The namesake of Manni’s Italian Kitchen has a key vision for the restaurant – that it becomes a place for people to fall in love.
Now, whether that’s with a blind date, a bowl of strawberry gelato or a plate of Bucatini Alla Pescatora Fra Diavolo remains to be seen.
The restaurant opened its doors and its kitchen to the public Tuesday, and diners returning to 224 W. Pacific Ave. are in for a surprise as the former pizza joint has undergone an extensive renovation and revitalization since they last stepped inside.
The cuisine, of course, has met a complete transformation as well. The team behind Manni’s aims or a homey Italian menu to welcome a diverse community of family, friends, neighbors and, perhaps, future sweethearts.
That’s how it began, after all.
A few years back, Manni Sheikh was set up on a blind date at Café Barron’s in Longview, and he’s grateful today to credit the locally-owned fine dining establishing for changing his life. On the other side of that equation was Madison Mack, likewise eager to meet her mystery dinner companion.
From that first meal to courtship, proposal, engagement, wedding and honeymoon, the couple’s love story is part of the fabric of Manni’s Italian Kitchen and, in no small way, its origin story. The choice of menu manifested not long after they said their vows in 2023.
“Right after we got back from our honeymoon, actually,” Manni says. “We went to Italy,” touring through Capri, Rome and Florence. “It’s just a great place.”
“I said, we ought to just open up a restaurant. It ended up taking some shape, and a myriad of things came together for this.”
It came together just in time: the restaurant’s official grand opening March 19 landed one day after Madison and Manni’s one-year anniversary.
Notably, their families are integral in the restaurant’s story, as well – Madison’s the daughter of Longview Mayor Dr. Andy Mack; Manni’s the son of SND Energy Company’s Ali Sheikh, a cornerstone East Texas oil producer;
“I started working here about 10 years ago in the East Texas, Longview, Gladewater area,” Manni said. “To be around in the ‘30s and ‘40s at these places that were booming – the history behind the places, it’s neat…”
The newlyweds looked into buying 224 W. Pacific Ave. It was, at that point, a fixer-upper. The former West Pacific Pizza had seen better days, and it had been shuttered for a good while.
“With a little imagination, though… My dad said, ‘We might as well make a pizza place.’ All the equipment was already here,” Manni recalled. “It kind of evolved from there to ‘Let’s get a whole new kitchen, let’s get it all fixed up.’”
Unsurprisingly, the two joined families were keen for what would come of the dream: “The grandmothers and the aunts, they just wanted a good place to come eat. We brought them for a tasting here, and they were all ranting and raving.”