Mäni’s on Fairfax is excited to be a participating restaurant in dineLA Restaurant Week this year and we can’t wait to see you.
dineLA takes place Sunday through Friday for two weeks: January 27 - February 1 and February 3 - February 8.
3-course fixed price lunch at Mäni’s is $15 and a 3-course dinner is $25.
Check out some sample meals we’ve cooked up for you.
Try this for lunch...
Start with a cup of Mäni’s famous Turkey Chili, a favorite forever at Mäni’s On Fairfax
Red Beet Salad Marinated chicken breast, red beets marinated in balsamic vinegar, with soft goat cheese crouton balls, served on a bed of baby arugula with tropical fruit kiwi, mango and/or pineapple
Finish with a Lemon Tart. It’s new, tangy, and amazing.
Or, one night for dinner, you may want this…
Cesar Salad, a popular salad with great flavors
Mäni’s American Burger Choice of baked or fried French fries or soup of the day
Rich, decadent, chocolate brownie made with Scharffenberger dark chocolate
Or, on a cold, wet day, how about…
Chili Nachos, organic yellow corn tortilla chips with Mäni’s signature chili
Next, a Cobb Salad, Mäni’s style. Good and good for you!
And, a slice of Chocolate Fortress Cake
Or create your own meal. You get a choice of appetizer, choice of entree and choice of one of Mäni’s famous desserts. You decide.
How can you resist? Join us Sunday for lunch or dinner, on any day next week, and let us create your favorite meal!
Our holiday gifts will be available to order starting Tuesday, December 5, 2007 You’ll be able to specify an amount to spend, which will determine the size and approximately how many people it will serve. Or you can select which mini products from our list you’d like.
Our cool assortments start at $50 and include 4 of the following mini Mäni’s products in a clear ribboned cellophane bag: Choose from: -chocolate chip cookies -peanut butter cookies -snickerdoodles -triple chocolate brownie bites or walnut brownie bites -macaroons -chocolate dipped almond shortbread -cherry almond scones -cranberry walnut scones -raisin scones -raisin barley scones -blueberry coffee cake -apple spice cake -breakfast loaf - pumpkin cranberry or morning glory -granola 12 oz bag -assorted chocolate truffles
Last month we were very happy to announce that our pies are back and better than ever. The ever popular Apple Maple Streusel pie is a perfect way to get your “apple a day.”
The new crust is tender and flaky. It is also wheat-free and vegan! The Apple Maple Streusel Pie is full of tangy Granny Smith apples and piled high with a maple pecan streusel. The pie is sweetened with our fruit juice reduction, making this pie “Good and Good For You.”
In September we introduced our organic juice bar. Our most popular juice is apple. The juice is squeezed from fresh organic red delicious apples. You can drink it straight or mix with carrot. Or, why not try Carrot Beet Apple or Apple Parsley Pear? They’re all great, and really good for you, loaded with natural vitamins, antioxidants and flavor.
Mani’s has two delicious VEGAN turnovers: Apple and Apple Cherry. Both are popular during our morning breakfast rush.
The turnovers are a simple combination of our fruit juice sweetened apples (and cherries) in an organic whole wheat and oat flour crust. Our turnovers are a balanced, healthy, and quick breakfast.
Lots of you commented on the story, actually there were 44 comments posted! And it’s important you know what all your input means to us.
First we are assured that our customers enjoy our desserts made with alternative sweeteners as much as ever. Then we see that people like choices, and we have choices, as we mentioned previously, many choices in sweeteners and products.
So we will continue to offer quality products made with several different sweeteners, like we’ve been doing for years and years. 18 of them to be exact.
Thanks for all your input. And in case you haven’t tried everything we make yet, please ask for a sample tasting of any product we have in our bakery cases. Or even the soup of the day for that matter!
Today’s featured Apple product is our Morning Glory Muffin, a sweet vegan muffin that makes a perfect breakfast treat.
The vegan Morning Glory Muffin is the perfect muffin to start your day with. It’s filled with apples, carrots, raisins, and pecans. Fruit juice sweetened with a hint of cinnamon.
Today’s featured apple is Mani’s Apple Spice Cake, a fixture in the bakery case for many years.
The Apple Spice Cake is sweet and homey. It has Granny Smith apples inside a moist mini bundt cake with cinnamon, pecan streusel on top. Sweetened with granulated maple syrup and barley malt. Perfect with your morning latte!
October is National Apple Month and since Mäni’s loves a celebration, we’re celebrating the amazing apple by featuring the items we make with apples, with a series of Apple a Day posts.
But first, what’s the big deal about apples?
Remember the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, apparently it is true. According to Jonny Bowdon, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, men who eat one apple a day lower their risk of heart attack by 32%. A study at Cornell University showed that phytochemicals in the skin of an apple inhibited the reproduction of colon cancer cells by 43%.
