I’ve always tried to take extra good care of my parents – after all, I owe them.  There is nothing they wouldn’t give (or give up) for me; they’ve lovingly supported me in every possible way over the years.  After losing my dad to cancer last September, suddenly I feel compelled to spoil my mom.  Holidays are still particularly difficult for us both; I find it helps to completely distract myself with new experiences.  So when I saw (in an email blast) that DBA (Dante Boccuzzi Akron) was hosting a Mothers Day Celebration, I jumped at the opportunity and made a reservation.  My mom hadn’t been to the spot since Vegeteranian had closed.  DZ and I had enjoyed one phenomenal meal there soon after DBA debuted.  It was an experience that just had to be shared with my mom.

Dining at DBA in the afternoon is a very different endeavor than dinner.  For one, if you get a table close to the windows, you have a fantastic view of north Akron, including a birds-eye view of the CVSR Northside Station below.  Second, you can really appreciate the interior of the restaurant, which was thoughtfully designed down to every detail.  At night it is very dark, making for a swanky atmosphere, but decidedly tricky to appreciate the finer details.

We opted for 3 courses with wine pairing.

Mom began with this tuna and crab salad, topped with avocado, drizzled with lemon aioli. How gorgeous is this dish.

This green spaghetti with garlic braised shrimp, spinach, and “poor man’s cheese” was enough to make any weight-watcher fall off the wagon.  This was my first course.  (Don’t worry, I shared.)  These small portions were literally perfect.

Ordering the same entree as my dining partner completely goes against my usual protocol, but neither of us could resist this salmon preparation: pan-fried with snow peas, crushed Yukon gold potatoes, and dill creme freche (they had us both at that last part).  Perfectly cooked salmon is so hard to come by, right?  DBA nailed it.  Great brown crust on the outside, softly cooked on the inside.  Beautiful sauces harmonized, without overpowering.  Al dente green veggies added some crunch.

You can see by the big grins that this meal was nothing short of fantastic.  And perhaps the wine was kicking in?  Or maybe we were just excited to dig into our last course: parfaits.  Let’s go with all of the above.

Props to the chefs for understanding women and knowing the way to our hearts on Mothers Day.  The menu was obviously built for the ladies, and dessert followed suit: light, fluffy, utterly scrumptious.  Mom chose dark chocolate mousse with oranges and white chocolate ice cream.

I selected the rhubarb parfait, made with vanilla creme, butter streusel, and rhubarb sorbet.  Both desserts were indulgent without being over-the-top rich.  The layered effect was not only beautiful, but delivered a variety of flavor combinations with each bite.  Perfection.

The details make DBA a total success in my book.  For starters, the service is phenomenal.  The wine pairings in this meal were a special treat, especially since our server took the time to talk about the wines and elaborate on why the flavors work. In addition to being incredibly well-versed on the menu and preparations, they also have impeccable timing.  Each course is delivered at just the right moment.  Silverware is replaced between courses.  If that wasn’t enough, there are fun surprises, too: look for a guitar pick at the end of the meal, and a candy bar on the way out.  So glad that Dante Boccuzzi decided to venture south to Akron.  Mom is certainly ready to go back.