As if the promise of fresh, handmade pasta weren’t tempting enough, Mano Bella has a window that allows passersby to watch the pasta-making process from the sidewalk. A pastaio runs the dough through rollers and the bronze extruder, which releases strands of rough, porous noodles that better absorb sauces. Unlike dried supermarket varieties, this pasta cooks in about two minutes and has the soft, rich texture you’d get at a trattoria in Rome.
Husband-and-wife team Madison and Rafaelle Patrizi opened this Italian market and bistro in SouthPark’s Morrison Place shopping center in January. Mano Bella means “beautiful hand,” which embodies their approach to connecting people with handmade pasta. If this pair looks familiar, you might have passed their pasta bar inside The Market at 7th Street, where they often do demonstrations with piping-hot noodles in a hollowed-out cheese wheel before they dish it up. The flagship location, with its fresh and dried pastas, sauces, and biscotti, grew such a following after it opened in 2022 that they decided to open a bigger kitchen with more room for retail in the former Bit by Seoul Food space.
The restaurant seats 70, and you can enjoy a glass of wine or an Italian cocktail with a bowl of pasta (and, if you’re doing it right, a tray of warm focaccia). Drop in for lunch and order a panini at the counter or have a seat in the dining area and order off the full Lunch + Dinner menu. Each table has a QR code for ordering, so contact with your server is minimal. This is the only aspect that feels inconsistent with an authentic Italian meal, but it does allow you to keep your tab open and order at your own pace.
Start with an Aperol Spritz ($13), Dirty Vodka Martini ($13), or Espresso Martini ($15), or order red, white, and sparkling wines by the glass. They also serve local brews from Wooden Robot and Resident Culture as well as soft drinks and a range of flavored San Pellegrino. If you come on Tuesdays, wine bottles are half-off and draft beers are $6.
Shareable plates include Ravioli Fritti ($12), Calamari Fritti ($17), and an Antipasto Platter ($21) of chef-curated meats and cheeses. You can also opt for standard Bread Service ($5), which comes with olive oil, or Focaccia + Ricotta ($12), with ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil, and truffles.
Ravioli Fritti (above) Focaccia + Ricotta (below)
Of the four salads, the Pera e Gorgonzola ($15) is the best combination of sweet and savory flavors, with sliced pears and candied walnuts to balance the rich, salty Gorgonzola. The Zucchini e Farro ($15) tastes like summer, with thin zucchini ribbons and arugula topped with Parmesan and lemon vinaigrette. (If you filled up on bread and plan to eat your weight in pasta, you can ask them to split the salad.)
Pasta is available two ways: You can order one of Chef Rafaelle’s signature dishes or build your own. If you opt for the former, the Ragu di Cinghiale ($22) is saucy, hearty, and best enjoyed with a liberal dusting of fresh Parmesan. The thick, twirlable noodles are tossed with wild-boar ragu infused with red wine, garlic, and herbs for a complex, savory finish. If you prefer a white sauce, go for the Ricotta Tortelloni ($19), a bowl of hand-shaped pasta stuffed with ricotta and arugula in a lemon butter and sage sauce.
The Build Your Own option (starting at $12) allows you to choose from eight different pastas, three sauces, and 12 “extras,” like house pancetta, chicken, and garlic confit. So you might start with fusilli (a short, spiral-shaped pasta), add pesto or tomato basil sauce, and finish it off with housemade sausage (and an obscene amount of Parmesan, natch).
A Build Your Own pasta bowl with radiatore, escarole, pesto, and chicken breast topped with house burrata
Desserts include Tiramisù ($11), Amaretti + Sorbetto ($9), and Cantucci Affogato ($8), biscotti served with a shot of espresso and a scoop of vanilla gelato. If you’d rather take a treat to go, browse the marketplace up front and stock up on almond pound cakes, hazelnut chocolate bars, and bags of biscotti. There’s also a freezer full of grab-and-go meals and pints of gelato.
Before you leave the restaurant, you’ll already be thinking about your next meal, whether it’s a new combination of build-your-own pasta or the Black Truffle Spread you’ll bring to your neighbor’s dinner party. This is a place designed for repeat customers.
TAYLOR BOWLER is the lifestyle editor.
Taylor Bowler
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