MÄNI'S BAKERY CAFÉ

05.31.06

My New Favorite Item!

After being a loyal customer for 10+ years, I have decided to join the Mäni’s Bakery Cafe as their People & Culture Manager.  More on what I am doing in that capacity and how it will affect your experience in a later blog post… In the meantime, I want to tell you that I have discovered an amazing item that I didn’t even know Mäni’s makes. 


If you’re like me, you probably have your favorite item that brings you to Mäni’s regularly.  It may be the double chocolate chip cookie or the apple turnover (my wife’s favorite) or the gingerbread cookie (my son’s favorite) or our assortment of muffins or our delicious soups (have you tried them lately?). 


For me it was the truffle cream heart cookie.  For years I was here daily for my cookie and soy late.  Needless to say, I was in a rut.  There were times I would have small panic attacks when there were no truffle heart cookies in the display.  It was like nothing else would even come close to satisfying my craving. 


Well, since joining the staff here I have tasted many of the other items that I never had before.  For those of you who are passionate and loyal to Mäni’s like I am, you can imagine how pleasurable it is to be “forced” to try all the items.  Last Tuesday I noticed an item on the bottom of the display case that I had never seen before.  It was like it was hiding down there.  I guess I never looked down since “my” heart truffle has always been right there on top. 


That was the day that my commitment to the heart truffle was significantly challenged.  After just one bite I knew one thing.  I HAD to take this home to share with my wife.  She is not as huge of a chocolate fan as I am.  But she enjoys items that have an awesome chocolate flavor.  And this was just that, great chocolate with some other awesome flavors.  Have you figured out what it is yet? 


That is right, I am talking about the Black Bottom Banana Tart.  Here is the description that we have in our menu. 


Black Bottom Banana Tart
Almond shortbread crust with a think layer of barley malt sweetened chocolate.  Covered with bananas and banana custard. 


Hmmm… Are your taste buds tingling?  Next time you are in, grab one and see what you think.  (If you don’t like it, let us know and we will replace with your favorite item.)


What is your favorite bakery item here at Mäni’s Bakery Café and why?  Type a note below and click on submit. 


PS:  I did take a black bottom banana tart home and my wife loved it.  She told me that she was thinking about it the whole next day. 

05.29.06

Training To Improve Customers' Experience

Some of you may know about our recent new hire, Doug Miller, our People and Culture Manager.  Doug has joined the Mäni’s team to empower and develop staff to make customers experiences at Mäni’s better and more enjoyable while making the team job more rewarding.  A win-win situtation as we say.  So Doug has put together a training and orientation to better educate new hires, and train each new hire to be as effective as possible in their new jobs. 

Doug comes to Mäni’s as a 10 year old customer.  Not that he’s 10 years old, but a customer for 10 years!  It’s kind of a dream come true.  Now he’s here to enjoy his favorite chocolate truffle heart cookie and get his employee discount!

Come by and say hello.  He loves to meet EVERYBODY!!!

05.29.06

Coming Soon...Nutritionally Balanced Menu

As we get into summer, we will be releasing a new section on our menu.  This section of the menu will focus on people who want to monitor their caloric and/or macronutrient intake. 

What are macronutrients?  The short story on macronutrients is simple: they are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. 

These special menu items will be around 400 calories with a macronutrient breakdown of 40-50% carbohydrate, 30-40% protein, and 20% fat.  The menu is designed around the concept of eating smaller, and more frequent meals: it will encourage eating four or five times throughout the day, divided between main meals and snacks. 

In addition to eating 4 to 5 smaller meals, it is also encouraged to eat every 3-4 hours.  Why?  The goal in this type of menu is to keep the blood sugar stable throughout the course of the day. 

Benefits to stabilizing your blood sugar
* better concentration throughout the day
* body stores less fat
* increased energy
* less food cravings
* less likely to over-eat
* increased metabolism

What would be your goal in this type of plan? 

There are, for many people, exterior physical goals.  Our intention, however, is really to provide a pathway through which our customers live a more balanced life. 

The new menu will offer a convenient way for you to take control of your health in a fast paced and high-pressure society by taking the guesswork out of restaurant eating.  You will not only feel in control of your nutrition, but these items will provide guilt free choices that will taste like indulgences.

05.25.06

Only In LA???

Last Monday we had a group of about 10 German Bikers stop by for some healthy American food that is “Good and Good for You.” Imagine it, 10 Harley’s parked in one parking spot out front.  Now picture 10 of them with bushy beards, tattoos, leather, etc sitting outside.  Their accents were so thick they could barely order.  They finally completed their order of some of the best breakfast items we have: California Omelets, Pecan Waffles, our delicious French Toast, etc. 

When they were through with their meal, one of them got up and came inside.  He was looking around for something more to eat when he saw a loaf of jalapeno-cheddar bread behind the counter.  He told his server, Sergio, to cut the loaf in half, throw some ham & cheese on it, and give it to him.  I think it was the biggest and most expensive sandwich we have ever served.  All I know is when I heard the roar of the bikes driving away, there was nothing left on their plates…

05.24.06

Summer, What Does It Mean To You?

What comes to mind when you think of summer?  We are getting ready to launch a new menu in mid june, and It’s All About Summer!  Share 2 things that CREATE the image of summer for you. The first 25 people who post a comment (with their two ideas) to this blog post by Saturday, May 27th will receive a free cookie.  And, your ideas will be incorporated into our new visuals (menu, t-shirts, etc).  Remember, to post a comment, just scroll down to the end of this blog post, and type in your information and comment.  Thanks!  Carl

05.19.06

Soup Menu for May 22nd thru June 4th

Monday - CHICKEN NOODLE
Chicken broth, Chicken Breast, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Chives, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Egg Noodles.

