Manhattan's Restaurant

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

You can literally count the number of good restaurants in the downtown – or immediate downtown area – on one hand. Manhattan’s is one of the good ones.

This eclectic little place on the cusp of the historic Old West End has three things going for it: 1) exceptionally good food, 2) expert service, and 3) more than reasonable prices. If it was truly in the Big Apple, you might find it tucked away in the West Village (and you would pay triple for everything).

Don ‘t let the area intimidate you. It’s not the most upmarket neighborhood, but it’s perfectly safe, and the older buildings surrounding the restaurant are part of the charm. There’s plenty of on-street parking, and it’s easily accessible from almost anywhere in town. The wall of windows overlook the street, and it’s kind of nice to dine in an older neighborhood instead of in the sterile suburbs.

The bar, just to the right of the front door, is a gathering place for the locals, but there’s always room for newcomers. It’s a sophisticated little spot to relax and enjoy a martini before venturing into the dining room. If you allow yourself, you can become engaged in some stimulating conversation with the local movers and shakers that frequent the bar.

The food is, by and large, excellent. There are specials of the evening, and often it’s difficult to choose among them. The specials aside, the menu presents a nice range of items sure to please almost any pallet. Oh yes, there are lots of pasta dishes and also homemade pizza, but a must-try is the Hudson Bay Chicken – a breast of chicken, stuffed with crabmeat, roasted red peppers, and onions, topped with a mild cheddar cream sauce. If you prefer seafood, choose the Long Island Scallops – sautéed or lightly breaded sea scallops finished with a seafood sauce of minced shrimp, clams, and white wine. The food is artfully prepared, and the presentation is a cut above. It’s obvious that the kitchen prides itself on what leaves the serving area – something other local restaurants should take note of.

There are plenty of appetizers, so if you want to have a leisurely dinner, start with one of those. The soups are homemade, and if you like Manhattan Clam Chowder, theirs is delicious. The salads are always crisp and fresh. Try the optional Maumee Bay – grilled asparagus with strawberries, blue cheese, pine nuts, and a strawberry-vanilla vinaigrette.

Where Manhattan’s falls short is on décor. It’s certainly acceptable, but it lacks a certain panache that you would find in New York. It’s a little stark, and while simple is good, the interior needs a little warmth – something more upscale to equal the quality of the food. Perhaps it lacks a designer’s touch, and it might be a candidate for a minor HGTV makeover.

The other major shortfall is the acoustics. Manhattans features some wonderful local entertainment, and it’s not all that far out of the ordinary to have someone relatively famous stop by and sit in. The problem is the noise level. The hard surfaces can make it almost unbearable to enjoy your guests with polite dinner conversation. When the musical group is more than two, it becomes more of an annoyance than a pleasure. Even if you request a table in the farthest corner, the music can still be overwhelming to a point that you might reconsider another visit. If you want to avoid the cacophony altogether – especially on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll have to bite the bullet and dine before 9 PM.

On a final note (ever pun intended), the waitstaff is experienced, and they are truly at your beck and call. You won’t wait hours for another cocktail, and the kitchen is equally efficient. Although you will never feel rushed, you also won’t have to play the waiting game, either.

Prices are more than reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. They run in the “moderate” range, and you won’t break the bank by becoming a regular.

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User Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

lunch yime: too pricey when the sides are chips and a pickle

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User Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Does not abide by Entertainment Card rules of use!: We are a family of four and selected this restaurant because it was an "Entertainment" merchant.

This "bistro" restaurant/bar is located in the "Uptown" section of Toledo, occupying a rehabilitated older building. It features tablecloths and al fresco dining. Less than 25% of the tables were occupied on the Saturday evening of our visit.

Two of the four initial entree menu choices selected by our party (prime rib, Adam's Street Filet) were not available. We settled on New York Strips (2), grilled salmon, and sauteed scallops. We also ordered stuffed mushrooms for the table as an appetizer ($8.49 for 6...Mancy's are MUCH larger and better).

Diners are greeted with a nice fresh bread loaf with herbed butter. Garden salads are accompanied by what seemed to be homemade dressing. The entrees were flavorful, if overpriced for what one receives. The steaks were done to order and nicely seasoned (avoid the Asian coleslaw).

Service was a little slow and inattentive at times; surprising since the restaurant was not busy.

What seemed to be an otherwise pleasant evening was soured by the restaurant's failure to abide by the Rules of Use for the Entertainment Membership Card. As mentioned at the top, we are a family of four and possess two Entertainment books. The Rules of Use for dining states:

"Only one coupon/membership card may be used for every two people, up to a maximum of three coupons/membership cards per party, and separate checks are not allowed."

We presented our two Entertainment cards with our credit card to settle the bill, but the owner would only accept one card from our party. His explanation: They would only honor two Entertainment Cards from one party if the guests were splitting the check. I showed him the "Rules of Use" from the Entertainment Book, but he simply said, "That's just not the way we do it here."

I replied, "If I understand you then, had my wife and I stated that we wished to split the check (in violation of membership rules), each of us paying for two in our party, you would have found this acceptable?" He simply shrugged and said, "No".

Simply stated, this merchant failed to abide by the rules established for "Entertainment" participating restaurants.

So, for $19.99 (the cost of one dinner that should have been deducted from our tab), Manhattan's Toledo lost our future patronage, our recommendation to family and friends, and a bought themselves a whole lot of ill will.

Caveat emptor.

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