If you’re looking for a break from your regular dinner joint or want to take date night up a notch, then head to Prime Mediterranean in Topping, where co-owners JC and Mac Casale and Dean Tsamouras have created their Greek and Italian culinary vision.
If you’re looking for a break from your regular dinner joint or want to take date night up a notch, then head to Prime Mediterranean in Topping, where co-owners JC and Mac Casale and Dean Tsamouras have created their Greek and Italian culinary vision.Diners can feast on a selection of dishes from the coasts of Italy, Greece, Spain and France and an explosion of fresh flavors that make the tastebuds tingle.
The dishes—and cocktails—are as attractive as they are tasty.
The restaurant, which was previously Eckhard’s, was purchased by the Casales and Tsamouras in 2023 and opened in February 2024 after some minor but elegant decor changes. The carpeting is gone, brick painted, wall paper taken down and the bar expanded. Most recently, a cigar lounge was added on the front covered patio. The restaurant has a large humidor and sells cigars.
Eckhard’s specialized in Italian and German fare and Mac said he and his wife JC wanted to keep those Italian roots and continue to serve dishes like chicken and veal parmesans, picattas, primaveras and alfredos.
Mac said JC and her family—all restauranteurs in Italy—are focused on healthy eating and organic products, which helped shape Prime’s menu. “One of the reasons we went with the Mediterranean flare is because [JC] wanted to incorporate more healthy fare,” Mac said. “Our accent is on healthier, flavorful preparation.”
My friend Janet and I headed across the Robert O. Norris Jr. Memorial Bridge to Topping for a flavor-filled dinner a few weeks ago on a Thursday evening. Our girls night out started with some colorful signature cocktails—JC’s lemon lavender martini and a skinny blood orange cosmo. Mac says a favorite among the male diners is Mac’s Smoked Italian Old Fashioned, which comes just as the name implies, smoking.
To start, we chose fried calamari which came lightly breaded and covered with a pepper and olive salad and slivered parmesan cheese.
According to Mac, a customer favorite appetizer is the Arancini-Italian fried rice balls with a chef’s choice of stuffing. However, we opted for the house dips, also a chef’s choice nightly. On this night, it was a taste of spinach and artichoke dip and a feta cheese dip. Spinach and artichoke has long been a favorite of mine and this one did not disappoint.
Janet and I came hungry and chose two hearty entrees, again customer favorites, according to Mac.
I had the pork osso bucco, which was a hearty sized pork shank over a mix of spinach and Israeli couscous. The pork was juicy and tender and fell off the bone.
Janet chose short rib ragu—slow roasted and fork tender short ribs in a red sauce over gorgonzola filled pasta. Shaved parmesan topped the dish and a side of garlic crisps gave the dish that little extra crunch. They were served on the same plate but on the side to add or not.
I gave her dish a taste test and have to admit, the creamy gorgonzola-filled pasta was one of my favorite items of the night.
The chef completed our meal with a sampler dessert platter, a mix of the evening’s sweet treat choices of sweet potato cheesecake, apple crisp, double chocolate cake and a lemon creme brûlée, a refreshing and new-to-me take on traditional creme brûlée. It was light with just a hint of tartness.
Janet and I came hungry but we definitely didn’t leave that way. In fact, we left with plenty of leftovers.
The menu also includes several fresh seafood and steak entrees.
The restaurant has multiple price-point options including an early bird menu with three courses, including four entrees to choose from, for $29 on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays and a prix-fixe chef’s choice, 3 for $35, nightly special. Along with the specials, there are a bulk of mid-range entrees and a celebration menu when diners feel like splurging.
“We wanted to use a broad brush stroke, not just fancy dining, but available to all income levels,” said Mac.
Prime Mediterranean is one of 11 restaurants the Casales own or co-own in Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex and the Richmond area. They will be opening another at a marina in Gloucester hopefully by the end of the year and have purchased an old mill in Gloucester with plans to open a restaurant at the property in 2026.
“We’re always in the market for interesting and unique properties,” said Mac.
And if diners are in search of traditional Mediterranean fare with a modern, flavor-filled twist and decadent-tasting but healthy, then they can find it in Topping.
Prime Mediterranean
2700 Greys Point Road, Topping 23169
804-758-4060
Open
4:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays through Saturdays
4-7:30 p.m. Sundays
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Crowd Favorites:
Pork Osso Bucco
Filet mignon
Pasta dishes
Picattas
Did You Know?
The building, which is now Prime Mediterranean, on the corner of Greys Point and Locklies Creek Road was originally a 7-Eleven convenience store.
