Manna

Manna
123 Princess St.
Wilmington, NC
910.763.5252
 
Manna has some competent people at the helm, not the least of which is the chef. Jacob Hilbert has been around Wilmington for a while, and he's definitely grown as a cook in his time here. He's pared his cooking style down and the food he prepares at Manna really lets the flavors shine through. He's definitely on the fresh/seasonal/local-as-much-as-possible bandwagon, and that's not a criticism. I was impressed.
 
The atmosphere is sleek, upscale and modern. Wait staff was professional, knowledgeable, helpful and pleasant. So you'll definitely get a good experience there. But what's most important is the food, and Jacob definitely delivered. I actually had dinner there with Liz Biro on one of her visits there, and here is her (much better) review.
 
The wine and cocktail list was impressive, without being over-the-top. You guys know I'm not a fan of a huge wine list. It was nice and in the middle. I ordered a seasonal salad - I'd describe it, but they change frequently, so they're going to vary with the season. What I will say is that it was well-executed. Not over or under-dressed, and all the ingredients complimented each other perfectly.
 
For the main course, I went on the heavy side with the veal chop. The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned, gorgeously presented, and the sides were not an afterthought. And the serving was generous enough for leftovers. That the owner was sweet enough to wrap in foil for me (as requested).
 
 

 
 
 
Defintely give Manna a try. It's an elegant, rich dining experience for a special evening downtown.