Tavolo
1918 Dorchester Avenue
Boston, MA 02124
617-822-1918
After more than 30 years behind the stove at his high end, South End restaurant (Icarus), chef-owner Chris Douglass headed just south of Boston to open not one, but two casual eateries in his own neck of the woods. Tavolo and sister establishment up the block, Ashmont Grill, are beacons of good food and liveliness, drawing hungry diners to the under-the-radar Peabody Square section of Dorchester.
The dining room, in shades of mocha and deep orange, and adorned with one-of-a-kind photographs by local artist Andy Ryan, is casual yet sophisticated – a perfect spot for a night out in the neighborhood. The lively and spacious bar, which looks out onto Dorchester Avenue, is equally accommodating, with plenty of high tops and comfortable bar seating.
The kitchen goes well beyond the basics – there are pizzas and paninis to be had – but housemade pasta, cheese, sausage often steal the show. Regulars return on a weekly basis to try the reasonably-priced prix fixe menus inspired by the regions of Italy. The meatballs alone are worth the drive down Dot Ave – just ask Bon Appétit.
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Chris Douglass
Chef at Tavolo
A self-taught and unmentored chef who began washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen as a teenager, pioneering Chris Douglass credits the works of Julia Child and Alice Waters for his original and continuing culinary inspiration. His first job cooking was with Odette Bery at Another Season, a now-shuttered restaurant on Beacon Hill.
When Douglass was hired at Icarus in 1978, the restaurant was serving peasant food from a funky storefront in an un-gentrified section of the city. Today, Icarus serves elegant, celebratory food in a sophisticated dining room, and that same area - the South End - is now considered the hub of fine dining in Boston.
Douglass bought Icarus in 1999 (with a silent partner), and has since has honed his style to one that The Boston Globe refers to as "an intelligent way to approach food ... dishes and flavors with integrity." His imaginative and flawlessly executed American cuisine has won countless regional accolades and "best ofs." Nationally, the 2005 Zagat Survey rated Icarus twenty points out of thirty for food, putting it among the Top Ten in Boston.
In 2005, thanks to the enthusiasm of more than thirty local investors, and the help of innovative municipal funding, Douglass opened the Ashmont Grill, a casual breakfast-lunch-dinner spot in Dorchester, a transitional area of Boston.
When the topic of sustainable, local ingredients arises in Boston, Douglass' name is never far behind. His commitment to sustainability dates more than a decade, and his leadership of Chefs Collaborative, on both local and national levels, backs it up. He is also active in Share Our Strength, Seafood Choices Alliance, and several local organizations operating in the neighborhoods where he does business.
Douglass forges close bonds with the purveyors of his carefully chosen food; they range from Cape Cod hook-and-line fisherman and clammers, to local mushroom foragers, to exotic Asian green growers and inner-city gardeners. As a consequence, he is likely to donate his time and talent to support their causes as his own.
- Asiago
- 1. noun Semi-firm Italian cheese made from cow's milk.
- Champ
- 1. noun An Irish favorite of mashed potatoes, green onions and butter.
- Chorizo
- 1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
- 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.
- Cremini
- 1. noun Young portobello mushrooms.
- Emulsion
- 1. noun The mixture of two liquids that cannot normally combine smoothly (e.g., oil and water). Mayonnaise and hollandaise are two familiar emulsions.
- Fra diavolo
- 1. noun Generally describes tomato-based sauces that are spiced with chiles
- Fricassee
- 1. noun A thick, chunky stew of meat (often chicken or veal), vegetables and sometimes wine.
- Gazpacho
- 1. noun A Spanish soup served chilled, originally a puree of cucumber, tomato, onion, bell pepper, celery, vinegar, breadcrumbs, olive oil and garlic.
- Hollandaise
- 1. noun An emulsion of egg yolks, lemon juice and hot melted butter, the smooth, rich sauce is often an accompaniment to vegetable, fish and egg dishes.
- Jus
- 1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
- Mascarpone
- 1. noun Ultra-rich, soft cheese known best for its role in tiramisu.
- Oxtail
- 1. noun A very flavorful cut of meat usually from beef or veal tail. Can be very tough so, often requires long, slow braising.
- Pancetta
- 1. noun Cured Italian bacon.
- Pesto
- 1. noun An Italian sauce traditionally made with basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and Romano and Parmesan cheeses.
- 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.
- Ragu
- 1. noun Tomato and meat sauce from Bologna.
- Salsify
- 1. noun A root vegetable with oyster-flavored flesh.
- Tagliatelle
- 1. noun What they call fettuccine born in northern Italy.
- Verjus
- 1. noun Sour liquid made from unripe fruit; used to flavor sauces and condiments.
- Yuzu
- 1. noun A tangy citrus fruit with flavorful rind.
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