Manitoba Tigella opens on New Oxford Street London this September, serving authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on Tigella, a traditional disc shaped stuffed bread from Northern Italy.
Originating from the chestnut forests of the Apennine mountains in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, the tigella at Manitoba is prepared in accordance with rural customs, by hand and with all natural ingredients.
Diners will be able to choose how they eat their tigella. On offer will be traditional dishes such as; Gnocco Fritto (tigella, fried gnocco with Parma ham D.O.P), Prosciutto + Stracchino (tigella, stracchino soft cheese and Parma ham) and Tagliere Misto (mixed salami, parmigiano cheese, stracchino cheese, Italian olives, sundried tomatoes, tigelle and gnocco fritto). For the more adventurous, the gourmet tigella menu will entice diners with such dishes as the Burger T (tigella with burger, confit tomatoes, cocktail sauce and provolone cheese ) and Pink Pistachio (tigella with mortadella foam and pistachio crumble). The Veggie Burger (tigella with beans, red onion and embers onion sauce) and the Aubergine Parmigiana (tigella with funghetto aubergine, parmigiano D.O.P. cheese, tomato sauce and basil pesto) will tempt the most hardcore carnivore.
The rest of the menu includes imaginative and innovative dishes that are, at the same time, simple and traditional. The fresh pasta options include comforting classics such as La Carbonara (spaghetti in carbonara sauce, pecorino romano cheese and crispy bacon), Tortellini (in a cream and parma ham sauce) and Trofie Al Pesto (trofie pasta with basil pesto, potatoes and pine nuts ). The meat and fish courses are big in flavour with Lamb Cutlets (served with fried polenta and salmoriglio sauce, Fish Jar (a medley of sea bream, king prawns, squid, mussels, clams, olives, capers, datterini tomatoes served with focaccia) and Brit’s will be delighted to see an English favourite given a twist with Manitoba’s Fishes & Fries (fried calamari, cod, king prawns and potatoes with tartar sauce).
For lighter choices the salads are delicate, with fresh and diverse combinations such as: Minestrone Freddo (avocado, strawberries, mango, pineapple, mixed salad, olives, tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, cucumber, chives, eggs, anchovy, pecorino cheese and home-baked focaccia), Octopus (crispy octopus, brandade potatoes, agrodolce red onion, cod, parsley pesto and pine nuts) or Tofu (tofu marinated and mashed carrots, pumpkin, sunflower and seeds, cabbage, mint, lemon and red onion). The Focacce are another highlight. These light, fluffy focaccia are served in a number of ways: Verdure (olive patè, roquette, mushroom, aubergine and broccoli), Culatello e Burrata (Burrata cheese and culatello) or Mortadella (Mortadella and sundried tomato).
The dessert menu includes the Panne Cotta e Fragole (strawberry coulis and lemon streusel) is a light and refreshing summer dish or for a taste of traditional Italy the indulgent Tiramisu (with coffee and dark chocolate) should please.
Manitoba Tigella will be open from Monday to Sunday serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the morning Londoners will be spoilt with the choice of fresh Italian coffee and authentic cakes and biscuits, which are freshly made on site everyday. A large selection of drinks will be available, from artisanal Italian beers, to specially selected wine from the Mediterranean peninsula; Sauvignon Blanc Mezzacorona, Peppoli Chianti Classico and Bellavista Franciacorta Brut Vintage.
The development of the restaurant has been supported by professional consulting team Sagitter One, who have previously worked on London restaurants C’Alice and Mister Lasagna. Split over two levels, the space is sleek and sophisticated. A main feature is the large counter, which leads to a spectacular cooking theatre, where customers can admire first-hand the preparation of the ‘tigella’.