Manny's Restaurant of the Year? [MSP]

[wineglas]

I was a little surprised at Manny's getting the Restaurant of the Year from the Star and Tribune.

The steaks to me have never been any better then Morton's or Ruth's Chris and the dessert portions are out of control. Sides are sides that anyone could make.

Anyone know why they would put a steakhouse as restaurant of the year?

[Somnifor]

Parasole - the company that owns Mannys, Chino Latino, Salut, Oceanaire, Figlio and Muffeletta is loved by the local media in ways that are all out of proportion to the quality of the food they serve. It is a love that the owners of Parasole have been actively cultivating for decades now and in their defence they are very good at the theatrical element of restauranting but do they really need to be the ones who get all the free press in town? People complain about the bull's penis at Manny's and it is in CJ's column, delegates to the RNC complain about a Chino Latino billboard and it's in the paper. Back when they opened Buca, St Paul they managed to get to get it covered as news by 2 of the 4 local channels. I guess nobody in town hypes their restaurants better.

[The Chowhound Team]

Just a brief reminder to keep the focus on the food at Manny's on this board. Thanks!

[Latinpig]

What a joke. The food there is mediocre at best. The steaks are not prime and are not seasoned. The Tuna taste like somthing from TG I Fridays. It has great atmosphere but I would rather go elsewhere for a good steak.

[mncharm]

Minority report.

[cheeseguysgirl]

FWIW, I completely agree with your assessment of Manny's. CG really likes a big steak at Manny's on occasion, but I've never really understood the allure.

[wineglas]

And the price of the meal is off the charts. I would rather eat at Broders Pasta Bar and Heidi's for the same price.

[cheeseguysgirl]

Hmmm.. I'd go to Cafe Levain and Corner Table.

[mncharm]

It's a hell of a steak, but restaurant of the year? Pretty obviously based on the fact that we got a W hotel in town.

[cheeseguysgirl]

Maybe it had something to do with their reinvention of themselves? The move from the Hyatt to the W was a huge cultural story. Also a lot of money spent in this slow economy.

Just a thought.