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| - As Anton Ego said in the movie Ratatouille, "Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." In the case of Wild Mango, this artist comes from the humbling confines of Great Northern Mall (hidden behind a Red Lobster, no less).
The most striking thing about Wild Mango is the design of the space the restaurant occupies. It starts in the white ante room and a hostess who is happy to take your coat for you. Off the ante room is a bar area complete with couches and curtains--something that would not be out of place as a small Las Vegas VIP area. Towards the main dining room, there is a fairly impressive display of the available wines. The main dining room itself is just the right size for an intimate dinner--it actually reminded me of the main dining area at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago but without the middle server/preparation area. While I thought the lacquer tables were a bit out of place, the room is nicely furnished. Even more interesting were the little enclave dining rooms off the main room that can provide an even more personal environment.
I thought that the food, by taste, was...just okay and maybe a little disappointing after taking in the interior design of the restaurant. The Pepsi Shrimp is pretty basic, and the Bouillabaisse (which I got upon the server's recommendation) was about the same. I will give Wild Mango a lot of credit, though, for outstanding design in plating and presenting food. One aspect of plating that is sometimes neglected by even very top restaurants is to offer a variety of presentation in terms of the how high the food stands off the plate. It is clear that a lot of thought and care goes into the the overall presentation--both in the food and in the structure--at Wild Mango.
Overall, Wild Mango is a bit pricier than some of its competitor restaurants in the North Olmsted area. I think, however, it is money well spent to have at least the start of a fine dining experience in a wholly unexpected locale. If Wild Mango could ratchet up its food offerings--both in taste and creativity--it would be on its way to competing with the best restaurants in Northeast Ohio.
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