A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

Growing up in the area as a kid, I have memories of spending my high school days with my friends at Friendly’s. The service was always horribly slow, but it was a place to go and hangout with friends or to celebrate after a sporting event. When Da Vinci Bistro moved into the former Friendly’s space, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it, but when you walk in the front door, you can’t even imagine that a Friendly’s was there in the first place. The decor is sleek and modern and the food is tasty. We went early one night with the family – they offer mac and cheese or spaghetti for the little ones. We started with the arancini ($9), risotto balls with mozzarella served with pomodoro sauce. While they were rich in flavor, they still felt light and crispy.

For my main course I had the bolognese ($18). The house made rigatoni was tossed with a sauce made up of tomatoes, ground sirloin and red wine. Certainly a stick to your ribs kind of meal. Other offerings on the menu include dishes like spaghetti all vongole, tortellini ai quattro formaggi, lasagna and gnocchi. If pasta isn’t what you’re in the mood for, they offer dishes like chicken parmesan, beef tenderloin and salmon.

Service was good. The tables felt a little tight, and while they do offer a children’s menu, I would recommend leaving the kiddos at home (unless you go when they first open – but even then, it felt a bit uncomfortable).

Da Vinci Bistro is now open for lunch Friday – Sunday and they have a 3 course menu every Monday – Wednesday for $29 per person. Reservations can be made online with Reserve or by calling the restaurant. Parking is available in the lot next to the restaurant. You can visit their sister restaurant Da Vinci on Columbus Ave in Boston or their other sister restaurant Soul of India on Boston Post Road in Sudbury.

Da Vinci Bistro

457 Boston Post Road, Wayland, MA

www.davincibistro.com

Tags: casual dining, italian, restaurant