Company History & Bios: Aida Bistro & Wine Bar
AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar’s co-owners, Joe and Mary Barbera, had a life-long dream to open a restaurant and wine bar.
The Barbera Family
Natives of Chicago, Illinois, Joe and Mary moved to Maryland in 1984. Before following his passion for food and wine, Joe worked in the high tech industry for over 20 years and was responsible for sales and marketing for many small start-up companies during his career. Mary owned a calligraphy business for 20 years and is a certified youth minister. Together they have raised five children, all whom at one time or another have been employed at AIDA Bistro.
In addition to their love for their restaurant and their customers, Mary and Joe are actively involved in the community. Joe is on the Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) Board as its Chairman, is past President of Howard County Tourism Board of Directors and is Chairman of the Board of Blossoms of Hope. Mary is actively involved with 4H, The ARC of Howard County and Gilchrist Hospice. Both are also involved in St. Louis Parish in Clarksville, Maryland.
Joe and Mary’s passion for great food and wine is reflected in their philosophy, “Wine is Food,” and shows with their diverse and progressive wine list, and the largest Wine on Tap program in Maryland.
Who is Aida?
Their first restaurant is named after Joe’s mother, Lillian Aida Barbera, who resides with them and often warmly greets patrons on Saturday evenings. To the delight of our guests, many of Aida’s recipes have been incorporated into our menu over the years. If Aida is not greeting guests in person, her smiling portrait promises to greet you in our wine bar.
Corey Laub, Executive Chef
Corey Laub has returned to AIDA Bistro!
Born and raised in Columbia, Maryland, Corey joined the AIDA Bistro team just about 10 years ago as an intern realizing he wanted to spend his life in a kitchen. Corey went on to learn his trade at other great area restaurants including The Wine Market , 701, and Firefly. He took his first Sous Chef job at the age of 21 at Lincoln Restaurant in D.C. After Lincoln, Corey held the Sous position Beuchert’s Saloon, and then served as Chef De Cuisine of Level in Annapolis. Looking for a new challenge in 2016, Corey moved to Chicago to take his first Executive Chef position at Novo. Corey moved back to the area to take on the role of Executive Chef at both Fork & Wrench and Modern Cook Shop.
Corey returns to AIDA Bistro with passion for food and a drive to satisfy every guest. Stop by to taste his food and meet him.
Our Team
We take great pride in our staff’s friendly service and their warm hospitality. It is our philosophy to help our staff continually improve by taking classes, participating in culinary contests and other kinds of self and community improvement. There are several charity events that our entire staff supports. These include: Gilchrist Hospice’s Taste of Howard County, Souper Bowl of Caring, The ARC’s Chocolate Ball and raising funds for Blossoms of Hope to support the Tina Broccolino/Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center.
We believe our company history and dedicated staff makes the difference in your overall experience at AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar. Please eat, drink, and experience our restaurant and let us know what we can do to make your visit even more enjoyable.