DaVinci Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Claremore

This is a rare 5 star review, at least for me. I don't give these out very often, and this one is well deserved. While taking The Kid out to see the famous Blue Whale in Catoosa, we found ourselves needing sustenance and in the Claremore area. A quick look around and we found Da Vinci's on the map. Located in the space formerly occupied by Goldie's, its tucked away back in a corner, behind the Chili's. The interior is open, spacious and neatly decorated. It manages to feel roomy and comfortable and yet quiet and cozy at the same time. Since we arrived about 3pm on a Saturday, the place was almost empty, save for one other group in a nearby booth. Our server greeted us with menus and wonderfully hot bread. Drink orders were taken and we set about deciding what to eat. Plenty of choices are available, and if you can't find something you like, you're probably too picky. The Son went with Chicken Fettucini Alfredo, and The Kid opted for a cheese pizza. The Wife, finally decided on Pomodoro over the Chicken Capellini, and I, ever the foregone conclusion, went with the Clams and Linguini, white sauce if you please. Entrees arrived in a short time, as would be expected in midafternoon. Everything looked and smelled fantastic. The Son's Alfredo was everything the dish should be. Not overly rich, but with a mellow flavor that made you just want more. The Kid's cheese pizza was also spectacular. The crust was perfect in every way, with the right amount of cheese and sauce applied. The Wife's Pomodoro was equally outstanding. While using penne pasta in a dish like this was decidedly different from most places, it worked well. The only issue she had was with chicken was overcooked. I tasted a piece, and I agree it was overly dry and a little tough. Note to the owners: Chicken THIGHS. Better than breast meat any day, and cheaper. That aside, the dish was excellent, and there wasn't any left, so that says something. My Clams and Linguini were nothing short of epic, and I don't say that lightly. The best I've ever had was from a local place on Brookside around 31st (not dropping names, but you know who it is), and Da Vinci's easily rivaled that offering. I literally used the last of the bread to wipe the plate clean. And that bread.... outstanding way to start a meal. For whatever reason, we didn't get an appetizer, so next trip back, that's on the menu, so to speak. Given our Owasso location, Da Vinci's is just a short hop away, so I expect to be a semi-regular. It's just that...

Love the atmosphere and decor. The food was pretty good. Wife had chicken Alfredo which is pretty hard to mess up. I like the lobster ravioli, however I expected ravioli stuffed with lobster as I've had at higher end Italian eateries, especially NYC's Little Italy. Instead this is three cheese raviolis with a white wine/lobster sauce and a few chunks of what I'm assuming were lobster.

Price is pretty good, but my biggest gripe is the portion size is almost laughable. For instance the lobster ravioli, it is literally three (albeit medium to large sized) raviolis. Either of my toddlers could easily put this away and be asking where the rest of their food is. For an adult, it's like a large snack. It would be different if the meals came with a salad, but they don't, which brings up another gripe... Why in the world do the lunches, which are the same portion sizes come with salads, but not the dinners. The prices are the same, portions are the same... But they want you to pay extra for the salad if you happen to come for dinner.

The only other gripe I could offer is that we have a other restaurant in town, Francesco's, that must be the same owners or something, because the menu, food, dishes and plating is exactly the same, literally. Word for word on the menu. Wouldn't be a big deal if we were a huge town, but Claremore is like 10 miles wide.

So, food is good, portions suck and the weirdly identical restaurant across town pretty much sums it up.

Oh, definitely get the OGB dip for your...

Incredible hidden gem!!

I offered to take my friend to lunch and this is where she chose. I don't frequent Claremore often, but this place will be on our list to revisit for both date night and with the family.

Let's start with the building. It's basic and in the strip mall behind Chili's. I set my expectations low because of its location. We arrived at 11am when they opened. We walked in the front door and we were greeted by the best smelling bread, ever!! The owners quickly greeted us and sat us at a booth. The menu is very well laid out. The prices are comparable to other restaurants. They have something on the menu for everyone, I promise!

We were served fresh bread that was full of flavor, fresh and I'll bet made in house. It was devine!! I would go back just to buy the bread, seriously.

My friend ordered Chicken Alfredo. I couldn't decide between the stromboli or the chicken parmigiana. I asked the owner which she thought I should try, and she chose the Chicken Parmigiana. They both came with a salad. Lordyyyy the dressing was sooo good! The lettuce was crisp... It deserves a whole moment as well. Just everything a salad should be!

Our main course came out in a reasonable amount of time and it was delicious!

We finished our lunch with a slice of cheesecake!

This little slice of heaven is just incredible!! You owe it to your stomach to put good wholesome food into it sometime very soon!

I apologize for not taking more photos. I was too...