Plus, studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes.
We use granny smith apples in our bakery products and organic red delicious apples in our fresh squeezed juices.
Stay tuned for An Apple A Day to learn about Mani’s amazing apple treats.
Yesterday we announced that our two “berry” popular pies are back on the bakery shelves...Maple Apple Streusel and Very Berry. Today, you can download a coupon to get a free slice of your choice.
A significant change is the pie crust: The new crust is tender and flaky. It is also wheat-free and vegan!
The coupon is good for a slice of any pie when you make a purchase of $10 or more at the bakery counter or cafe. Try Apple Maple Streusel, Very Berry, Antique Cherry or Pecan.
The wait is finally over. Our Very Berry and Apple Maple Streusel pies are back and better than ever.
Several months ago, we removed most of our pies while we worked on developing a pie crust worthy of Mäni’s.
Our hard work has paid off. The new crust is tender and flaky. It is also wheat-free and vegan! The Very Berry Pie is aptly named. It has peaches, blackberries, cherries, and strawberries making it sweet, tangy and delicious.
The Apple Maple Streusel Pie is full of tangy Granny Smith apples and piled high with a maple pecan streusel. Both of these pies are sweetened with our wonderful fruit juice reduction making them “Good and Good For You”. Check back tomorrow to get your coupon for a free slice. We know you’ll agree, it was worth the wait.
Yesterday we promised it; today it’s here. Download your coupon for a free juice from Mani’s brand new juice bar!
We are now serving fresh squeezed Valencia Orange, Apple and Carrot juices—all organic. For our loyal blog readers we’re offering you a free juice with any $5 purchase. The coupon is good through September 21.
We look forward to seeing you at Mani’s and serving you a fresh glass of juice!
She’s sweetened with fruit juice reduction. And made of Chocolate Fortress Cake with a custom dairy-free frosting. We added bananas because that’s what her sponsor wanted. To see the back of her fab dress, read on
Sure must be difficult to make the first cut into that cake!
Come by any day during the week, Monday through Friday for a morning pastry. Have a coffee or tea and the beverage is on us. You only pay for the bakery item(s).
Examples of our wonderful bakery goods: Morning Glory Muffin, organic whole wheat flour fruit filled turnovers, scones, six other kinds of muffins, or anything you want for breakfast, it’s up to you...a piece of cake or a slice of pie, or a cookie, you decide.
Good for single serving item. 6:30 AM to 11:00 AM Monday through Friday - Mäni’s on Fairfax.
Good until August 31th 2007
Invite your friends to sign up on our blog and they can get free stuff too!
Click on the link to download and print your coupon. Take it to Mani’s Bakery Cafe on Fairfax. Spend $10 or more in the bakery or cafe and get a free slice of Lemon Poppyseed Cake.
OR
Get $10 off any whole Lemon Poppyseed cake. Cake must be ordered at least 24 hours in advance of pickup.
Surfing around, we came across a site with the instructions about how to make latte art. If you make lattes at home, this “how to” is for you. You can get some great design ideas from some of the photos we’ve posted.
One click away to see our first ever video blog. It’s a very short clip of Efrain our assistant retail manager making his amazing cappuccinos and lattes. His artwork on foam is featured! Very fun. Welcome to Mäni’s on Fairfax!
Today is the first day of spring, the vernal equinox. Vernal translates as vigorous and fresh. Fiberlady places high value on a high fiber diet that will undoubtedly make you feel renewed and refreshed. Put some spring in your step. There are countless ways to season your life and stir your health. Start by eating more high fiber foods like squash...winter or summer.
There is an amazing variety of squash in a broad range of textures and tastes. Summer squash and winter squash are both fruits of the gourd family. Summer squash is available all winter, but of the best quality between May and July; winter squash appears in the produce departments in the late summer, fall and winter.
Related to the melon and the cucumber, summer squash comes in many different shapes, colors and sizes. It can be served raw with dips or cooked in any possible manner. Some common types are zucchini, crookneck and pattypan. The whole vegetable can be eaten including the flowers in some varieties. Its mild flavor and tender texture makes it very versatile to use in main dishes or pasta. But unlike winter squash, summer squash are more fragile and can only be stored for short periods of time.
Due to popular customer requests, this year we’ll have Valentine’s Day products starting on Friday February 9th! Most of our special items will be available, so why wait until next Wednesday? When you come by anytime between Friday and Valentine’s Day, you’ll be pleased to find these tasty new items. Many our of our special items are designed for two servings, but who says you can’t buy one, eat half and save the other half for the next day?
