Recently Denise Wakeman posted a comment on a story. Who’s Meredith? she asked. Well, Meredith is one of the best things about Mäni’s. If you have a request, comment, suggestion, feel free to contact either one of us anytime. Meredith has a passion for nutrition, a gusto for nearly all foods.
Meredith comes to Mäni’s from Chicago, where she was raised by a serious vegetable-lover. Though as a child she was shunned by her broccoli-scorning peers, Meredith pursued a life surrounded by the good love of vegetables and fortifying, wholesome foods.
The siren song of Los Angeles, singing the praises of a progressive, innovative and diverse culinary landscape, became irresistible and captured Meredith in the winter of 2007. Upon arrival, Meredith was drawn to Mäni’s by their healthful, organic ingredients and vegan options.
While attending culinary school, as fate would have it, Meredith was lucky to be invited into the bakery and kitchen, working with Mäni’s famous pastries, alternative sweeteners, and fresh & organic ingredients. She truly enjoys waking up every day, knowing that she will get the chance to extend good health and delicious eats to Mäni’s patrons!
Ever wonder what it’s like at Mäni’s just before opening? Who does what? How do we prepare for our day? Well here’s a two minute view, the pre-opening morning at Mäni’s on Fairfax.
See Asher moving at lightening speed to get ready to opening at 6:30 am. What happens when a customer shows up before 6:30?
Well, just click on the link below and get a glimpse of Mäni’s, before it’s even light and see how Asher makes us come alive.
If you owned and operated Mäni’s Famous Bakery Cafe on Fairfax and you thought you had a star baker, young and enthusiastic, what would you do? Yes, you’re correct, that’s the situation I found myself in, so I said: “How would you like to take a course a California’s formost institution of higher learning for bakeries?”
OMG! was the reply, so Joel is off to San Francisco Baking Institute You see, I’m aware that I’m living vicariously through my amazing staff. That’s why we have so much fun here and do new things. Actually at this point we have more new products coming online than ever before in such a short period of time.
But back to Joel. I think we have a win-win situation on our hands. He has a bakery to create and succeed in and Mäni’s has a new star, maybe even a super star. Joel is just back from the city by the bay and very anxious to put his new ideas into new products for YOU, and me too, since I love trying every single new product. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it!
There’s some big excitement in the air at Mäni’s on Fairfax. Kristina, our new pastry chef, brings her amazing talents, skills and creativity to Mäni’s. Read through and see her bio and pictures of some of her wedding and special event cakes.
This is also an opportunity for you to let her know your favorites, past and present or any other feedback about your bakery preferences.
Kristina started her pastry career at the renowned Papa Haydn restaurant in Portland, Oregon in 1998 after attending Western Culinary Institute’s Pastry Art and Baking Program. While at Papa Haydn, Kristina was responsible for the daily production of this prestigious establishment’s extensive dessert and catering menu.
Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2002, Kristina began sharpening her amazing cake design and decorating skills at Rosebud Cakes in Beverly Hills and SweetCake in Hollywood. She specializes in creative wedding and birthday cakes and has had the opportunity to make creations for many celebrities, movies, television shows, and magazines.
Here is one of our cooks with his wife (Ena) and his 1 year old child (Reina). Raul has worked at Mäni’s for over 3 1/2 years. He is awesome in the kitchen. Next time you are in, peek back into the kitchen and wave!
The following story was written by Janice and submitted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address): Growing up a vegetarian in Small Town, Texas ain’t no easy thang. With the lack of vegetarian restaurants (or any restaurants, really), you would think that I had developed a cookbook of varied, fascinating, meatless-wonders, but I’m a busy girl. And in a world of busy people, where convenience seems to reign over health, I found myself eating quite poorly. Burgers without the meat, please. Chips. Sweets. Sweets. Pizza. Sweets. Healthy?...not so much. Readily available? You betcha.
Then my college years came around and I decided to spend them in Seattle. Finally! Food! REAL Food! A vegetarian’s haven. And then, veganism set in. Since I was a wee girl of 10, I have been slowly cutting animal products from my diet. Being a vegetarian seemed like a hassle at times (especially when all your friends eat meat and you can’t decide on a place to go), so I figured a vegan lifestyle would cut a lot of restaurant dining out of the picture.
But, I’m telling ya, if you’re going to be vegetarian or vegan, Los Angeles is the place to do it. Seattle kept me well fed for five years and for that, it will always hold a special place in my heart, but I needed to venture outside vegan Thai food. Don’t get me wrong, I love (love love) Thai food, but it’s so nice to have other options.
