(Wallyhood welcomes Dakota Mackey to these pages. Dakota blogs about food over at Butter and Bunny, and introduces us here to Manolin (3621 Stone Way N), which opened in December.)

Walking past the twinkling lights and outdoor patio, we opened the broad doors into the dining room of Manolin. With soft bright lights and mellow music, the ambiance of Wallingford’s new establishment was both warm and inviting.

Owners Rachel Johnson and Joe Sundberg opened the eatery last month on Stone Way using their joined experience from working at Whale Wins and Walrus and the Carpenter.

Manolin was named after a …