Manna debuts Restaurant Week lunch in addition to dinner

By Alexis Larsen, Dine Out Dayton Correspondent
January 29, 2025

The dining scene in Uptown Centerville is on fire with a wealth of fantastic restaurants serving up terrific food in close proximity, but there’s one that is leading the fine dining charge.

Manna Uptown is a two-story restaurant with two impressive bars that boasts a new world meets old world elegance and opulence. Exquisite taste emanates from every surface and flourish that you take in, from the plush upholstered chairs and booths to the inlaid marble floors you find yourself walking on.

The vibe is one of timeless sophistication that enchants and charms as soon as you walk through the doors and lay eyes on the expansive first-floor bar.

When Chef Margot Blondet opened it in 2023 she had a vision right down to the name, which means “food from the gods to feed the soul.”

It’s aptly named.

This is the second restaurant for the highly regarded Chef who also serves as executive chef and owner of the long-running and much loved Salar in the Oregon District.

This year for the first time select restaurants are participating in restaurant week with lunch hours and specials. Manna, which has been a destination for everything from work power lunches to leisurely afternoon wine and dines with friends and everything in between, already had the hours to accommodate. The restaurant opens at 11 a.m. on most days except Mondays when it is only open for dinner service from 4-9 p.m.

For its restaurant week lunch it is offering a creamy Peruvian spinach pesto sauce tossed with a nest of homemade spaghetti and topped with a perfectly cooked poached egg ($22.95). It was a creamy, savory dream that was never too much but just enough. The kind of dish that a cold January day calls for that would pair well with a bright Chardonnay or a deep pinot noir with some bite.

The other Restaurant Week lunch option is a Caprese sandwich with a Caesar salad ($19.25). A wonderfully flavorful prosciutto di parma is layered with fresh mozzarella, arugula, heirloom tomato and balsamic and basil pesto on a toasted stirato ciabatta bun served alongside a fire-grilled Romaine Caesar with Parmesan cheese, cilantro croutons, bacon and aji amarillo Caesar dressing. It’s a lovely take on so many of the heavy lunch-time sandwich options you so often find on menus.

Manna is focused on an infusion of modern European and South American influences and flavors with elegant plating and preparations that match the splendor that envelopes you as soon as you enter, and dinner is where this is on full display.

For the first course choose from a classic red wine poached pear salad on a bed of arugula highlighted with honey goat cheese, toasted walnuts and a red wine vinaigrette. Crispy cauliflower fritters are the second option with smoked onions, queso fresco and a harissa-piquillo pepper hummus. The third option to start the meal with is a crespelle alla fiorentina — crêpes filled with ricotta cheese and sautéed spinach topped with a cheesy bechamel, baked and drizzled with tomato sauce.

For the second course choose between the hearty beef hanger steak frites ($65.25) or the lovely mahi filet ($55.25) served with torched mashed potatoes and almond dusted asparagus. The dish puts a French flair on display with a wonderful creamy lemon Champagne sauce that pairs nicely with the fish.

A French semi-sweet Torte Au Chocolat is the decadent dessert to finish off their restaurant week offering.

As all of Manna’s regular menu is, the Restaurant Week offerings are every bit as delicious as the visual feast that greets you at the door.

Restaurant details: Manna Uptown
61 W. Franklin St., Centerville
937-972-1215
mannauptown.com

Related: 2025 Winter Restaurant Week Guide 

With two decades dedicated to covering the culinary world, Dine Out Dayton Correspondent Alexis Larsen brings an unmatched passion for dining, storytelling, and connecting food lovers with the vibrant chefs, flavors, and trends that define our community’s dining scene. Join her as she shines a spotlight on the region’s restaurants, celebrating their rich culture, latest menu updates, special dinners and events, talented new chefs, creative dishes, breaking news, and unique culinary adventures. Have a story to share? E-mail alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com to reach out. Bon appétit!