Many Boston restaurateurs have written popular books that reveal their kitchen secrets, but when it comes to the secrets of how to run a successful restaurant, Davio’s Steve DiFillippo wrote the book – literally! With a forward by Patriots owner and community leader Robert Kraft, It’s All About the Guest (Lyons Press), is filled with personal stories, favorite recipes, and advice on how to keep the focus where it belongs- on the customer. This philosophy is evident from the moment you enter any of DiFillippo’s growing family of family-friendly, customer-catering restaurants.
From the warm greeting that every guest receives to the warm smiles, friendly advice and knowledgeable suggestions that are available from each and every member of the staff, Davio’s family want you to feel important, included and comfortable while you enjoy some of the best steaks and Italian fare around. While the spaces may be large, the sturdy, tasteful columns and accompanying pillared floral arrangements, high, comfy banquettes and colorful seating areas, and cordon-able private dining spaces give the eye and the body plenty of places to rest, all while encouraging interaction with family, friends, colleagues and other guests. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than at the rounded bar spaces and wide tables that line the gleaming open kitchen, allowing and encouraging interaction with the friendly staff and also allowing guests to see the care and consideration that go into every dish and glass.
When one considers the depth and breadth of both the drink and food menus, this is quite a task! However, Davio’s pulls it off with flair, offering a range of options that is comprehensive without being overwhelming and that invites and encourages return visits. The wine list features a curated set of American, Italian, and “rest of the world” vintages (including “bubbly” ones and an impressive selection of dessert wines) by the glass, half bottle, bottle or (in some cases) magnum, making it a perfect fit for a romantic dinner for two, a family meal, or a major celebration. The draft and bottle beer list ranges from Harpoon and Sam to Moretti and Stella and the signature cocktail list includes such favorites as the tropical morphine drip known as the Pain Killer and the smart and stately Back Bay. The woody bar is topped by glistening bottles of whatever else you might desire to make whatever else you may be in the mood for and the smart bar staff is always ready to try your favorite or suggest a new one.
Among the other acclaimed accompaniments to the main menus are the freshly-baked popovers and breads (of which you will surely want more, but try to save room!) and the cart-full of house-made desserts, which include a baked-to-order molten chocolate cake, creamy panna cotta, traditional tiramisu, and a banana bread pudding (any or all of which can be accompanied by fresh coffee with a side of baked biscotti) that are among the many perfect finishes to any Davio’s meal. In between these bites of bakery bounty are a cavalcade of culinary classics, each of which is touched with Davio’s handcrafted sense and sensibility.
While Davio’s serves lunch, dinner and now (at the Boston location) Sunday brunch, as well as a full dining experience at the bar, the dinner menu offers a wide array on its own and gives a solid glimpse of all a visit to Davio’s has to offer. From antipasti (appetizers) and marchi to insalate (salads), farinacei (pasta), carni (meat), pesce (fish), and contorini (sides) to Davio’s classici (classics) and casericci (homemade specialties), the sections alone may be a lot to swallow (especially without this handy translation), but each is well-designed and well-explained and the staff is always ready to lend a mano (you know!).
In addition to their famous steaks and bolognese and the world-famous Philly steak rolls (which are available in stores and on their website), the menu includes such special standouts as Kobe beef meatballs, fried oysters and crispy chicken livers, cider-braised pork belly, fusilli with shrimp, hand-rolled potato gnocchi with organic mushrooms and white truffle oil, Maine lobster risotto…. And then there are the main courses! From a roasted half chicken and sautéed veal tenderloin with spinach polenta to their rack of aged steaks that ranges from an 8 oz. prime Flat Iron and a similarly-sized center-cut Filet Mignon to an 18 oz. Porterhouse veal chop and a 24 oz. bone-in Ribeye, the carnivore in your group will have plenty to gnaw on (in a refined, genteel way, of course!). Fish lovers have he seared branzino or organic salmon, grilled swordfish, seared scallops, or sautéed jumbo shrimp. As Davio’s is such a family-oriented place, it is only natural that the kids’ menu be extensive as well, offering such sophisticated selections as multiple types of pasta with an array of sauces, pizza, grilled burgers, and even braised short ribs (or just a reliably delicious PB&J). Even those who are dealing with gluten issues have plenty to choose from, as Davio’s has complete gluten-free menus for lunch and dinner that offer digestible editions of some of their most famous plates. There is even an additional menu for those who like to belly up to the bar can take in the scene in that section.
Though it is only offered at the flagship location in Boston right now, the brunch is worth mentioning, if only for the creative additions it is bringing to Davio’s ever-creative menus. Among these are honey Greek yogurt with homemade granola, apple zeppole with Calvados caramel sauce, Belgian waffle with real (and warm!) Vermont syrup, egg white omelets with fresh local veggies, and a bacon and egg pizza with white truffle oil that brings the heart of the Davio’s kitchen (the brick pizza oven) to brunch!
No matter when you come and what you order (this time), what makws a Davio’s meal what it is is the family philosophy that is behind every seat and every setting. It is this customer-focused philosophy that has allowed Steve DiFillippo and his family to grow from a formerly failing little shop on Newbury Street to a set of expansive (and expanding) eateries that draw from the best of the biggest cities on the East Coast and that give back even more. While their crisp, white jackets may not grab the eye, the servers at Davio’s have personality plus and are always attentive without being overbearing, allowing and encouraging a comfortable experience that is paced as the guest wishes. Need to order fast for the kids? Got it! Want to linger over a bottle before even opening the menu? Linger on! Need help with the Italian? Si! The food and the atmosphere help you feel at home, even when the room may be bigger than your entire house!
So whether you are proposing a new partnership of the personal or professional nature, trying to impress a date or a boss, celebrating a family milestone or just getting out of bed on a lazy Sunday morning, take your colleagues and/or family (or those who may be in it some day) to Davio’s. Steve and his family will be happy to see and serve you!
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