters that were carefully prepared. The presentation was upscale Italian even though the Trattoria website bills itself as rustic. Good food is good food.
Our friends had the grilled Mediterranean Branzino (like a Sea Bass) which is one of the house specialities and the Fettuccine Carbonara. The lasagna was the special so we had it. It was delicious! The lasagna was vegetarian which was a big surprise, we were not expecting this. It had some wonderful cheese. The lasagna was light and airy with a white sauce and some tomato sauce as well. Yum!
We also had a bottle of wine. The staff person was knowledgeable and helpful. She was unobtrusive but ready to help.
For dessert, we had the hazelnut opera dome with warm chocolate. It was truly amazing! We were all glad we shared because it was so decadent and delicious.
It was a truly amazing meal!
Santa Fe City Different Foodie 