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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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.
