My enjoyment of this place begins immediately upon opening the door and walking down the stairs to the wonderful smell of bread and garlic.....and garlic.....and garlic...wonderful.

In that case you should order the garlic bread (seriously). Its an overdose of both featured ingredients, and I mean that in the best possible way.

For me it's mostly a matter of nostalgia: it's the flavor of the first pizza I had on campus at NU in 1980, eggplant parm, and their fantastic garlic (there it is again) salad dressing. The venue has changed (they used to be on Church between the El and CNW tracks), but it's still got the rough wood booths, semi-pro art on the walls and lots of BYOB empties. It's a bit of leftover hippiedom in what has always been straight-laced Evanston.

Seriously, if I want Italian-american fare, there's GNR-nominated Giacomo's practically around the corner from me. But if I'm in Evanston, there's a fair chance I'll end up at Dave's.

nr706 wrote:Sadly, long-time popular Evanston's Dave's Italian Kitchen suddenly closed yesterday.
http://evanstonnow.com/story/business/bill-smith/2016-04-12/74991/downtown-italian-restaurant-closes?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

This is truly tragic. I think it was the first restaurant I visited upon arrival at Northwestern in 1980, certainly the one I ate from most often during those years (although Fritz That's It would have been a close second). Their pizza was always inexpensive and filling, although not epic enough for me to keep ordering it in subsequent years. Instead, their eggplant parm, and carbonara remained on regular rotation when we visited Evanston over the last 35+ years. Most of all, we'll miss their salad, with mozzarella, shredded carrots and their awesome garlic dressing.

JoelF wrote:

nr706 wrote:Sadly, long-time popular Evanston's Dave's Italian Kitchen suddenly closed yesterday.
http://evanstonnow.com/story/business/bill-smith/2016-04-12/74991/downtown-italian-restaurant-closes?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

This is truly tragic. I think it was the first restaurant I visited upon arrival at Northwestern in 1980, certainly the one I ate from most often during those years (although Fritz That's It would have been a close second). Their pizza was always inexpensive and filling, although not epic enough for me to keep ordering it in subsequent years. Instead, their eggplant parm, and carbonara remained on regular rotation when we visited Evanston over the last 35+ years. Most of all, we'll miss their salad, with mozzarella, shredded carrots and their awesome garlic dressing.

Dave's Italian Kitchen, when it was on Davis St. back in the '70's, was a huge part of my teenage years. Even before that, it was the first place my folks could take us four boys without us tearing the joint apart--he'd order a sausage & mushroom pizza right off the hop to keep us quiet. Lasagna was $1.75 and I remember Dave's being the location for my first taste of aglio i olio.

Junior & senior year high school, it was a big night to play pretend Northwestern college student by getting someone's older brother to buy us a six-pack of beer and we'd bring it to then-BYOB Dave's for a pizza, followed by a trip to Amazingrace coffeehouse when it was in the quonset hut on campus, to hear folkies like Jim Post & Redwood Landing. Dave looked the other way when we'd surreptitiously be drinking our brew, with the tacit understanding that we were to behave in that environment. Pizza and beer at 17 in an actual restaurant, not furtively in an alley or a basement, was living large indeed.

Good memories, thanks Dave for everything...

I share in the good memories of Dave's from my "Evanston years" (1971-77). Will be very interested to read information as it becomes available pertaining to why the sudden unannounced closure.

Reading between the lines, and purely speculating, a new owner of the building, perhaps rent issues, and the owners' many years in the business, and maybe a desire to retire, may have played a role.

Evanston Now wrote:After receiving financial assistance from the city for the move, Dave's relocated to the basement spot on Chicago Avenue familiar to patrons today.
That building was sold to the owners of The Merion retirement community in 2013.

Evanston Now wrote:Some premonition that the Glatt's were about to call it a career might have been gleaned from their decision last October not to renew the restaurant's city liquor license -- although at the time City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said the decision to go "BYOB" was not a sign the business was about to close.

nr706 wrote:Reading between the lines, and purely speculating, a new owner of the building, perhaps rent issues, and the owners' many years in the business, and maybe a desire to retire, may have played a role.

