a bit of history
Forty years of combined experience in the hospitality industry has taught the husband and wife team of Chef Dan Megna and Laurie Lilliman much about food and wine. The driving force behind Twisted Lemon is that, "fine dining is great food and great service, and is an experience that all should enjoy".
And so began the concept of "redefine dining", only bringing in those pieces of the industry that they love into Twisted Lemon's positive philosophy.
Located in the picturesque villiage of Cayuga, Haldimand County, Ontario, Twisted Lemon is described as a "hidden gem", which now attracts a faithful following of 'flavour junkies' and experienced diners from far and wide.
Featuring a lively open-concept kitchen in a tasteful and eclectic ambiance, Chef Dan Megna's dishes are well-thought out in their design. Careful consideration is put into each dish, intended to illuminate all of the senses and offer depth and balance in flavour and texture.
In addition to a core menu, Twisted Lemon offers seasonal and locally inspired cuisine, including exciting monthly features, house-baked breads and pastries, and a prix fixe menu every Thursday evening. Chef Dan Megna doesn't try to be like anyone else. Here you will find quality food and service that stands on its own merit.
Mission. Passion. Humour. Balance. There is a great story here....
the team
Dan Megna; Chef
Many of you already know Dan as Haldimand County's passionate, funny and talented chef. He checks pretension at the door and remains true to his authentic self and personal mission, to contribute to his community by offering a welcomed definition of fine dining, stating with conviction, that "fine dining is no more than great food, paired with great service, and it is a deserved privelege to 'everyone'".
Before opening his first restaurant, here in Cayuga, a graduate of Humber College Culinary Program, Dan's experiences have included working in some of Ontario's best kitchens including Mark McEwan's North 44, Oliver's of Oakville, Rosewood Bistro (Mississauga), and the Metropolitian Hotel in downtown Toronto.
A natural facilitator of information, since 2006, Dan has eagerly shared his food knowledge at his Twisted Lemon Cooking Classes & Wine Dinners. He has enjoyed teaching from his original catering kitchen, at local high schools, right in Cayuga's Foodland as well as at countless private in-home classes. From the beginning, his classes have become very popular, and are equally 'entertaining', 'a great time', and bursting with practical and useful culinary gems.
Laurie Lilliman
Laurie is 'the other half' of Twisted Lemon. When she and Dan searched for the ideal place to raise their family, grow a successful business and realize their dream of building a really special place for people to wine and dine, the town of Cauyga drew them in...and they haven't looked back.
Just about three decades in the hospitality industry has literally taken Laurie on a culinary adventrue around the globe, working in restaurants in Australia, England, Italy, Canada's West Coast, and prior to starting her own business in Haldimand County, at Toronto's Sotto Sotto Ristorante. Entering fine dining in the 80's as one of the first female servers at Hamilton's Maxwell's, she developed her passion for the art of fine dining and, more importantly, her calling to serve and spoil.
Having served the likes of A-list celebrities, royalty, countless sports and musical personalities, her like-minded attitude with Dan that "fine dining is just great food and great service", makes her the "front-of-the-house" figure at Twisted Lemon that is there to ensure that your dining experience brings you that little something extra!
Patrick H Field; Sommelier
There just isn't enough space here (well....there is, but then we'd have no room for the other good stuff), to tell you how thrilled we are to share Patrick with you as Twisted Lemon's in-house Sommelier and Beverage Manager. A self-professed "wine geek", his humility is only second to his sense of humour. Patrick's wine knowledge is extensive, and his attitude and respect for viniculture is refreshing, this is evident in the creative and interesting selections he chooses for Twisted Lemon's wine list.
Before making his way to Cayuga, Patrick's impressive career has left it's mark on several fine Canadian restaurants including, The Millcroft Inn (Alton), The Blacktree Restaurant (Burlington), The Ancaster Old Mill, The Lord Nelson Restaurant (Burlington), The Oban Dining Room (Niagara-on-the-lake), Eaton Hall (King City), and Oliver's of Oakville.
When dining at Twisted Lemon, Patrick is available for wine consultation, and is also available for your private wine dinners, tastings and consultation, both in restaurant, or in the privacy of your own home, Just let us know, and we'll be happy to make the arrangements for your own special function!
Cindy Presant; Creative Baker, Cook & Vidographer
Chances are that when you dine at Twisted Lemon you will have the enjoyable experience of sampling Cindy's house-made breads, pastries, soups or unique sorbets. Bringing with her a diploma in Culinary Management, her refined techinque, paired with her natural creative flair, produces interesting and original recipes every month to compliment Chef Dan's exciting Feature Board.
Cindy's passion for organic gardening includes growing herbs, vegetables and fruits. Gooseberries, Hops and Horehound provide her with inspriation to create her flavourful repertoire of Haldimand County's bountiful offerings. A resident of Haldimant County for nearly two decades, Cindy has been employed at such reputable restaurants as The Erie Beach Hotel, The Norfolk Golf and Country Club, and the Grand River Dinner Cruises.
As the creative eye behind the video camera, Cindy enjoys documenting Chef Dan and his team in the open-concept kitchen, and converts raw footage into short videos packages with restaurant realism and flavour!
