Review: The Manor Breathes New Life Into an Iconic Space in Mt. Vernon

Greatness, it is said, often skips a generation. When The Elephant opened in 2016 in the Mount Vernon mansion that once housed the legendary Brass Elephant, we hoped it would be a worthy successor.

It was not. In her review of the restaurant, Baltimore food and dining editor Jane Marion lamented that “the food is almost secondary to the space,” and “many of the menu items we sampled needed some sort of tweaking.” The Elephant closed in 2019, leaving the future of this hallowed restaurant ground in doubt.

Into that void stepped The Manor, a restaurant and “ultra-lounge” that has brought a new personality to the location and revived the spot’s status as destination dining. Co-owners Robert Gay and Josh Persing have created a beautiful oasis that maintains the location’s elegance and character while infusing a dash of liveliness into the old building, which once housed a furniture store.

A traditional chandelier still hangs over the foyer, and purple lights illuminate the bottles behind both the small bar downstairs and a larger marble one upstairs. A rainbow of colors gracing the walls, bar stools, rugs, and artwork makes the place feel fresh and fun.

In addition to the bars and dining rooms, there are spots for lounging and listening to DJs who perform on weekend nights and watching drag shows during brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. They’re wildly popular, so if you want to go it’s best to buy tickets online ahead of time.

Despite its striking setting, at The Manor, the food is most definitely not secondary to the space. We found the menu to be inventive and well-executed during our two visits this winter.

Club music plays throughout the building, but it isn’t so loud as to preclude conversation. We started each visit with a round of cocktails that were expertly made by a friendly and talented bartender who goes simply by “J.” The cleverly named Moira’s Rose (a nod to Catherine O’Hara’s sassy character on the television show Schitt’s Creek, we assume) is made with vodka, Earl Grey tea, hibiscus syrup, and a squeeze of lemon. It was just the right level of sweetness, as was the Solstice, a solid combination of gin, prosecco, and cranberry juice garnished with rosemary. The Oaxaca Old-Fashioned is made with mezcal, rather than the traditional bourbon, and its smokiness shines through. It would make for a pleasing after-dinner drink as well.

Appetizers tend toward the heavier side, with smoked mac and cheese, wings, crab dip, and sweet potato tots leading the way. The best among them was the burrata, which was perfectly creamy on the inside and served with a marinated sun-dried tomato compote and basil pesto.

We also absolutely loved the crostini, which were salted and not over-toasted, a common problem we encounter at restaurants around town. The pear and blue cheese salad was terrific—the fruit was ripe, and the blue cheese was plentiful. Oysters on the half shell and charcuterie and cheese plates are available as well.

All the entrees we enjoyed had one thing in common: Each ingredient on the plate made its presence known. The exterior of the lemon pistachio chicken was crispy, the inside nice and juicy. It was served with butternut purée, charred Brussels sprouts, and smoked cranberry bordelaise. In a world of bland chicken dishes, this one stands out.

The togarashi-spiced seared tuna is a star. It’s tempting to eat the beautiful slices of fish on their own, but take our word for it and try a mouthful with the kimchi slaw and stir-fried mushrooms.

Everything here is great individually, but the dish works best when all the components are eaten together. The pumpkin ravioli, stuffed with mascarpone, was also excellent. There’s a nice subtlety to the brown sage butter sauce, and the pumpkin ricotta is exceptional.

We didn’t get a chance to try the burger or crab cakes, but we did sample two of the four pizzas on the menu. The wild mushroom and basil pizza featured some of the tastiest toppings we’ve had (it also comes with basil pesto ricotta, pepperoncini, arugula, and a spicy honey drizzle) and a fresh, doughy crust. The duck and fig pie, though a tad too sweet for our taste, also was nicely executed.

With excellent service, a welcoming atmosphere, and consistently stellar food, The Manor is channeling the spirit of the Brass Elephant while creating its own history. Whether it will prove to be great years from now is an open question, but it’s off to a very promising start.