The Davidson is the exact restaurant downtown Cincinnati needs

“What is happening?” I wondered as a young waiter in a plaid sports coat arrived at our table with a whole eggplant that resembled a small, overly charred roast. Next to him, a swarm of servers placed several accoutrements next to it, including harissa oil, garlic-tahini salt and fresh herbs. Leaning forward, the man sliced open the eggplant as if he was about to perform some sort of trick. And while a sliced-open eggplant is a pretty ugly duckling, this one was about to become a swan.

The waiter started adding the accoutrements and mashing them into the fibrous eggplant meat. I was unsure if this whole thing was going to work, worried it was going to be more about theatrics than a well-executed dish. But it turned out to be a stunner, tasting of smoky baba ganoush and fresh herbs. It was served with grilled Allez bread, which my dining companions and I ordered a second helping of so we could scrape out every delicious bite of that beautiful nightshade.

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The eggplant was probably my favorite dish at The Davidson, which opened Feb. 13 inside the former Royce spot on Fountain Square. After the exquisite failure of its predecessor, Thunderdome Restaurant Group – owners of Pepp & Dolores, Bakersfield and The Eagle – has taken over. It was a good move.

The Davidson is just one more piece of a puzzle the restaurant’s landlord, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., is trying to solve with its $51 million effort to revive this part of Downtown in and around Fountain Square. Other key pieces include Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, Five Iron Golf and a new restaurant concept that Crown Restaurant Group (of Crown Cantina, Rosie's and Losanti fame) plans to open later this year.

What it feels like inside The Davidson

Thunderdome wisely chose to keep Royce's sleek open kitchen and its snazzy red banquets. But they’ve toned the industrial aesthetic down with warm grass-cloth wallpaper, dark millwork, softly lit chandeliers and a ceiling trellis that makes the space feel more classic and comfortable. The music, which ranges from Motown to Depeche Mode, plays just loud enough for you to sing along while still allowing conversations. The staff, while still finding its footing, is smart, attentive and determined to please.

What you should eat

The Davison offers several crudo (raw) dishes, including hamachi (yellowtail sashimi) ($16) served on a plate of sweet and brightly flavored blood oranges in a light pool of Sicilian olive oil. Bright and healthy, it’s a great way to kick things off.

The brick-pressed coq au vin ($24) was cooked nicely. But the mashed potatoes and roasted mushrooms, carrots, pearl onions and bacon lardons surrounding the chicken steal the show. Ladled with bordelaise sauce, this is the kind of rich, delicious dish you'll want to mash together with your fork and wash down with a crisp cold glass of Verdicchio ($14).

The rigatoni in spicy vodka sauce ($18) my dining companion, Carrie, ordered is a reminder of the best Thunderdome's Pepp & Dolores restaurant has to offer with its thick cylinders of rigatoni, rustic Italian sausage, plump green peas in spicy vodka sauce and cheese.

The presentation of the steak frites ($42) is different from most places in town. Instead of the traditional ribeye, it’s a steak au poivre that comes all by its lonesome on a big white plate in a pool of delicious sauce, and the fries are served on the side. While some might be confused by the amount of sauce, made of steak cognac and heavy cream, once you drag a handful of fries through it (as I did) and gobble them down, I think you'll love it.

What you should drink

I can see The Davidson becoming a popular spot for after-work happy hours since A.) it’s a great-looking bar with lots of outdoor seating with views of Fountain Square and B.) the classic cocktails they offer are top-notch. The Davidson Old-Fashioned ($15) I ordered was as good as it gets, and the Manhattan ($14) made with rye whiskey and Carpano Antica was a delight. I also enjoyed the G&T ($12), which comes with cubes of grapefruit ice encasing pink peppercorns, resulting in a spicy, tropical finish.

For dinner, we ordered a bottle of 2020 Italian Nebbiolo ($60) that was light enough to go with everything. The wine list should please casual wine drinkers and oenophiles alike, though I wish there were a few more bottles priced in the $35 to $45 range. There are a few beers on draft, including Kronenberg, Coors Light and Hudy, though there are plenty of other options available in cans or bottles.

A work in progress

While trying a few dishes out on The Davidson’s opening night, co-owner Joe Lanni told me they were still tinkering with a few things. By the time I paid my first formal visit two weeks later, most of those things had been addressed. That said, some dishes could still use a little work.

While our waiter was quick to inform us that all of the pastas would be served al dente, the rigatoni in that otherwise excellent vodka rigatoni I mentioned earlier could have used another minute or two in the boiling water. While the scallops grenobloise ($34) my wife ordered were cooked perfectly, the richness of the brown butter in which they're sauteed made the toast-sized brown-buttery crouton it came with seem unnecessary. (That said, as I was writing this, my neighbor came over to tell me how much she loved the exact same dish, so maybe brown butter is in the eye of the beholder.) And while I would order the clams casino ($15) again because of the sweet heat of the Calabrian chilies, the clams’ briny flavor gets a little lost in a surplus of panko breadcrumbs.

These are minor issues and, this being the people-pleasing Thunderdome group, my guess is that they will likely be sorted out.

Speaking of people pleasing, The Davidson, like Pepp & Dolores, doesn’t offer dessert. That’s a shame since it’s the kind of place that begs for classics like ice cream sundaes, a slice of chocolate cake or a nice tiramisu. Maybe the Thunderdome folks will change their mind about this someday. In the meantime, I suggest you head to the bar at Jeff Ruby’s next door or Graeter’s, across the square, to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Why I think The Davidson is here to stay

"We are hoping this might be the Balthazar of Cincinnati," Joe Lanni told me three weeks ago, referencing the world-famous Keith McNally-owned restaurant in Manhattan. I do, too. And if Thunderdome can polish up a few things and start opening for lunch as it plans to, I think it very well could be.

Talking to a coworker who dined at The Davidson recently, he said it might prove to be the ultimate Plan B restaurant downtown. I see where he is coming from. If you can't get a reservation at more chef-focused spots like Mita's, Nolia Kitchen or Colette, it's a great alternative. But I think The Davidson is more than that. In fact, I think it's exactly the kind of restaurant downtown Cincinnati needs right now – a classy, casual and reliable destination for after-work happy hours, date nights or dinner with friends. A place to arrive dressed up with your son or daughter after graduation or dressed down after a Reds game. And while it's not cheap, it won't break the bank, either.

Whether it's your Plan A or your Plan B, it's a welcome addition to a Fountain Square dining scene that's slowly but surely coming back to life.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Davidson is the exact restaurant downtown Cincinnati needs