Cameron Mitchell opened his first restaurant in 1993. To celebrate CMR’s 25th Anniversary, our Executive and Operations teams traveled to Italy in 2018.
During this trip we had had the opportunity to visit Marchesi di Barolo, a fifth-generation family winery in Barolo, and the memory of this special visit has been an inspiration for all of us. Our hosts were the owners, Anna and Ernesto Abbona, who provided an amazing experience of Italian hospitality. During our dinner, on a whim, Anna served a 1993 Barolo from their private family collection to commemorate our 25 years in business.
It was a truly one-in-a-lifetime experience and one that we hold dearly in our hearts. A partnership with the Abbona family was in the making.
In September 2019, CMR hosted a unique wine dinner at our Martini Modern Italian restaurant and showcased Marchesi wines. Valentina Abbona, Marchesi winemaker, owner and the daughter of Anna and Ernesto, flew from Italy to Columbus to join us at the dinner as our special guest. During the planning stages of our Italian concept in Dublin’s Bridge Park, we wanted to pay homage to the Abbona family.
The story of our relationship touched everyone on our team and therefore five years later the restaurant, Valentina’s, was born. Valentina’s is a refined Italian concept with our signature hospitality, Barolo-inspired cuisine, fine wines, and specialty cocktails.