A Night at Manolo Caracol


A Night at Manolo Caracol

(15 votes)

Written by Matt Landau

Monday, October 08 2007

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When I saw that the New York Times had recently done a restaurant review on Manolo Caracol in Casco Antiguo, Panama City, I figured it was about time I see what all the fuss is about, especially considering that I could factually throw a frisbee from my front door into the restaurant's lobby area.

You walk in to find a large glass case full of second-hand corks, stuffed like jellybeans for aesthetics. The dining room is open and each of the tables come prepared with silverware which is loaded into small paper baggies; not so sure what's up with that.

Our waiter was almost creepily nice, with these little enchanted eyes that made me think he was possessed. He first brought several starters and began his shtick on how the restaurant is all natural, how no soda is available on the premises, and how eighty percent of our meal would have originated from the sea.

Prefix menus usually piss me off, but this was a nice change of pace from the usual artsy tapas and overly-serious French waiters I'm used to. We noshed on grilled baby eggplant, seared tuna, baked dorado, spicy mushrooms, bright shrimp ceviche, giant prawns and this steak that was actually sitting in a small pool of candy-like caramel. Most dishes were innovative and different from the one before, everything served family style.

The décor is hippie hodgepodge meets Joe cool: lots of small knickknacks and warm rustic colors. The kitchen team does their businesses right in the middle of the dining room which is always fun, although this night they dropped an extraordinary number of pans and glass vessels on the floor. Otherwise the staff, including our gnome-ish waiter, was entirely atop their game.

The menu supposedly changes regularly and depends mostly on what happens to be fresh at the market. Only natural ingredients were used and all of the food-with the exception of the generic tomato sauce that they used on three or four-was spot on. The price for dinner is $17 per person which is as close as it comes to heaven on culinary earth. I left satisfied especially having watched a team of drunk women at the table beside me guzzle warm merlot.

I'd highly recommend the place and would certainly go again should the opportunity arise. When I told the owner Manolo that I would be writing this article he handed me a small piece of fruit as a kind of thank you. What a hoot! He's opening up a vegetarian restaurant right next door which appears to be close to ready and I don't know why it took me so long to get here but I'll be going back very soon.

Manolo Caracol: 5 stars

Comments (4)

Skeeter Camby: ...

I had the opportunity to have a week night dinner at Manolo's. I found it somewhat lacking on all fronts. But, I do say this with some reservations. We had our class reunion's last gathering at this quiet little restaurant. Manaolo was caught off guard or ill-prepared for a mix of American and Panamanian dinners. I not sure how many were in attendance, something like 30 + or -. The restaurant was inundated with BHS62 Class Reunion. Totally filling the small restaurant, except for a few couples trying to make the best of a not so nice an evening. My apologies to them.
I would like to return and give this establishment a second round, at some future outing.
All things not being fare, my experience was not one to cherish, but I will not hold the proprietor at fault. I am sure when a bus load of, not so quiet, excited, hungry and thirst patrons visit any one's restaurant, results would be the same.

October 11, 2007

Vernon and Wallie Hammond: An Extremely Sensual Meal

We ended our wonderful stay in Panama with lunch at Manolo's. It was the best meal we've ever had! The wait staff was attentive and very friendly. My husband can not eat shellfish and when he mentioned that to the waiter, he was presented with a wonderful fish (we think it was covina)with a salsa caliente that we both still talk about. We also loved the decor, but it's the food that will definitely bring us back.

January 28, 2008

R. Alvarino: caracol

I was at Manolo Caracol & my first impression was that the place looked like a catholic church, full of saints...To my surprise, along with the saints the owner placed Ho Chi Min & 6 Che Guevara angelic photos....The food was ok, nothing to go nuts about & the waitress was very nice; however, for someone to dislay in a privately owned public restaurant communists icons leave much to be desired. How could the owner, making big $$$ selling mostly to gringos, would had fared with Che Guevara..??? He would have been executed like so many cubans were in 1959....thanks for allowing me to express myself....ra

July 20, 2008

williechaz: Manolo is a creep

He mugged me on night at his failed Pedasi rest. of the same name.
He sold me a just drinkable Spanish wine (maybe a $4.00 bottle) for $35.00. I had failed to ask the price when he ofered the wine. I lived in the town and maybe would have been a regular. After getting the bill I went looking for him to tell him I thoght he had made an error with the price. No he said. "that's the price".
I told him to fuck himself and left. Soon afterwards(in the coming months) everyone I know left too. Friendless and dinerless he turned out the lights.
Bye bye you miserable shit!

October 05, 2008

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