PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

A cavernous space with a surprisingly comfortable vibe, Davio's offers robust cuisine that contrasts delightfully with the business-chic setting. It's stylish but not trendy: Owner-chef Steve DiFillippo built the restaurant's excellent reputation on its top-notch kitchen and dedicated staff. Straight-up Northern Italian cuisine shares the menu with steakhouse offerings such as picture-perfect steaks, chops, and seafood, as well as inventive-comfort-food sides. The traditional dishes -- homemade sausage, savory soups, out-of-this-world pasta and risotto (I'd walk a mile for the lobster version) -- are equally superb, making Davio's a great compromise for hard-core carnivores dining with Italophiles. The exceptional wine list includes some rare and expensive Italian vintages, and the excellent breads and desserts are made in-house. Despite the open kitchen, the bar in the middle of the room, and the lively lounge area, the noise level allows for conversation, even at busy times. Bonus, if you're into that sort of thing: When the Yankees are in town to play the Red Sox, you can often see at least a few of them here.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Boston 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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