Italian fare returning to Windsor
Hole in the Wall restaurant to complement Windsor’s downtown dining experience
Windsor’s restaurant scene is expanding once again, this time offering hungry visitors an upscale dining experience.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in
2020, Windsor has lost two of its higher-end restaurants — first, with the closure of Cocoa Pesto on King Street, and then, Lucky Italiano on Water Street.
In January, R&D Dunham Holdings purchased Lucky Italiano and the building that housed it with the intention to once again offer foodies a quality meal surrounded by a charming ambience.
“We plan on sticking to the Italian menu and (providing) an upscale eatery — something that Windsor doesn’t really have right now,” said Mark Wainman, the chief operating officer of R&D Dunham Holdings.
Wainman said the owners — Rick and Debbie Dunham — hope to fill the void the two businesses left with their revamped restaurant called Hole in the Wall.
“Lucky Italiano had a great following and we were able to jump on that,” said Wainman.
“With the closing of Cocoa Pesto and EAT, that kind of left an opening for a higherend eatery.”
Wainman said they opted to rebrand Lucky’s but build upon its existing foundation. With the purchase, they received the business’ original recipes and plan to continue to make the focaccia bread and homemade pizza dough that were staples at the restaurant.
“There was some great food at Lucky Italiano. We thought we’ll take what they’ve already built and we will expand upon it and try to build a bit different ambience with a similar menu,” said Wainman.
WELCOMING BACK A HOMETOWN CHEF
Adam Ullock will be joining the Spitfire’s Dan Pomerleau at the restaurant. Ullock will be the head chef at Hole in the Wall while Pomerleau will oversee both locations, which are both owned by the Dunhams.
“He started his own business and had been working in other kitchens for many years outside of Windsor. It’s kind of nice to have him home,” said Wainman.
Ullock was born in the Yukon but grew up in Windsor as his father was stationed here with the RCMP. He attended King’s-Edgehill School for his Grade 11 and 12 years, graduating in 2003, and went on to take culinary training in Prince Edward Island.
“It is kind of nostalgic for me coming home. I do know a lot of people in Windsor,” said Ullock.
“I’m very passionate about food and hospitality so I just want to bring a new experience and show off my passion and love for food. It’s simple ingredients, local ingredients, but (I’ll) make it really, really flavourful,” he said. “Hopefully the people of Windsor will enjoy it.”
Ullock, who currently lives in Bedford, launched his own catering company during the pandemic called Cooking with Adam. He has a special interest in providing vegetarian and vegan meals, as well as seafood and various meats. He anticipates he will be incorporating some vegetarian options on the menu as well as offering some as specials.
A few days before the grand opening on April 12, both Ullock and Wainman expressed excitement over launching Hole in the Wall.
“We’re excited to dive into what we can do with an Italian menu. Adam has a wealth of experience in all menus so we’re looking forward to it,” said Wainman.
Hole in the Wall will be open for walk-in lunch service every day except Sunday and it will be open for dinner service Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays by reservation. They will also offer a limited takeout menu.
“Based on feedback, just on social media, people are very excited to see this,” said Wainman.
He said regulars of Lucky Italiano are eager to return to their favourite spot, and residents looking for a higherend dining experience are excited to once again have an option that’s closer to home.
They “are looking for the place they can go for their upscale evening out... you likely would have to go to HRM or Wolfville to get that if you’re from the Windsor area,” said Wainman, noting it will be ideal for date nights and special occasions.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of demand.”
R&D Dunham Holdings isn’t new to the restaurant business. It also owns the Spitfire, a British pub that is located next door, and two
Fry Daddy’s locations — one in Windsor and the other in Middle Sackville. Plus, they own several other buildings in Windsor.
Debbie Dunham said she’s optimistic the new restaurant will be a success.
“It’s coming together now. I’m excited,” said Dunham on April 7.
“I was scared to death; I had no experience. I taught school for 34 years; I left teaching and opened Clockmakers
Inn Bed and Breakfast up the road. We’ve been running that for years. We bought the Spitfire. They’ve all done very well so I’m hoping for the best,” she said.
One aspect she’s particularly excited to introduce to the community is a special destination dining event.
“Every four to six weeks, we’re going to plan on a destination dining experience where you’re able to go to a different country and experience culture and foods from that country,” she said, noting they have a world map on the wall that they will scratch countries off as they feature site-specific cuisine.
“We’re going to have a passport. Come each time and collect a stamp on your passport.”
REBRANDING AT THE RIGHT TIME
Wainman said he feels Hole in the Wall will complement the existing downtown businesses well.
“I think that this rebranding and the restaurant reopening will really tie in with the rebranding of the downtown and the energy that seems to be coming from the downtown core right now,” said Wainman, noting there are new signs welcoming people to Windsor.
“I think it’ll be a nice edition. I don’t believe that it’ll compete directly with any of the existing businesses. I think this will be one more stop on the tour of Windsor, which not only will help those who live here and in the surrounding West Hants area, but also HRM and the Valley and all over,” he continued.
“When we open the Atlantic bubble, Windsor will be a great place to stop on the tour through to the Valley,” he said.
The Atlantic bubble is due to open on April 19 and will allow residents from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador to travel freely without COVID19 quarantining requirements.
“I believe this ties in well with the strip that we already have here. I’m glad to be a part of it.”