Chef/owner Antonio Bettencourt’s former award-winning 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar gained critical acclaim in its seven-year stay. But now he is ready to do something entirely new—something that reflects his fondness for cooking in a more rustic and relaxed style, and a return to his roots as a chef.
A MANO (Italian for “by hand”) features handmade fresh pasta, comforting entrées, artisan pizza, and other dishes that are deeply rooted in the Italian tradition. Bettencourt and his team are dedicated to using the best ingredients and cooking with big, lusty flavors.
“I’ve always really loved taking the long way around when it comes to cooking” says Bettencourt. “Elizabeth David famously stated: ‘Good food is trouble.’ That really speaks to me. Good food is worth the extra effort. It feeds the soul as well as the stomach.”
A MANO’s menu follows Bettencourt’s passion for humble, honest cooking that features farm-fresh and seasonal ingredients. The menu will include a few 62 favorites like arancini and polpette, as well as Italian classics like lasagna and tagliatelle alla bolognese. Savory peasant dishes like whole wheat spaghettini with golden raisins, roasted cauliflower, and pine nuts as well as pizza featuring San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil will be part of the new menu.
“When people visit A MANO, we want them to say their meal was ‘the best and most authentic Italian food they’ve had since they were in Italy’ or ‘as good as my momma… but don’t tell anyone!’ That’s what we’re going for here—real food, the real deal, food that makes people happy and without pretention,” explains Bettencourt.
A MANO opens on October 10, 2015 and is located on Pickering Wharf at 62 Wharf Street in Salem.