FYI, the 4” sweetheart cakes may become a new standard item, if you really like them. Imagine a mini cake for one or two for only 14 bucks? In chocolate with chocolate truffle cream, a fruit juice sweetend raspberry forever cake or a vegan carrot raisin cake. So let’s hear from you. Now’s your chance. We need your input. Thanks!
In a recent bulletin from the California Restaurant Association there is a list of “What’s hot and what’s not?” in the restaurant industry right now. Mäni’s is ahead of industry trends based on this report. The specific trends are:
Trend #1 - Organic Produce: Most of our fresh fruits and vegetables are organic. This is a no-brainer!
Trend #2 - Premium Sandwiches: Nothing says “premium” like the Apple-Turkey Sandwich!
Especially when it is on any of our freshly baked breads.
Trend #3 - Breakfast menus: We have always offered our breakfast menu every single day all day long. And we have some amazing items on our breakfast menu. For example, my personal favorite is the Breakfast Sandwich. Make sure you get it on the Jalapeno-Cheddar bread. Hmmm… (It is very similar to the sandwich that Adam Sandler makes in the movie Spanglish.)
Trend #4 - Size Options: Mäni’s Smart & Simple 400 Calorie menu is all about giving each of you the option to eat a lighter and balanced meal. My favorite is still the Garden Patch pictured. Check it out.
Chef Jose and his talented staff are whipping up the tastiest menu ever. Stop by anytime for breakfast, lunch, dinner or late night snack and choose any of our popular menu items or select one of our featured new creations.
During lunch the team works pumping out customers’ favorites, and new items of our expanded 400 calorie selections, now referred to as Mäni’s Smart & Simple - 400 Calorie Menu. There’s something for everyone, either on our regular breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, or our new Smart 7 Simple menu.
Here’s our new No-Stada… Yummm! It’s a baked corn torilla, stacked with black bean hummus, mango and black bean salad, jalpeno peppers (not overpowing at all), lettuce, tomato, and feta cheese. Amazing and only 400 little calories!
Here is what someone is saying about us… “Do you remember the Soup Nazi episode of “Seinfeld,” about a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that makes such good soup that people line up for blocks just to get a taste? Once diners get inside and reach the counter, the rules for ordering must be precisely followed, or else they are denied their soup and must leave the restaurant immediately-with no chance of redemption. In the episode, George, of course, immediately breaks the rules by asking for bread. The infuriated Soup Nazi barks, “no soup for you!” and George is booted out of the restaurant, without a lunch and out of luck.
While perhaps Mäni’s does not run as militant a restaurant regime as that of the Soup Nazi, his bakery has definitely developed a similar cult-like following of diners who can’t get enough of the decadent pastries and are willing to do almost anything to get them. I know, because since I found Mäni’s Bakery two weeks ago, I’ve thought of little else. My friend and I talk about it everyday, discussing what we’ve already tried and plotting when to go next so we can try everything else. In the last three weeks, we’ve gone three times-so much that the clerks at the register immediately recognize us and pull out a box, knowing well that we will not be buying only one dessert. Once you point out one chocolate truffle or another, the clerk swiftly wraps it and yells “next!” and you simply must keep ordering to comply with the strict orders of Los Angeles’s own version of the Soup Nazi.
Michelle’s Favorite Things: (I do graphic design/visual stuff here in case you ever wondered who I was. The work that I do for the restaurant is visable, but I may remain unknown to most.)
DRINKS -
Matcha Latte with Vanilla Soy hot when I’m cold & iced when I’m hot If you are interested in learning more about this fun drink, then you can simply ask a Mäni’s Team Member next time you are in, or read a previous blog on our Matcha
Latte with % milk whole milk is kind of overwhelming, skim doesn’t hold the flavor of the espresso & soy never quite did it for me in the context of a latte Since I like my latte’s to have a very specific flavor/consistency, I order them with a mixture of whole & skim. Call me crazy!
BAKERY ITEMS -
Peach Turnover I’ve mentioned this item before in a previous peach turnover blog posting, which you can check out. There is something so fantastically wonderful about this pastry & at certain points in the year, I’ve had it just about every morning for breakfast. Can you say addict?
Biscotti According to a former Mäni’s Team Member who studied culinary arts, the prefix “bi” in BISCOTTI implies twice baked. She also informed me that the Biscotti from Mäni’s was only baked once & therefore was named incorrectly. However you want to slice it, this cookie is fantastic & I love it & I will eat it as long as it’s there to eat!
RESTAURANT ITEMS -
Breakfast 1. Yam Breakfast Wrap Carl and I talked about this fantastic breakfast option before it appeared on the menu. It’s a combination of foods that I happen to fancy - yams, avocado, eggs, tomatoes, black beans & salsa, wrapped in to a tasty bundle! The salsa is key to your full enjoyment of this item. 2. NEW Breakfast Parfait (heaven, thanks to fabulous Chef Jose!) Light, fresh, healthy & so yummy!
