Reviews

By Stanley Eichelbaum   The ambiance is warm and inviting at Il Davide, and the Italian food is superb. The restaurant at 901 A Street in San Rafael turns out a very creative renditions of northern Italian cuisine with strong California overtones. The place itself has a sleek, smart, contemporary interior, but with the feel of old Tuscany.   Near the entrance is an attractive, granite-topped bar, and the walls of the high-ceilinged, 80-seat dining room are painted in a burnished shade of terra cotta that suggests the sunniness of Italy. Two engaging murals of Tuscan landscapes depict gently rolling hills, tile-roofed farmhouses, and , in the foreground of one, a charming balustrade bedecked with a glass of wine, clusters of grapes and assorted summer fruit.   It's an agreeable setting for executive chef and proprietor David Haydon's intriguing cuisine, on which he collaborates with his head chef, Jose Perez. Neither Haydon nor Perez are from Italy, but both are zealously devoted to Italian cooking.   Haydon, age 35, is a native of San Anselmo who is Italian on his mother's side. Her family is from the Tuscan town of Montecattini, near Lucca.   Though he attended the College of Marin, Haydon had no formal culinary training. He learned on the job, having worked in Marin restaurant kitchens since he was 15. He started as a dishwasher at La Petite Auberge and worked his way up to a chef's position at La Trattoria. In 1987, he became part owner of Caffe-Ristorante Italia in San Rafael, but after seven years, decided to branch out on his own. Haydon met Mexican-born Perez when they worked together at Lucca's in Mill Valley. They joined forces in June,1995, when Haydon opened Il Davide.   "We both come up with ideas for dishes and create them together," said Haydon, who is a personable chap with a winning manner. "Most of all, we try for great flavor. We both have a passion for Italian food, and our northern Italian style has a lot of California influences. We work on keeping up the quality by constantly looking for the freshest ingredients, and keeping our dishes seasonal. But our prices aren't so high. And we have a diverse crowd of young, and not so young people."   Il Davide is indeed crowded most of the time. And the customers are a jolly bunch, like the high-spirited foursome seated near us who were celebrating something or other, and polished off five bottles of wine with dinner. Small wonder, since Haydon's wine list is unusually interesting and far more extensive than you might expect in a restaurant of Il Davide's modest size.   Haydon assembled the list with his wine manager Bill Woodbridge, and it boasts 130 selections from California, Italy and France including a number of hard-to-find labels. The bottles are decently priced, staring at $18, and 20 wines are sold by the glass, from $4.25. In addition, flights of three fine Chardonnays or Merlots in three-ounce pours are offered for $11.50 or $10.50 respectively.   The wait staff is knowledgeable and remarkably efficient. And our dinner was an altogether pleasurable experience, starting with a basket of delectable olive bread and crusty sourdough (from Panorama Bakery in Petaluma) that was brought to the table with a bowl of exceedingly tasty caponata, or eggplant relish, for spreading on the bread.   The menu is bountiful, and includes such outstanding appetizers as a leek and wild mushroom tart ($5.95), smoked duck breast carpaccio ($6.95), and arugula salad with red and golden beets, glazed walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette ($6.95). A terrific dish of ravioli filled with smoked chicken and served with an artichoke, tomato and cream sauce is available as an appetizer ($4.95) or pasta course ($11.95).   From 17 other pasta dishes, I'd heartily recommend the three mushroom pappardelle ($11.95) with portobello, shiitake and porcini tossed in a Marsala sauce. Risotto Pescatore ($15.95) comes with a generous mix of mussels, shrimp, mahimahi and salmon,. But while the risotto served to us was nice and creamy, the dish was virtually overpowered by hot red pepper.   Entrees are adroitly prepared with light, flavorful sauces. Not to be missed are the half chicken al Mattone ($11.95), marinated in lemon, olive oil, rosemary and garlic, and roasted under a hot brick; and the grilled veal steak ($18.95) with a brandy and demiglace sauce. Both dishes came to us cooked to heavenly perfection, and were accompanied by a vegetable medley of scalloped potatoes, Swiss chard and carrots. Another entree of sauteed scallops Michelangelo ($13.95), presented with cannellini beans, spinach and red bell pepper, was a superior dish.   With our meal, we picked two little known but exemplary wines: a bright and fruity Italian white, Roero Ariveis, Gribaldi, 1994, ($20), and a delightful, well balanced California red, Lazy Creek Pinot Noir, 1996, from the Alexander Valley ($23).   Desserts go for $5.25, including an enjoyable lemon tart, strawberry creme brulee and chocolate ganache pecan torte. A splendid mixed berry galette with vanilla ice cream is more elaborate and costs $6.95.   Haydon's success with Il Davide allowed him to travel to Italy for the first time last year. Not surprisingly, he headed for Tuscany, and visited his mother's relatives in Montecattini.   "I ate in a lot of restaurants and saw a number of markets," said Haydon. "If it taught me anything, it's that simple food is the best. But you know, for all I learned, I still go to bed at night with a cookbook in my hand."