Surprise! A new Thunderdome restaurant is now open on Fountain Square
The Davidson, a new American-style brasserie on Fountain Square, officially opens for business Tuesday. It is owned and operated by the Thunderdome Restaurant Group, which is also behind such popular restaurants as Pepp & Dolores, The Eagle and Bakersfield, in Over-the-Rhine, and Maplewood Kitchen, Downtown.
"We are hoping this might be the Balthazar of Cincinnati," Thunderdome CEO Joe Lanni told me, referencing the world-famous Keith McNally-owned restaurant in Manhattan. The menu includes classic dishes with a twist and draws inspiration from French, American, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
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The restaurant is located in the Foundry building, a $51 million development from the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., which is looking to reenergize the once-struggling area surrounding Fountain Square. The Davidson, named after the fountain's namesake, Tyler Davidson, is located in a space most recently occupied by Royce restaurant, which closed after just six months in business. It will join Jeff Ruby's, Five Iron Golf and a new yet-to-be-named restaurant from the Crown Restaurant Group, which also owns Losanti, Five on Vine and Crown Cantina, among others.
While the layout of The Davidson is similar to Royce, it will feel very different, Lanni told me. "It's a much warmer space," he said. "We brought in a lot of warm tones and changed the lighting ... it's a very heavy cosmetic refurbishment."
The menu features crudo dishes such as hamachi with blood orange vinaigrette ($14) and French onion dip with paddlefish caviar and gaufrette potato chips ($28). Starters include clams casino with bacon, Calabrian chili, breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano ($15); cheese fondue with apple-pistachio agrodolce, apples, endive and grilled sourdough ($14); mushroom bisque Palomino with creme fraiche and sherry ($10), and a roasted vegetable salad with delicata squash, parsnips, poached pear, crispy quinoa, goat cheese and apple cider vinaigrette ($12).
Entrees include house-made pastas, including a vongole spaghetti with littleneck clams, olive oil, garlic and white wine ($19) and rigatoni with spicy vodka sauce, green peas and Italian sausage ($18). There's also a gourmet burger topped with gruyere, caramelized onions and dijonnaise served with french fries and a bearnaise aioli ($18); a bone-in pork chop with tomato-rosemary agrodolce, delicata squash and kale ($32), a seared yellowfin Nicoise salad ($23) and steak and frites with filet medallions in a cognac au poivre sauce ($42).
Cocktails veer toward the classics, with an old fashioned made with New Riff bourbon, G&Ts and Manhattans. The wine list is extensive with both rare finds and crowd pleasers. Glasses run from $12 to $18 with bottles starting at $48.
"It's a nice spot," Lanni said. "Yes, it's more expensive than Pepp & Dolores, but not as expensive as most high-end places in town. It's nice enough to meet almost any special occasion, but approachable enough to bring the kids in after a Bengals game or your family in for Mother's Day without having to put a second mortgage out on your house." While the restaurant is only open for dinner service now, Lanni promises that lunch is on the way.
511 Vine St., Downtown, 513-263-1060, thedavidson.com. Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 4-10 p.m. Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Davidson, a new restaurant, opens on Fountain Square in Cincinnati