And Mani’s has options. I can come here with vegetarians and/or meat lovers and rest assured that we will each find something delicious on the menu. I don’t just mean appetizers, I mean full-on meals. Vegan/Vegetarian/MeatLover feasts galore! And don’t forget to save room for dessert. Before this becomes a blog on my life story, I’ll cut it short and give you the meat (ha) of my post. Here’s a list of my vegan favorites at Mani’s:
* Tofu Steak. Tofu ANYTHING. We marinate it and season it just right so it never tastes like flavorless blocks. Substitute the tofu steak in your sandwiches, salads, wraps, and burgers. And don’t forget that you can build-your-own-scramble using our tofu in place of eggs, too!
* Vegan Ranch. ADDICTIVE. I eat it with my fries, potatoes, bread, on anything.
* Veggie Chili. I think of this as a super-chunky, spicy soup. My favorite part is the fresh mushrooms and big chunks of carrot. Give me some slices of our fresh baked olive bread, and I’m good to go.
* Almond Shortbread Cookie. I had worked at Mani’s for over a month before I actually tried this tiny square wonder. It’s soft and just sweet enough. Try it dipped in chocolate as well (you can thank me later).
* And I can’t go without mentioning our regular ol’ Chocolate Chip Cookie. The people behind the scenes recently changed up the way they mix the batter and created a cookie with the same delicious taste, but now with a softer texture. Have us heat it up for you and it will taste like it just came out of the oven. Actually, everything’s so fresh here, it probably did just come out of the oven.
There’s a lot more I could add but this has turned out to be a lot longer than expected. The point is, come on in. You’re bound to find something to satisfy your taste buds.
In the front of the kitchen at Mani’s there is a special whiteboard. (And yes, I’m going to let everyone in on behind the scenes Mani’s info here…) This whiteboard is known as the ‘86’d board.’ Being that Mani’s is my first restaurant experience I had no idea what that meant. If this is old news to some, I urge you to read on and offer up your knowledge. For everyone else, let me enlighten you. (I’m a theatre student, so this conversation will be brought to you in theatrical playwright format)
Dan: Hey! Can I get some of that amazingly fresh and savory jalapeño cheese bread, Jose? Jose: Jalapeño cheese is 86’d. Dan: That’s cool, but can I get some? Jose: No. It’s out. Dan: Aahhh.
So, the term means that an item is temporarily out of stock. Good to know. But why 86’d? Where does that come from? Why not 0’d? Well, I looked it up and this is what I found:
The term 86’d goes back to the first American restaurant Delmonicos. It refers to the ribeye steak that was sold there. It was item 86 on their menu and was sold out one night, hence the term 86’d.
The reason is because of the old specs used to bury the average person——the hole is “6” feet deep, and is “8” feet long. Hence, being called “86d” was not a good thing…but a “gone” thing…
One explanation of the term is, that in olden days 86 portions where prepared, when the last item was sold the chef would yell “86 the prime rib”!
Chumley’s, a historic speakeasy located at 86 Bedford in New York City, is where this term has its origin. This speakeasy was owned by Leland Chumley and served as a legitimate printing office during prohibition times. It has two entrances: one on Bedford and another off the courtyard of the adjacent street. During prohibition, when the police were about to raid the speakeasy thru the courtyard, the bartender would yell “out 86”, referring to the 86 Bedford address. Patrons would exit thru the Bedford street door to avoid arrest.
So, there are a few of the many absolutely correct explanations. Anyone else know another for sure historic account of the term. Please let us know!
Hello to the Mäni’s blogging world. My name is Dan and I work at the counter at Mäni’s . I’ve only been working at Mäni’s for about 5 weeks and I’ve also been Stage Managing the Los Angeles Ballet’s production of ‘The Nutcracker.’ I enjoy both because they keep me quite busy.
I’m going to start up my blogging career right here and let everyone in on the life and times of a Mäni’s barista:
I’ve worked every possible shift here at Mäni’s , from the shift beginning at 6am to the closing shift which ends 1am. All of them have there own challenges and perks, but as of yet I’m going to have to vote on the early morning shift as the most rewarding. Besides having to get up at 5:30am, which I don’t recommend for anyone unless absolutely necessary, the shift is very relaxing. There aren’t an overwhelming number of customers and the majority of those that do stop by in the wee morning hours are usually there every day.
It’s very nice to be able to see someone walk up and know exactly what they are going to get and have it ready for them as they walk in. I would advise anyone who isn’t a regular and has the time to stop by in the morning to do so. I recommend the blueberry coffee cake and a vanilla latte.
We are looking for a few amazing people to come join our team. Does this picture look like you or someone you know…
We are looking for some amazing people to come join our team at the front counter. If you know someone that may be interested, please let them know. We are currently accepting applications and interviewing over the next few days.
I would like to introduce you to some new team members that have joined Mäni’s over the past few weeks. You have probably already met them, but if not, stop by and say hello.
One of Mäni’s team members, Ian Easton, has made it to the final 5 in the Yahoo Talent contest with his good friend Ben Grinnell. Isn’t that awesome? Well, not really because he probably won’t work here any more if he wins. At any rate, please support him by logging onto http://talentshow.yahoo.com and voting for Ben Grinnell. Here is an email that Ian sent with all the details.
