When you take a chef from The Purple Pig and the team behind the Francesca’s restaurants and mix them together you end up with Davanti Enoteca. A quaint place in Little Italy with a menu that rivals the best. There is something about a brisk night, tea candles ablaze, exposed brick, and recycled wood bar that seemed extra inviting as we walked in the door. The wine menu was full of Italian wines just begging to be tried. On tap was a 2008 red Salice Salantino from the Puglia area.
Since we were a large group we decided to order several things on the menu to share. Appetizers were cacciatorini (wild boar salami) and chicken liver pate served in a mini mason jar with tuscan toast. I have never tried pate before and decided to branch out this night and give it a whirl. Ok…sold. Won’t snub my nose at that every again.
Next up was Paccheri con Salsiccia e Pomodri al forna (rigatoni & sausage) and pizza con prosciutto e ruscola (prosiutto, mozzarella and arugla). The ‘gravy’ was nice and light, pasta al dente, along with a perfectly made wood burning crust on the pizza.
The highlight for me was the ‘board.’ They literally bring out a small piece of wood, pour mascarpone polenta on it (which tasted like a vat of cream and butter were added to it) and then top it off with a lamb ragu.
There were so many more things beckoning to be ordered, that I’ll have to go back.
1359 W. Taylor Street (Little Italy)
*No reservations, so get there early*
