Tavolino Westborough

I love to eat out, so a new restaurant in the Boroughs is just the type of thing to cap off a good weekend.  Last week, I was eating lunch at Panera at the Bay State commons and walked over to Tavolino to get an idea of what type of place it is.  A quick look at the menu and the decor puts Tavolino into one of my favorite categories of restaurants; kid friendly, but not kid focused.  Tavolino is considered a casual-upscale restaurant and serves classic and contemporary Italian dishes. They have an extensive selection of gourmet pizzas, an very respectable selection of wines with over a dozen available by the glass, and a reasonable kids menu.  They serve lunch and dinner.

Although the Westborough location has been open for a month or so I just hadn't had the time to get over there to try it out, and from the outside I was originally thinking that dinner at Tavolino would be just the wife and I, so a sitter was to be in order, but after our lunch stop by to check it out I decided to bring the whole family.  The kids as well as my wife and I were excited to try out this new addition to downtown Westborough.

I am happy to report that the whole family gives two thumbs enthusiastically up for Tavolino.  The only hesitation with Tavolino is it seems to be a little more expensive then some other options.

Specifics on the meal: 

• Similar to Not Your Average Joe's, Tavolino offers a foccacia bread basket and a oil/parmesan/red pepper dipping sauce.  Very tasty I must say.
• For the kids, my oldest ordered cheese pizza.  Tavolino serves two standard size slices as the kids portion rather then a mini pizza.  The crust is very thin and my oldest enjoyed devouring both pieces.  My youngest ordered the grilled cheese.  My wife always "shares" a little of the grilled cheeses that we get for the youngest and she raved about this particular grilled cheese several times throughout the meal.  Thumbs up there.  
• I usually order chicken parmigiana as my first meal at any Italian restaurant.  It makes it really easy to gauge the quality against all others.  We decided as we were ordering that we would share a Caesar  salad and chicken parmigiana rather then each order our own.  The salad was great, not overdosed with dressing and fresh.  The chicken parmigiana was HUGE.  Way more food then I can eat for dinner, splitting it was the perfect amount.  Tavolino uses a chunky sauce on their chicken parmigiana, which is not usually my favorite, but it was very good...tender, delicious chicken.
• The food came out fast.  I have blogged before about some horrors waiting for food when kids are involved, Tavolino has their act together in the kitchen, food came out quick and hot.  
• I'll throw out a nod to our waitress tonight as well.  Stacy, does the little things that show understanding by a waiter/waitress.  She noticed I finished my soda quickly and was already bringing a refill before I asked.  She also noticed the kids dropping a fork, and brought a replacement without prompting.  Attentive without hovering, she deserved the 20% tip I gave her.
• I hinted earlier that cost is a little high.  Our meal broke down like this:
  
  • Soda $2.50
  • Chocolate milk $1.95
  • Caesar Salad $9.00
  • Kids Pizza $7.50
  • Kids Grilled Cheese and fries $7.00
  • Chicken Parmigiana $19.00
  It's not that it was crazy, but it is a little more expensive then other places with similar kid friendly, but not kid focused atmospheres.  If my wife and I hadn't split the salad and chicken parmigiana , I probably would have noticed the total price a little more too.  There is a lot of quality food for the price so I don't feel I missed out on value, but in this economy we all take a little time to notice what we are spending.
  
• I didn't get a chance to sample any wines tonight.  I did glance over the list and I do plan on returning to try some.  I also can see how Tavolino will bring some competition for Bertucci's as i saw several gourmet pizzas at other tables that looked great.
  

I welcome Tavolino to Westborough and I look forward to visiting them sans kids to see what else they have to offer.  I am also excited to have a new location to go out to dinner even with the kids that has a higher standard of food.  Check out there website at: www.tavolinorestaurant.us.  The website is focused on the Foxborough location but there are copies of the menus and they are the same in Westborough.