Manana Restaurant y Pupuseria

Pupusas

Another day, another search for non-corporate food.   Off to St. Paul.....

Anne said the pupusas at Manana are pretty good.  Haven't had a pupusa since the place that is now Catrina's was still in business.  So off to Swede Hollow to give it a try.

This food of El Salvador is best described as a filled pancake, I guess.  Manana has pupusas, tacos, burritos, sopes, tortas, and more.

We circled the block on East Seventh seeking a parking place.  We came around the corner by the beauty supply store and there was one right in front....yippee!!!

When we went in, there were three other parties....two seated in the dining area and one picking up take-out. 

The facility itself makes Marianne's look like a palace...it's well worn in quite an old building.  It has colorful art on the walls.  There were 4 people working, so clearly that had been busier earlier in the evening.

We picked up a couple of menus and tried to decide which of the many choices to try.  Papusas for sure, but I also tried a taco...John is always in search of a good taco.  I ordered the veggie papusa, while John order the 3 papusas with beans and cheese served with rice and beans.  All turned out to be great choices.

The taco (al pastor) was a common double taco, but with a crispy grilled edge that added great texture.  It was topped with loads of onions and cilantro.

The pupusas were served with curtido (cabbage slaw that is slightly pickled with a little bit of heat) and a mild tomato vinegar sauce.  The pupusas were delicious and the curtido added a necessary crunch and enough spice to make everything extra interesting.  My pupusa was filled with cheese and loroco (a Central American herb/veggie.....I'd describe the flavor as close to cooked squash) and John's was stuffed full of beans and cheese.  His serving was so big that he couldn't finish the whole thing (trust me, I can always help with that).

We had a great chat with the owner, who would like to stay open later, but the street is just too dark.  If the City of St. Paul would like to help all the local businesses in the area, some brighter street lighting would be a giant plus.  The neighborhood is full of great places to eat....like the Cabana (family-run) and Taqueria Los Paisanos (both across the street) and the new bakery that we haven't had a chance to try yet.  Los Ocampo is just up around the corner on Arcade. 

Everything was delicious.  It was well worth the trip to enjoy the great food and warm, friendly service.  We had many great laughs...sharing stories about the foibles of running a cafe.

If you haven't been there, make a detour from corporate food and try something interesting and real.