Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Allen-Ayanian.
Mia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In the summer of 2019, we opened our cozy, intimate space nestled on the marina in Shelter Cove.
Our ever-evolving menu features seasonal food using quality ingredients procured from local purveyors. And we are constantly changing our expansive wine list curated worldwide, heavily focused on low interventionists and small producers.
We met in 2008 while still working in the federal government and him in the motorcycle sales industry and quickly fell in love over homemade dinners and traveling the world exploring food and wine. Kevin comes from an Armenian family in Baltimore, and Mia’s family has lived in Omaha, Nebraska since the 60s.
And we are thrilled to have been able to share our love of food, wine, family, and friends to create a space where people can relax, feel at home, and sometimes never want to leave.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road? No. Being a new local restaurant in mid-island is not easy.
The pandemic put us on the map by introducing us as another curbside, Togo, and carryout restaurant. Shelter Cove Marina is a beautiful place on the island with many shops and restaurants to choose from.
We want everyone to know that we are here on the waterfront. The sunsets are beautiful from our patio. We have a food menu that pairs well with our wines.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
With a military background and many travel opportunities over the years.
This has been on a lifelong mission to learn everything about wine, down to the most delicate details of how it’s made and how its flavors are derived. In fact, when we considered opening a restaurant 10 years ago, I thought I wanted to make my own wine and I have.
We continue to explore vineyards and educate ourselves on the nuances of wine. “It’s a collaborative of being stateside and going overseas, talking to the sommeliers and the winemakers.
What matters most to you?
Shelter Cove Marina is a beautiful place on the island with many shops and restaurants to choose from.
We want everyone to know that we are here on the waterfront. The sunsets are beautiful from our patio. We have a food menu that pairs well with our wines.
What matters most to us is that we serve our community. We are local and we want to show our appreciation to all the guests and locals that we would not be here if it weren’t for their support and dedication.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @toswinebar
- Facebook: TOSwinebar
Image Credits
M. Allen-Ayanian
