The owners of Pikesville's popular Mexican restaurant
Mari Luna are bringing their food to city residents.
Mari Luna Mexican Bistro will open at 1225 Cathedral St. in Mount Vernon by mid-January. Located across from the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the spot was formerly home to Robert Oliver Seafood and Spike & Charlie's.
The 200-seat restaurant will feature a guacamole bar and sangria bar, says Paul Bartlett, a restaurant consultant working with the Luna family on the opening. It will also focus on entertainment and culture, featuring a Mariachi band.
Featuring the food of central Mexico, Mari Luna will be less formal and less dependent on the symphony crowd that have opened there in the past.
"We're envisioning it as a community gathering place for musicians before and after their gigs," Bartlett says. "It's a beautiful, elegant space. We look forward to being there for quite a while."
Jaime Luna and his family, who own Mari Luna Mexican Grill and Mari Luna Latin Grille, are investing about $100,000 to open the new restaurant, Bartlett says. The restaurant consultant has worked on behalf of Caf� Hon, Donna's, and Phillips Seafood Restaurants.
Bartlett says he and the Luna family like the area because it has gotten some new developments, including the recently opened Fitzgerald apartments.
"I've always loved the restaurant" space, Bartlett says. "It's a social neighborhood and fun gathering place."
The restaurant will employ about 40.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source Paul Bartlett, restaurant consultant