06/05/2026
Many people know that Dahl and DiLuca was my first restaurant, but not many know the quirky backstories from its humble beginnings thirty years ago. It always makes me laugh that guests only saw the serenity of our beautiful dining room with the flowers, candles, wine glasses, and the perfect plates. What they didn't see was what was happening behind those kitchen doors....
The building was once a Sonic Drive-In, and it was in no way optimized for fine dining. Those pillars you see in the dining room? They were actually part of the drive-thru! For years, my office was a tiny desk next to the water heater and the linens. In the winter, I froze, and in the summer, I boiled. There were days when people would walk through the back door to get a reservation, and they'd find me chopping carrots for the bolognese while answering the phone. For about the first five years, we had to turn on the sign if we wanted to use the blender to make a drink!
Electricians used to come in and say, "You've got to be kidding." "How do we get into your crawlspace?" "How are we supposed to do this?” “You can’t put modern lighting in here!” And somehow, Dahl & DiLuca just kept going. That's why I've always called it the Energizer Bunny of our restaurant group.
It became a place where anniversaries were celebrated, proposals happened, birthdays were remembered, and generations of families created traditions around our dinner tables. We’ve even hosted three Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinners. There's more love in D&D’s kitchen than anyone could ever imagine.
Which brings me to this summer.
Immediately after Father’s Day, we will close for two months to start a major renovation. We're going to replace systems that should have been replaced long ago. I know I'll get emotional seeing some of the old kitchen dismantled. How could I not, because every corner holds a memory. I'll cry a little for the past, but mostly they’ll be tears of joy for the future.
Dahl & DiLuca will reopen before Labor Day on August 28th. In the meantime, please take the opportunity to visit our other fine dining restaurants: Butterfly Burger, Cucina Rustica, Mariposa Latin-Inspired Grill and Pisa Lisa.
