Mandarin In Top 25 Chinese Restaurants in America
Are the throngs of people lined up at the doors of the Mandarin in Bountiful every weekend on to something? Apparently so.
Mandarin Restaurant in Bountiful was featured as one of the top 25 Chinese Restaurants in America by Travel and Leisure magazine. Considering there are at least 41,000 Chinese restaurants scattered across the United States, that’s pretty darn good.
“We’ve been working hard for 36 years and are thrilled about the recognition,” said Angel Skedros Manfredini, pastry chef and part owner of the Mandarin, who emailed me with the news.
The Mandarin has been a popular Bountiful mainstay for years, ever since owner Greg Skedros opened its doors. Yes, it’s owned by a Greek family; but the chefs are Chinese.
The Mandarin was doing “local, seasonal” ingredients long before it became trendy. Back in 2006, I did a story for the Deseret News on some of the high-end restaurants that were buying from local farmers and ranchers. Angel told me that the Mandarin bought its green beans, zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers from Bangerter Farms in Bountiful every summer, and that the customers could definitely tell the difference.