Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1540685
O ne of Dallas' most highly anticipated restaurants, M a m a n i , has opened — and it was entirely worth the wait. After a months-long delay, brothers Brandon and Henry Cohanim, co-founders of Feels Like Home (West Village's Namo and Bar Colette), debuted their boîte in The Quad in Uptown. Formerly known as the Quadrangle, the revamped development features seven restaurants along with an office tower and pocket park. Designed by architectural firm Omniplan, each restaurant space is housed within a stand-alone bungalow. Mamani resides in the largest bungalow, which spans 5,200 square feet. The interiors were designed by London- based Bryan O'Sullivan Studio, known for creating the restaurant in London's Claridge's hotel, Red Room at The Connaught, and the Westmoreland eatery at The Frick. The By Megan Ziots. Photography Maribel Morales. Mamani Restaurant is a Thrill From top: Mamani bar; Agnolotti at Mamani The Much- Anticipated Mamani space is the first U.S. freestanding restaurant designed by the firm and includes two dining rooms with soft-peach plaster walls, marble architraves, and custom end- grain flooring. There's also a private dining room and a stunning bar clad in rich burl paneling and fitted with an onyx niche for bottles and glassware. A chic air- conditioned garden terrace overlooks Routh Street for al fresco dining. When we first spoke with the brothers in May 2024 about their new concept, they had just hired French-born chef Christophe De Lellis, who left a high-profile role at the three Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon restaurant in Las Vegas to come to Dallas. The Cohanims told us that when it comes to chef De Lellis' food, nostalgia is important. "We want to create restaurants that are upscale, but comfortable and approachable," Brandon says. "It's important to us to make food that's familiar to people." De Lellis later reiterated this, saying, "I just want to cook food that I want to eat. Simple dishes that dazzle." The menu consists of classic French cuisine rooted in Paris with influences from the French and Italian Rivieras; De Lellis was born in Paris, but all four of his grandparents were Italian. Family is also important to the Cohanim brothers, as Mamani is named after their grandmother, who split her time between Paris and the South of France. They added penne Arrabbiata to the menu because it's something they always ordered at restaurants growing up, even if it wasn't on the menu. You cannot dine at Mamani without ordering the Bread We Bake. It's served with a large scoop of Rodolphe Le Meunier Butter. Our server told us that The Bread Club is coming soon next door — a neighborhood (Continued on page 154) 64

