Twenty Manning, part II

It's surprising how quickly business school gets so insanely busy that you don't see people you want to see for days or even weeks on end, despite best intentions. Since school began, I'd only gotten to spend a couple of minutes here and there with MA, so we rectified that last weekend with another dinner at Twenty Manning.

This time was even more successful than the first. The same lovely warm bread and butter emerged to tide us over until our entrees came out. After I reported good things about the tuna burger, MA concentrated on the burger section; being a fan of the bison, he got the bison burger. This was well-received, and the fries-- hoo boy, the fries-- were as insanely addictive as ever.

Not as many fries this time, but still delicious as ever

My choice this time around was the chop chop salad, with "four lettuces," cucumber, green peas, apples, tomatoes, and herb-citrus vinaigrette. I requested it without cheddar cheese, because cheddar in salads always seems like a waste to me (the flavor always gets lost in the mix, and it's so bad for you it's kind of not worth it). It was seriously tasty even so, with a hefty portion of vibrant veggies and a tangy and bright vinaigrette. I particularly noted that the peas were really, really sweet and clearly garden-fresh--gotta love summer. I would definitely go back for the chop chop salad rather than the beets.

Filling and healthy and summery

Based on two visits, Twenty Manning is a solid neighborhood contender, great for a laid-back catch-up dinner or a cocktail or two. It earns its three Offset Spatulas handily.

Twenty Manning
261 S. 20th Street, at Manning
215-731-0900