Tavolo Modern Italian restaurant now open, and it’s off to a strong start

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The restaurant will begin accepting walk-ins starting on June 2, but reservations are strongly recommended, the founders said earlier this week on the Tavolo Modern Italian Facebook page. "Our waiting area is limited so some parties may be asked to wait outside in order for us to adhere to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines," they said.

The restaurant’s founder, Rocco Catanzarite, told this news outlet in February that Tavolo Modern Italian “will soon be a destination for people all over the Dayton area, and I believe the main factor will be the experience,” the restaurant’s founder, Rocco Catanzarite, told this news outlet. “When you walk in, you will see this space that is just larger than life.”

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“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.”

The menu includes appetizers such as Ahi Tuna Carpaccio, Stuffed Mushrooms and Crispy Calamari. Handmade pasta dishes include Gnocchi Mac n Cheese, Bucatini Carbonara and Ravioli made with beef short rib and caramelized onions. Meat and seafood entrees include a signature Tomahawk steak, Grilled Filet Mignon and Bronzino Piccata. “Italian Classics” include Spaghetti, Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan and Veal Saltimbocca. Desserts and extensive wine and signature cocktail lists are available.

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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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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. To make a reservation, go to opentable.com.