"Directly in the times of the Corona crisis, the “Mani in Pasta” with a new opening in the St. Jürgen district initially tried, of course, only as a take-away with an extension of the local gastro offer to an authentic Italian cuisine. This attempt has not yet been successful, but it has also been possible to save yourself by the deep Corona winter 20/21 and also expand its offer with a delivery service. So for me it was high time to make myself an image of the quality offered here. Look at the counter. Interior with a small seat. In the rooms of the Mani in Pasta, there have often been the owner of changing bakeries. Accordingly, the room design and the space offer are also significantly limited compared to a classic restaurant. The counter remained of course and today serves primarily as a cashier or Pick-up station for the Take Away business. At the same time, however, it has also been decided to completely dedicate the remaining interior to the above mentioned delivery service business and thus make it a separate “pizza factory” so that the gastronomic area is completely limited to the outside seat. Outside view. With the stones designed in the colours of the Italian flag, I find it definitely good to distinguish them from the rest of the sidewalk. It gives guests a little more rest from the normal passer-by stream and at the same time truly serves as a eye-catcher. This in winter should not be possible on site or only for the really hard-boiled, which also does not deter winter temperatures shows that the take-away and the delivery service could well build up a good foothold, that already in the Corona-Lockdown proved so well that one makes it the main concept. On the day of my visit, this great March weather would definitely have been enough for the outdoors. Nevertheless, I was able to stay on a small wall table with bar stools for my short arrival this early evening in the warmer inner area, which was completely enough for me. 3 employees were on site at this time. I ordered directly at the Tresen, where an older lady welcomed me in German. She also took over the communication with the two, apparently, owners who were full blood Italians. The warm season is also served in the square on the open-air seat, but as mentioned this time I was not necessary. Despite a noticeably tight pace and ordering in the delivery service and take-away, the lady mentioned acted organized and gave me their attention. In the further course, she was also interested in small talk with her colleagues. The team secured a very big advantage through its openness and spontaneity, which it met with regard to my special desire to change a food, which I will explain in more detail below. An Italian-emotional hospitality that was not a uniform show, but just honest. The menu is divided in the Mani in Pasta as follows. The focus here is actually less on what we would understand as a pasta, but on what can be made of the literal translation of this word dough in the oven. A huge selection of pizza, pinsa, foccacia, freselle or also puccia will satisfy every friend of this kind of Italian dishes his favorite desire. Nevertheless, the main dishes can also be used to choose pasta dishes and lasagna versions. Despite this very clear core competence, I chose a dish from the field of appetizers, which, in addition to typical anti-pasti, also contains salads. I was very pleased that I was given an extra wish for the Insalata di Tacchino, a great service that I had already mentioned in the section on the previous one. Originally, this salad variant consists of leaf salads, red onions, tomatoes and olives in a honey-senf dressing from the so frequently encountered but equally painless turkey strips. However, if I have been with the “authentic” Italian, I would like to taste something special from the cuisine of this country. The South Tyrolean bacon, which came as a covering for some dough dishes, is my greatest interest. And in fact, the team liked to fulfill this individual idea and thus prepared the salad as “Insalata di Speck Alto Adige” in the small portion for € 6.4 as follows. Despite the above-mentioned, unfortunate delivery business for the early evening, I didn't have to wait 10 minutes. “Insalata di Tacchino”: from mixed leaf salads, red onions, tomatoes, on my request South Tyrolean bacon instead of turkey strips and olives in a honey-senf dressing; small portion. Suitable for mixing in a small bowl lay on a bed of crisp iceberg salad cuts of radicchio, carrots, cucumber and tomatoes. In between, the annon-clad olives found space as well as red onion pieces and ruccola. The honey-senf dressing was already draped in a suitable amount, so that the true crowning in the form of 5 slices of the South Tyrolean Speck could be the crowning completely undisturbed. And he was tasteful for me too. This unique, salty Umami put the hoped kick on the already good base of the salad. Its components were all fresh and crisp and prepared so cheerful “nabber fun”. The honey-senf dressing was also positively attentive to itself. It was built on a creamy, yogurt-like basis, leaving an acid but not missing. Aromatic mustard, also visible as coarse grains, was clearly noticeable and brought into good balance with honey sweets. Truly a dressing that raises the salad and yet so discreet that the highlight of the South Tyrolean bacon has never been displaced for me. A few thin slices of Foccacia showed a great pore and thus fluffiness. They would have accompanied the salad perfectly if they had been a bit warm. But that was anyway an addition that I didn't expect and did no break at all to the great overall impression of this little appetizer. Their order has been fully rewarded for me, as you will notice. The 6,4€, which, despite the change to the original variant, remained the same with turkey in the South Tyrolean bacon, I liked to increase with tips. The “Mani in Pasta” left a positive impression at this truly short and small premiere. The kindness and great openness secure a high score for me at the service. The ambience in the mentioned minimal interior area is of course barely valueable, but nevertheless came over worth and the design of the exterior seat is also refreshingly different. Finally, this little salad appetizer of the short visit already filled me with all that I had hoped for. A fresh base with aromatic dressing wore my desired product highlight of the South Tyrolean Speck simply super and justified its price. I don't think it's wrong that Italian new openings usually don't give me an equal chance, but it's too often the case that you meet a "handling kitchen" that is purely for the purpose of winning. However, the “Mani in Pasta” makes a pleasant difference with its offer and has now also witnessed the first personal tryout for me that it actually represents an enrichment of the local culinary selection."
