Savage Beatings Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 For anyone in the Twin Cities area, you probably have met Nick Mancini at his awesome restaurant on West 7th in St. Paul. He passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Mancini's is a throw back to the great Vegas Lounge style steak houses. The last time I was there Nick kept coming to our table and insisting that we take home a bunch of free cakes. He was like that. You want a cake? No? Yes? You need a cake. Maureen bring this table some cakes! The guy will be missed by a lot of people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Great place to hang out, no doubt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeductiveNun Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 The last time I was there Nick kept coming to our table and insisting that we take home a bunch of free cakes. He was like that. You want a cake? No? Yes? You need a cake. Maureen bring this table some cakes! Exactly the same thing last time I was there. The timing was impeccable, as that night also happened to be my girlfriend's birthday. He was a one of a kind person, he will be missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moss6 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 RIP Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Itals Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 The first time I went to Mancini's, Nick greeted me at the door and treated me like an old friend all night. It was a great experience. Here's a story from the Star Trib. Minneapolis Star and Tribune Published: April 14, 2007 Edition: METRO Section: NEWS Page#: 1A Steaks and thanks for the troops Pat and John Mancini are running their family's St. Paul steakhouse and are helping prepare a steak dinner for Minnesota troops. By Joe Kimball Staff Writer John Mancini has been in the Middle East this week, helping to organize a giant steak dinner for thousands of National Guard members serving in Iraq. Meanwhile, his brother Pat is back in St. Paul minding Mancini's Char House and working on the local version of the feast. With City Council Member Pat Harris and other local restaurateurs and friends - Dave Cossetta, Dan O'Gara and John Tinucci, among others - the Mancinis helped arrange the shipment of 11,500 12-ounce steaks to Iraq, where they'll be served Sunday to Minnesota National Guard members and other fighting personnel. At the same time, 5,000 Guard family members will be served steaks at Roy Wilkins Auditorium. A satellite will link the two events, allowing Guard members to speak with their families. It's the third year that the Serving Our Troops volunteer group has organized a dinner for soldiers. And it's no surprise that the Mancini boys are involved. That's the way their dad, Nick Mancini, taught them. About two years ago, Pat and John took the reins of the restaurant on W. 7th Street when their dad was sidelined with Alzheimer's. They had worked with him for decades, which smoothed the transition. They're working hard to retain the friendly feel developed by Nick, who roamed from table to table, greeting old friends and making sure those steaks were cooked just right. Despite all kinds of rumors, the brothers haven't sold, aren't entertaining offers and don't plan any big changes to the landmark restaurant their dad built from a tiny neighborhood bar 59 years ago into an eating emporium where people mark every kind of occasion. "We had an 80th-birthday party for a woman the other day, and one of her granddaughters went into labor and had to leave for the hospital," Pat Mancini said. "Mancini's is not just a restaurant, it's an important institution," said Don Boxmeyer, retired columnist for the Pioneer Press. "Going there just for a steak is like going to communion because you're hungry." . Putting customers first Nick Mancini's reign as St. Paul's culinary godfather began in 1948, when he bought Hathaway's Bar on W. 7th. It was either that or a gas station down the road, family members say. They're glad - most days, anyway - that he chose the bar. Although Nick's mother served a little food from a kitchen off the bar in the early days, it was 1965 before Mancini's evolved into a steakhouse. The first years were tough - the business, not the steaks. Nick experimented with the cooking and cuts of meat on a few neighborhood regulars. "They'd complain a bit, so he'd tell them, 'I'll get it right the next time.' They kept coming back and he kept getting better," Pat Mancini said. The walls of the restaurant are lined with pictures of local sports heroes and old pictures from the Italian community. There's even a tribute to entertainer Tony Bennett, who sang on the night in 1986 when Nick expanded the lounge. Bennett later became a friend of Nick's, and still stops by when he's in town. When the restaurant became so popular that folks waited an hour for a table, Nick would quietly sneak longtime regulars to the front of the line. The sons say they're working to maintain that "customer-first" legacy. "Every night I hear stories of how my dad touched people," Pat Mancini said. "An older lady remembered how my dad used to drive her husband home after a hard night of drinking. He'd always go up to the door and give her a gift certificate for dinner. "She thought he felt bad for her, because her husband was at the bar every night." Sunday's dinner was originally intended as a welcome-home feast for the troops. That was before their tours of duty were extended. "It's just snowballed," Pat Mancini said. "We almost feel guilty about all the publicity. We put in time and energy, but donations have covered a lot of the expenses. People are still dropping off checks." . Joe Kimball - 651-298-1553 . FEEDING THE TROOPS What: 12,000 steak dinners and satellite reunions. Who: About 2,500 Minnesota National Guard soldiers in Iraq, their multi-national colleagues and 5,000 family members in Minnesota. Where: Various bases in Iraq, and at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday More information: www.servingourtroops.com . PREVIOUS DINNERS FOR THE TROOPS 2004: About 3,000 steak dinners served to soldiers in Kosovo and their family members in St. Paul. 2006: 8,000 steaks for Guard members training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and their families, who had come to say goodbye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moneyshot Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Yep, huge deal. We are doing the food for the funeral. They are planning on 800 - 1200 people. I have lots of planning and ordering to do!!! Didn't know him too well, but very nice guy the few times that I met him. It's too bad, he will be missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 Only went there once, a pre-game dinner with some friends before going to see Da Bears beat the Vikes at the Dome a few years ago. You remember, Vikes fans, the one where Culpepper was stuffed by the Bears D twice from the 1 yard line. RIP to Nick Mancini - didn't actually meet him but that's a damn fine steakhouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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