Manalú Italian Restaurant - Frederick, MD
Summary
Manalú in Frederick, MD is a classy comfortable Italian restaurant. It is in a convenient location and offers very good service. During my visit I tried a pasta entrée with a side salad and a glass of wine.
Food Overall
Service
Atmosphere
Location
Value for Money
Overall
What I Ordered
Aurora Fusilli with Chicken
$20.99
When you order pasta you select a sauce, pasta, and protein. I chose the Aurora sauce which was a white wine, pesto, cream sauce with sun dried tomatoes, shallots, pine nuts, and shiitake mushrooms. The servers also offer to grate fresh parmesan over your meal. Additionally, I chose the fusilli pasta which is a spiral pasta similar to rotini. I thought the pasta was perfectly cooked with just a little bite to it. The pasta was tossed in the Aurora sauce and chopped chicken breast.
Overall, I thought the sauce was delicious, especially if you got a mushroom and a tomato in the same bite. The flavor was light and savory, but had a great depth of flavor. I noticed there were not very many roasted pine nuts but when you got one, they added a nice crunchy texture and smokiness to the dish. Moreover, the plating was gorgeous with an edible orchid and thin crisps as a garnish. The serving size is quite large but you should be able to eat the whole dish if you are hungry.
Garden Side Salad
All of the entrees came with soup or salad. The house salad was OK but it was very basic. The salad is a small serving of lettuce and a couple pieces of cucumber, tomato, olives, onions, and croutons. The dressing was a standard Italian dressing. Overall, it was a decent side salad but not particularly impressive.
Monti Guidi Riserva-montepulciano (Red Wine)
$15
This was a pleasant medium red wine. It was not particularly dry or sweet. The overall flavor was enjoyable but did not strike me as particularly unique. I appreciated the wine menu had detailed descriptions and pairing suggestions.
Overall Food
Overall, the food at Manalú’s was very good. They have a wide selection of traditional Italian offerings as well as some unique ones. Also, the menu is very descriptive and provides wine pairing suggestions. Everything was cooked perfectly and the entrée had a wonderfully crafted depth of flavor. Overall, the serving sizes were good and I loved the presentation.
Service
The service was good. The staff were very friendly and gave good recommendations. Additionally, they checked back at a good interval even when they were exceedingly busy. It was rather slow to get my food because they were very busy but they brought drinks out quickly. I also noticed many people had table bread, but none was brought out to me. So, that may have been a little error. It looked like it is important to get reservations if you wanted to eat at Manalú’s on a holiday or with a group.
Atmosphere
Size
Manalú in Frederick is a medium size restaurant with full bar seating and about 20 tables inside and about 10 outside.
Who Goes Here?
I visited on Valentines Day so it was all couple on dates. It looks like on a normal day it would be frequented by couple on dates and families for special occasions.
Overall Atmosphere
The overall atmosphere in Manalú is comfortable, cozy, and classy. The décor has a lot of warm colors and stone. The experience is a comfortable fine dining style with cloth napkins, table cloths, and fresh flower arrangements.
Location
Manalú’s in Frederick, MD has a good location. It is in a nice clean shopping center with several other shops and restaurants with ample parking available. It is in close proximity to several hotels and the interstate for convenient access.
Interested in finding places to eat in Frederick, MD?
Value for money
I think Manalú is a fair value for your money. It is a little pricy but the food quality is great and fine atmosphere and good service add value. I don’t think the atmosphere is quite as refined dining as the price tag suggests. Also, I would have liked them step up their side salad recipe and provide a nice table bread to take it to the next level.
Overall
Manalú in Frederick, MD is a fine dining Italian restaurant. They offer a wide selection of traditional Italian dishes and wine. Overall, I enjoyed my food and experience. I would suggest getting a reservation if you are going to visit with a group or at peak hours. Manalú’s would be a great date night spot in Frederick, MD.
