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Construction of the restaurant located at 101 S. Ohio Ave. near the Shelby County Courthouse “is ongoing, and we plan on wrapping things up in mid-to-late March, in hopes for a mid-April opening,” Catanzarite said.
Catanzarite said Tavolo will feature marble tables and other on-trend design touches.
“However, it’s not solely the atmosphere,” Catanzarite said. The restaurant’s executive chef, Keith Taylor, who has an extensive background in Dayton-area fine-dining restaurants, “has a way with food. It speaks to you,” Catanzarite said. “Our dishes and cocktails are unique, but at the same time very authentic. The goal for us is to provide a true experience.”
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Taylor, a Dayton native, honed his skills under legendary chef Dieter Krug at the highly credentialed l’Auberge restaurant in Kettering until Krug retired in 1999, then served under Krug’s successor, Dominique Fortin, who would later launch C’est Tout (later Dominique’s) in Oakwood. Taylor would go on to serve as executive chef at Pacchia in Dayton’s Oregon District, and at Country Club of the North in Beavercreek. In 2007, Taylor founded Savona Restaurant and Wine Bar in Centerville, which later morphed into Twisted Root and Root 48 before shutting down in 2014.
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Taylor has put together Tavolo’s menu, which will feature signature items such as Wagyu beef meatballs, beef short-rib ravioli, many classic Italian dishes made from house-made fresh pasta, “and our showpiece: a dry-aged tomahawk steak,” Catanzarite said.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
The restaurant’s cocktail list will include eight signature cocktails and two dessert cocktails. “We’re Italian, so we are keeping this very authentic to Italy,” Catanzarite said. “I don’t want to give it all away, but I would imagine a fan favorite will be our ‘Fig & Balsamic Old Fashioned’ — it’s dynamic, and it complements Italian food in a whole new way.”
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Tavolo Modern Italian will seat about 185 total, including 32 on a patio. It will have a large lounge area with outdoor heat, so the space can be enjoyed eight or nine months out of the year, Catanzarite said.
The local anticipation is growing.
“The community has been extremely supportive,” Catanzarite said. “In a small town, a new restaurant is a big deal. When people get inside and see the finished product, I think they will be blown away. This restaurant is something you see in L.A., Vegas , Miami or other other hot spots for hospitality.”
Catanzarite and his family also own Murphy’s Craftbar + Kitchen and Karoc Marathon in Sidney.
To keep up with the new restaurant's progress toward opening, check out the Tavolo Modern Italian Facebook page.
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