Tuesday - CREAM OF ASPARAGUS
Vegetable stock, Onions, Celery, Potatoes, Asparagus, Spinach, Cashew Cream, Sea salt, Black Pepper, Tamari.

Wednesday - NEW - SUMMER SQUASH WITH PESTO SAUCE
Vegetable  stock, Zucchini, ( Crookneck ) Onions, Scallions, Basmati Rice, Parsley, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice, Vegan Pesto Sauce.

Thursday - CREAM OF BROCCOLI
Vegetable Stock, Celery, Onions, potatoes, Broccoli, Spinach, Cashew Cream, Sea Sal,  Black Pepper, Tamari.

Friday - TOMATO LENTIL
Vegetable stock, Green lentils, Cilantro, Celery, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Onions, Tomatoes, Garlic, Canola oil, Sea, Salt, Black pepper.

Saturday - NEW - CREAMY MIXED VEGETABLES WITH TOFU
Vegetable Stock, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Asparagus, Broccoli, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Spinach, Tofu, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Tamari.

Sunday - SPICY TORTILLA SOUP
Vegetable Stock, Onions, Celery, Jalapeño Peppers, Cilantro, Tomatoes, Corn Tortillas, Tamari, Garlic, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika.

05.15.06

Front Counter Customer Service Positions @ Mäni's Bakery Cafe

We are accepting applications for Front Counter! If you or a friend is passionate about Mani's and would like to work with us, please stop by to fill out an application.

Join our vision to create the possibility of living a healthier lifestyle.

Work at Mäni’s! It is good and good for you.
We feed your Life not just your Wallet!

Opportunities to grow and advance.
Be a part of building our company.
Competitive wage plus tips.

Passionate about satisfying customers and making a difference in the health of our customers and staff.

If you want to work in a cool atmosphere that set the trend in healthy American food and bakery products then come join our team of hard working and passionate employees. Don’t miss out.

Email resumes to , stop by and fill out an application, or download our application at http://www.manisbakery.com and fax it to 323-938-8107.

05.12.06

What to do with MOM on Mother's Day?

If you are still thinking about what to do with your mom on Mother’s Day, just stop already! Bring her to Mäni’s to enjoy a healthy brunch or dessert. If you happen to stop by later in the day for coffee, a treat, or an early dinner, you can catch Sundays Live - Free Chamber Music at LACMA, right down the block.

Happy Mother’s Day from Mäni’s!

05.10.06

Strawberries for May: New Pie and Blog-only Special

May is Strawberry Month and Mäni’s has created a new treat for you…

Carl Avery and Chef Jose have created a Mäni’s Bakery Cafe version of Strawberry Rhubarb pie.  Available through the summer, this new pie is wheat-free and made with strawberries and rhubarb, sweetened with fruit-juice reduction and arrowroot for thickening.  The crust is made with organic oat flour and organic palm oil shortening, water and sea salt. Pure and simple.

Grab a slice for $5.25 or a whole pie for $20. 

BLOG ONLY SPECIAL

The first 25 people who submit their name in the comments section below will get a free piece of Strawberry Rhubarb pie!  You must submit your name by midnight Friday night (May 12).  Your free piece of pie is available as of Saturday May 13 and you must claim your gift by Friday, May 19.  No exceptions.

05.08.06

Mother's Day, Don't Forget!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner.  This Sunday is one of two days you simply cannot forget for your folks!  If you live in Los Angeles, or a visit is in store, you might consider stopping by Mäni’s for Brunch or Dessert in the evening.  On Sunday we open early at 7:30 for pastries and coffee, and at 8:00 AM for breakfast, and of course we serve breakfast all day long.  Catch us early for breakfast so you can save the rest of the beautiful day for your Mom!  And, if Dessert is more your style, we’re here until MIDNIGHT! 

05.05.06

Soup Menu for May 8th thru May21st

Monday - Chicken Noodle
Chicken broth, chicken breast, onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, chives, sea salt, black pepper, egg noodles.

Tuesday - Mulligatawny Soup  ( NEW )
Vegetable stock, onions, garlic, ground cumin, ground mustard, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, ground ginger, tomatoes, green split-peas sea salt, black pepper, cilantro.

Wednesday - Chunky Vegetable W/Tofu  ( NEW )
Vegetable stock, onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, yellow corn, green cabbage, tofu, thyme, sage, oregano, sea salt, garlic, tamari.

Thursday - Creamy Cauliflower Asparagus Soup ( NEW )
Vegetable stock, leeks, cauliflower, asparagus, brown rice, sea salt, lemon, ground sage, ground nutmeg, black pepper. cashew cream.

Friday - Cream of Broccoli
Vegetable stock, celery, onions, potatoes, broccoli, spinach, cashew cream, sea salt,  black pepper, tamari.

Saturday - Tomato Lentil
Vegetable stock, sreen lentils, cilantro, celery, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, garlic, canola oil, sea salt, black pepper.

Sunday - Spicy Tortilla Soup
Vegetable stock, onions, celery, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, corn tortillas, tamari, garlic, olive oil, sea salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika.

05.03.06

Mäni's Supports Local Schools

Fairfax High, located at the corners of Fairfax & Melrose Avenues also provides quality education for adults and programs benefitting the community. Fairfax High has been a leader in implementing a student’s support group for gay and lesbian students in a safe envirnonment. Project 10 was nurtured by one of its teacher/counselors, Virginia Uribe. Congrats to Fairfax for being a leader in human rights and dignity.