"2"^^ . "3"^^ . "2010-12-12T00:00:00"^^ . "3"^^ . . . "4"^^ . "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).\n\nThe 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.\n\nI 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.\n\nOverall, 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."^^ . .