The final round of voting is finally here! Over 5000 people submitted and we (Ben, Ian and crew Zoo Milk) got into the final 5! After many sleepless nights and tons of hard work, Ben Grinnell and the boys need your help to make our show “The World Wide Weird” a reality. Voting is now open at http://talentshow.yahoo.com, and goes through Wednesday at midnight (PST).
Longtime Chicago kids and current Los Angeles residents Ben Grinnell and Ian Eastin have made it into the final five. The winner gets a development deal with Yahoo Entertainment, and we need you!!! The only way he can win is with your help.
All you have to do is go to the Yahoo Talentshow Website (http://talentshow.yahoo.com) and cast your vote for Ben. ***Please note: You’ll be asked for your Yahoo username/password when you cast your vote, if you don’t have one, don’t worry they’re free. It takes a minute to sign up for one, just follow the directions onscreen. Or register here: Yahoo ID Signup Link ***
THANK YOU EVERYONE! Let’s get Ben and his crew Zoo Milk a show on Yahoo!!!!
Please send this on to anyone you know that would be willing to vote.
As our business continues to grow, we need to add a cake decorator to our team. The ideal person would have about one year experience with mixing, baking, and decorating various cakes from scratch. Please have anyone you know contact Kristi at 323-964-0840 x17.
We are looking for a few amazing people to come join our team. Does this picture look like you or someone you know…
If you have visited us lately, you know that it is an exciting time here on Fairfax. We just launched a hugely successful new menu. We are fulfilling our mission of “Living a life of balance” with the 400 calorie menu section. We are educating our employees, customers, and not yet customers about nurturing and supporting our bodies through nutrition.
Basically, Mäni’s is “Good and Good for You.”
So, here is the latest Blog Only Special. If you know someone that would make a great Mäniac team member, send them in on Monday between 3-5 PM for our hiring fair. (519 S. Fairfax Ave.) We will be conducting interviews and hiring people to enter our extensive training program. Oh, did I mention that we offer health benefits, paid vacation, and amazing employee discounts?
If someone mentions your name, you are subscribed to our blog feed (through FeedBlitz - click here) and we hire them, we will give you a Mäni’s “It’s All About Summer” Gift Card.
When we first opened on Fairfax in 1990, some were surprised about the flavors and textures of our products and many found it refreshing to find such tastes also good for you, made with wholesome ingredients including organically grown wheat flours.
Then in 2000,we became not only a bakery but a restaurant as well, offering even more food that tastes great and healthier than food and baked goods at traditional restaurants and bakeries.
We’ve spent the last few days training many of our 35 staff in our new summer menu.
Tomorrow, the first day of summer, we launch into our summer menus packed with fresh, wholesome, refreshing soups, salads, sandwiches, appetizers and breakfast and drinks with organically grown fruits and vegetables that taste amazing! But don’t take my opinion, come in and try it yourself.
We’re also offering a brand new menu, which is balanced between the three macronutrients; carbs, lipids and protein. We carefully designed this menu to give you a 400 calorie option, based on eating 4 to 5 meals and snacks a day. Many of these items are based on selections from our regular menu, so you’ll find similar great flavors and ingredients like our marinated chicken, breakfast scrambles and select salads.
The menu has been a collaboration between our fitness and nutrition consultant, Garrett Cooke and our Chef Jose Aramayo. We look forward to spending the next three months of summer serving you from these special summer selections. On behalf of all our staff at Mani’s on Fairfax, we wish you a wonderful summer. Enjoy!
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!!!
It seems as each day and week passes, we get more passionate and fascinated about the art and science of empowering our team and training them on a myriad of important items. Most importantly, we're now developing and improving our communications with our guests and offer a warmer, more informed relationship. Of course this is and will remain a work in progress. Please, please, if you have input, comments, even criticism, let us know so we can take action.
Together we're excited about new things we're planning to grow the bakery and restaurant. The rest of this year and next year are looking better than ever for many areas of our company, including new and exciting products in the bakery, restaurant, beverage departments and new looks for gift oriented items this holiday season as well. Stay tuned.
Here is one of our cooks with his wife (Ena) and his 1 year old child (Reina). Raul has worked at Mäni’s for over 3 1/2 years. He is awesome in the kitchen. Next time you are in, peek back into the kitchen and wave! 
We are looking for a few amazing people to come join our team. Does this picture look like you or someone you know…
One of Mäni’s team members, Ian Easton, has made it to the final 5 in the Yahoo Talent contest with his good friend Ben Grinnell. Isn’t that awesome? Well, not really because he probably won’t work here any more if he wins. At any rate, please support him by logging onto 
As our business continues to grow, we need to add a cake decorator to our team. The ideal person would have about one year experience with mixing, baking, and decorating various cakes from scratch. Please have anyone you know contact Kristi at 323-964-0840 x17. 
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.