Lunch & Dinner 1. Ultimate Veggie Burger I can never finish the whole thing, so it may be nice to split with a friend. The patty is super plump & delicious & I would highly recommend getting chips & salsa as a side to compliment this yummy dish. Maybe extra salsa if you love condiments as much as I do (fyi - on a scale of 1-10, condiments are a really easy 10 for me). 2. Hummas Yogurt Wrap This is one of my most favorite wraps, especially with tofu. Awesome flavor, great textures & what more can I say, it’s something that I enjoy!
Which pie do you desire? The Antique Cherry, Apple Maple Streusel, Apple, Peach Cranberry, Peach Crumble, Pecan, Strawberry Rhubarb, or Very Berry Crumble? It is summer time which means it is pie time. Keep our pies in mind when you are heading to your next summer picnic.
Here is the deal.
The idea was to write this really engaging and captivating post about our pies. After all it is summer time and a perfect time for pie. You know, with all the picnics and parties pies are perfect. So, I sat down to write and immediately got writer’s block. Arg!!
This is what has come out so far: We have all these amazing pies. They are sweetened with our fruit juice reduction. Some are vegan and others are wheat free.
Please help me out! PLEASE? What do you think about our pies? (Write your comment below in the white space and click on Submit.)
As many of you already know, Mäni’s has used many organic ingredients in our products for years, such as organically grown flours in our fresh baked breads and desserts, pure maple syrup for our multi-grain pancakes, organic palm oil in our baking, organic coffees and teas and other select organic ingredients. But now we’re making a significant committment to using certified organic fruits and vegetables.
So starting next Wednesday, June 21st, the first day of summer, we’ll be launching our new menu and new summer promotion, It’s All About Summer, with organic fruits and vegetables. Your soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps will have all kinds of organic produce and vegetables like arugula, onions, peppers, potatos, zucchini, tomatos, cilantro, collard greens, parsely, lettuce, mushrooms, beets, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, mangos, apples, avocados, bananas, strawberries, spinach, peaches, melons, oranges, papayas, asparagus, kiwi and more!
So log back on here next week and we’ll have some promotion to get you started on our new It’s All About Summer theme!!
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.
Most weekday mornings on my way to work I stop by Mäni’s to pick up my favorite item the Peach Turnover. If you’ve ever tried this wonderful breakfast pastry, you’d have to agree! Fresh juicy peaches contained in the most perfectly delicate crust. It’s so good, that the thought of it actually lifts me out of bed in the morning!
What’s your favorite item at Mäni’s? I’d love to hear!
February is Potato Month! Bet you didn’t know the humble potato had a month all of its own. Check out The Healthy Potato for nutrition info and potato recipes.
Better yet, stop by Mäni’s on Fairfax and order a side of our fabulous organic roasted Yukon Gold potatoes with your breakfast, lunch or dinner.
We’re excited to introduce our new and improved website, scheduled to launch before Valentine’s Day. The site will feature our Blog Café, Morsel Newsletter, Menu, FAQ, and much more. Stay tuned!
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s never too soon to start thinking about sharing a dessert from Mäni’s with someone special - Truffle Heart Cookies & Cakes, Mandle Heart Cakes & Raspberry Cakes. YUM!
Our Soup Menu is scheduled to change next week. From January 30th until February 12th, the restaurant will be serving the following soups (made fresh daily):
In a recent bulletin from the California Restaurant Association there is a list of “What’s hot and what’s not?” in the restaurant industry right now. Mäni’s is ahead of industry trends based on this report. The specific trends are: 
Here is what someone is saying about us… “Do you remember the Soup Nazi episode of “Seinfeld,” about a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that makes such good soup that people line up for blocks just to get a taste? Once diners get inside and reach the counter, the rules for ordering must be precisely followed, or else they are denied their soup and must leave the restaurant immediately-with no chance of redemption. In the episode, George, of course, immediately breaks the rules by asking for bread. The infuriated Soup Nazi barks, “no soup for you!” and George is booted out of the restaurant, without a lunch and out of luck. 
Which pie do you desire? The Antique Cherry, Apple Maple Streusel, Apple, Peach Cranberry, Peach Crumble, Pecan, Strawberry Rhubarb, or Very Berry Crumble? It is summer time which means it is pie time. Keep our pies in mind when you are heading to your next summer picnic. 
As many of you already know, Mäni’s has used many organic ingredients in our products for years, such as organically grown flours in our fresh baked breads and desserts, pure maple syrup for our multi-grain pancakes, organic palm oil in our baking, organic coffees and teas and other select organic ingredients. But now we’re making a significant committment to using certified organic fruits and vegetables. 