Evanston Now wrote:After receiving financial assistance from the city for the move, Dave's relocated to the basement spot on Chicago Avenue familiar to patrons today.
That building was sold to the owners of The Merion retirement community in 2013.

Evanston Now wrote:Some premonition that the Glatt's were about to call it a career might have been gleaned from their decision last October not to renew the restaurant's city liquor license -- although at the time City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said the decision to go "BYOB" was not a sign the business was about to close.

I am out of town with only my iPad and can't figure out how to post links, but Dave has indicated on the restaurant's Facebook page that he doesn't have the means to sail off into the sunset and did everything he could to keep the place open. Sounds like finances to me. If someone could post a link, that would be handy.

From Dave's Italian Kitchen's Facebook page:

Dear friends,
Please know I made every effort til the last to keep our unique restaurant alive. Not having the means to sail into the sunset, I hope my next venture involves some resurrection of what we all held dear for nearly half a century. With fondness and gratitude to all involved (especially those who made it possible) I wish you the best and hope our paths cross in the not so distant future.
Yours, Dave

Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/Daves-Italian- ... 645987959/

I've been a loyal Dave's fan through three moves and am very sad to see them close. That said, I can't remember the last time I had to wait for a table. They've just not been very busy or I've only gone during slower times. I remember sitting on those hard wooden benches for really long waits and the restaurant was always hopping. Not so much lately.

Personally I'll miss the cheese stuffed peppers with meat sauce.

Dave announced on his Facebook page that he's working on a cookbook!

April 15 at 6:23pm ·

The cookbook/memoir is happening! I hope to have it done in 30 to 40 days. I'm finding it very cathartic whatever that means.

That's a pretty ambitious writing/publishing schedule, but I wish him luck. I'll be a buyer of the book.

From Dave's Italian Kitchen Facebook page:

Bad news/ Good news
Bad: Getting out my cookbook/memoir may take longer than I thought as I've started another project.
Good news: That project is a new restaurant which will be known as Dave's IK, a much smaller & more streamlined version. It will be the size of my very first place - the menu & dining room will be smaller but the heart will beat louder than ever. And it has a big front window! I hope to open on Noyes Street in late May. I thank all of you on FB who have been supportive and loving - without that support, I would be busking in New Orleans. I look forward to justifying your kindnesses. Thank you again -- Dave

I actually biked down Noyes Sunday and noticed that the space occupied by the former DMK Burger Bar which became the former Arlen's chicken, was vacant...wonder if this is the new location? It's really really small...

Yes - confirmed:
http://dailynorthwestern.com/2016/04/25 ... ng-in-may/

Dave's Italian Kitchen owner on the fall (and rise?) of his 44-year-old restaurant

http://trib.in/1WLbJQH

Did we somehow miss that, according to their Facebook page, "Dave's New Kitchen" opened in June?

I can't find any mention of it anywhere on LTH. Has anyone tried it?

I tried it with my family this past summer. We were underwhelmed with the food. It's a really small space. It's almost like if Hoosier Mama moved from their big Evanston store back to the Chicago Ave closet as their only location. In some way I don't mind a small space because you usually get more attention when you need it. Over the decades I have gone to Dave's it would be nothing special and then really good the next. Didn't do much this last time. But they have enough items on the menu to check them out again.

We had dinner at the new Dave's the other night. While the space and the vibe is quite different than the old location, the food still holds its own. I had lasagna w/meat sauce, and the Chow Poodle had spaghetti with a meatball.

I tried to attach a couple of pictures from my phone using the forum's "attach image" function, but it would not work for me (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge). I guess you'll just have to use your imagination.

When you knowingly fuck over your employees (or diners), my $ gets spent elsewhere. Only one I can think of that I miss.

I think sometimes time blurs memories to make something better than it was.

In the early 80's, my wife and I lived on Dave's Chicken Vesuvio in their original location. We have very fond memories of that dish. For some reason, I have never made this at home, but gave it a try last night. It was very good, but just didn't meet our memories of how good Dave's was. Was Dave's Chicken really that good? I suspect not.