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Dion Alpert, Amir Dayan – owners “A romantic place to enjoy a glass of wine (or even two); A place where the food, the service and the atmosphere is friendly & comfortable” - Dion & Amir indicate about their Gastro Wine Bar. Mirabelle, a neighborhood gastro wine bar, has been a vision for many years and finally, a reality. Born & raised in South Africa, Alpert was drawn to the hospitality industry throughout his youth. After graduating with a National Diploma in Hotel Management and certified in “International Wine” and “South African Wine” to name a few, Alpert moved to London in 1995 to complete his 3 years of industrial training. At that point in time, London was a melting pot of international flavors – Australian, French, Spanish, American, Italian & Asian influenced cuisine. It was during this time in London, Alpert was fascinated by the culinary world and opportunities. For the next few years, Alpert made a name for himself & was responsible for the successful openings of 5 popular restaurants including: Capital Radio Cafe (London, England 1999), Watermark Cafe (Portsmouth, England 2000), and Shish Restaurant & Bar (London, England 2001). When asked about his career highlights, Alpert mentions, “working for Richard Branson and hosting film parties such as “Legends of the Fall” and La Bella ?poque was an interesting project of 3 dining concepts under one roof, and Fishnets the opening of a seafood restaurant at Chelsea Football Club”. In 2002, Alpert relocated to Toronto, Canada to be closer to his brother and family. His career achievements in London, England enabled him to accept management roles in places such as Wolfgang Puck (Oakville, Canada), manager of Sassafraz (Toronto, Canada), and lastly, at Auberge du Pommier (Toronto, Canada) Bringing to Mirabelle, his wealth of experience, learning’s of what works and what does not in this industry, and a passion for genuine hospitality, Alpert believes these are the key ingredients for success. “The daily grind of life is hard,” says Alpert “and my goal is to make my guests forget, even for 1 hour, the outside world. If I can accomplish this with the help of great food, a comfortable environment, interesting cocktails and excellent wine, than I have done my job. That is my reward,” says Dion Alpert, Mirabelle. Amir Dayan Amir & Dion have known each other for over 2 years and Mirabelle is their first joint venture. "I like the hands-on approach" says Amir as he makes delicious cocktails behind the bar, "The opportunity to talk to people and to see their faces shine as they taste my Mixology, is a great satisfying feeling" he adds. Amir has been living in Toronto for the past 3 years, after spending 7 years in the High Tech industry in Silicon Valley, California. "The variety gastro food in Toronto is amazing!" he says, "An opportunity to enlighten each dish with cultural flavors is very exciting". As a musician, Amir plans to play live music with his friends making the "Mirabelle Experience" even more unique. "Jazz, Blues and Flamenco music contribute significantly to the uniqueness of Mirabelle Wine Bar and infuse the gastro experience".
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