Avila
1 Charles Street South
Boston, MA 02116
617-267-4810
From Davio’s owner Steve DiFillippo, comes Avila Modern Mediterranean, a bright, spacious addition to Boston’s bustling Theater District. The restaurant, which takes its name form DiFillippo’s mother, features a menu inspired by her native land, the Azores, with Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek and French influences. Small plates and side dishes encourage experimenting and sharing.
Tantalizing aromas from the open kitchen fill the sleek dining room, with its soaring ceiling and golden yellow, cinnamon and terra cottta hues. The oval shaped, alder wood bar is the centerpiece of the airy and cozy lounge, where guests can enjoy a full meal or bites from a light lounge menu.
Avila's Pinchos Party
Sfizi, meze, piattini, pinchos - whatever you call them, they're delicious.
Seventh Annual Cooking for a Cause
On Thursday, March 25th, a slew of chefs from Cambridge and beyond are rallying together in support of the East ...
Taste of the South End 2010
Chefs from some of the South End's top restaurants will be descending upon the Cyclorama at the Boston Center ...
Rodney Murillo
Executive Chef at Avila
Chef Rodney Murillo, originally from Costa Rica, moved to Boston in 1990 when he was sixteen years old. Not yet fluent in English at the time, Murillo chose Boston because he wanted to pursue his growing interest in the kitchen, helping out his uncle who worked in food service for Sheraton Hotels.
But his interest in food was ignited long before he came to the United States. Growing up on his parents' one hundred ten acre coffee plantation, where they produced some of the finest coffee beans in the area, Murillo spent his days fishing with his grandfather. Meals prepared by his parents and grandparents used only fresh caught fish or ingredients picked right out of the garden. When he goes back to visit, his family still takes pride in preparing every meal with the freshest ingredients.
In 1992, an opportunity to work in the kitchen at Davio's Newbury Street location arose. Murillo jumped at the chance to work for one of Boston's more established dining rooms. Once there, Murillo worked his way up the ladder, getting promoted to Sous Chef in 1997. He held that position in both the Boston and Cambridge Davio's locations.
When Davio's Boston relocated to their new space on Arlington Street, Murillo was promoted to Chef de Cuisine for the busy and popular new restaurant. When the Davio's owner Steve DiFillippo appointed him Co-Executive Chef of Avila Modem Mediterranean, Murillo prepared by spending time with chefs Guillermo Pelion of Pasion in Philadelphia and Daniel Boulud of Daniel in New York City. He also traveled to Portugal, Spain and France for inspiration.
Murillo takes great pride in being a self-taught chef and working with many of the same people that have nurtured him through his years at Davio's. He enjoys working in the open kitchen at Avila and creating unique dishes inspired by the Mediterranean. Murillo, who lives in Boston with his wife, always takes special notice to ensure gests are pleased with his culinary creations.
- Aïoli
- 1. noun A blend of ail (garlic) and oli (oil) in the parlance of the Provence region of southern France. Around here, we'd call it a garlic mayonnaise.
- Brioche
- 1. noun A soft, yeasty French bread enriched with butter and eggs.
- Chorizo
- 1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
- Chutney
- 1. noun A spicy, fruity, sometimes marmalade-like Indian condiment.
- Confit
- 1. noun Meat (usually goose, duck or pork) that is slowly cooked in its own fat and preserved with the fat packed around it as a seal.
- Florentine
- 1. noun A cookie of nougatine and candied fruit brushed with a layer of chocolate.
- Foie gras
- 1. noun Expensive, silk-textured goose or duck liver that has been enlarged by a process you don't want to read about if you're going to eat this dish.
- Gremolata
- 1. noun Minced parsley, lemon peel and garlic.
- Jus
- 1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
- Moussaka
- 1. noun A sort of Greek "lasagna" layering minced meat (often lamb or beef) and eggplant slices, sometimes with tomatoes, béchamel sauce and cheese.
- Paella
- 1. noun A saffron-flavored rice dish with meats, vegetables and shellfish; named for the large shallow pan in which it is traditionally cooked.
- Pancetta
- 1. noun Cured Italian bacon.
- Pâté
- 1. noun Ground meat, fish or vegetables blended with fat and seasonings; can be smooth or chunky, served cold or hot.
- Pâte
- 1. noun French for dough, paste or batter.
- Polenta
- 1. noun A slow-cooked cornmeal porridge popular in northern Italy; can be served soupy or firm, sometimes fried.
- Porcini
- 1. noun Smoky, meaty wild mushrooms.
- Prix fixe
- 1. noun French for fixed price, a complete meal that features a limited number of selections at a preset price.
- Quiche
- 1. noun A savory, open-faced pie made from cheese and eggs.
- Risotto
- 1. noun Italian dish made from rice cooked by intermittently adding small amounts of stock or broth. Other ingredients are added as required.
- Shank
- 1. noun The front leg of beef, pork, veal or lamb. Often a very tough cut of meat, the shank requires slow-cooking methods like braising.
- Torchon
- 1. noun Method of cooking foie gras by which it is placed in a towel (torchon in French) and poached.
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