From tableside crepes to Grecian lamb shank, a new restaurant in Old Town is bringing a taste of the Mediterranean to Mary Street.
Cousins John Eymann and Michael Frendo, the duo behind Virgil’s Bricks and Barley sports bar, opened the doors to their new dining venture, Mdina Fine Dining, in late February, an intimate, 15-seat restaurant in the same building as Nine Vines Hotel, which opened last June.
“A lot of things happened on a fluke,” said Eymann, describing how he came to own the new venture. He said Frendo wanted to open a hotel and found the property, which already had a restaurant space attached.
“My creative mind thought this was the perfect opportunity,” he said. “It’s the right size for fine dining … we felt it was the perfect place for that kind of dining.”
Eymann said one reason he wanted to open the restaurant was to connect with his heritage. He and Frendo are of Maltese origin.
The menu features Mediterranean cuisine from across the region, including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Malta.
Diners can start with escargot, order a Grecian lamb shank for dinner and finish with sauteed crepes for dessert. The menu also includes soups and pastas ranging from gnocchi to pasta pillows.
“We wanted to bring some of our heritage here,” he said.
Eymann said the restaurant’s name refers to Mdina, a city in Malta known as “the silent city.” It was the country’s first capital and a filming location during the first season of “Game of Thrones.”
The head chef at Mdina is Giuseppe Piruzza, a Windsor native with a nearly 24-year career who has worked in nine countries.
Eymann described Piruzza as “one of the best chefs in Niagara-on-the-Lake” and said the partnership was a good fit.
“We had probably a two-hour conversation on the phone the first time,” said Eymann. “He fell in love with my concept, my idea of Mediterranean. Not like strictly Italian, Mediterranean.”
Piruzza said he serves traditional Mediterranean dishes with a modern twist. Some meals are prepared tableside, using a burner and frying pan on a rolling cart brought to guests.
Food is cooked and served directly from the pan, a style of service that was once more common, he said.
Property manager Inna Mantegna said the hotel has been busy so far.
“The summer has been pretty busy,” she said, adding that even in winter the hotel generally sees guests on weekends.
Mantegna said the hotel offers rooms with king-, queen- and twin-sized beds. Breakfast and parking are included with a stay.
Eymann said the owners plan to add a 10th room this summer, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom executive suite.
Eymann grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake and said the town was the natural place to open the business.
“I would never look anywhere else,” he said. “I love NOTL. I love every aspect of it.”
Mdina Fine Dining, located at 390 Mary St., is open Wednesday to Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eymann said the restaurant will extend its hours in the summer.
