David and Dad's: A Lunch Alternative

By Cathy Adams

     For a lunch that is somewhere between an expensive three-course meal and a quick hamburger in a cardboard box, David and Dad's on Charles Street offers an alternative with their freshly-made sandwiches, specials and salads.

     David Cangialosi (the David part of David and Dad's), is the owner and manager, as well as a little of everything else. He previously worked as a district manager for the Mrs. Field's cookie store chain, but had always wanted to own his own business. With a little help from his father, he opened a smaller business down the street in Brown's Arcade six years ago.

     He later opened another restaurant in the current location, running them both at the same time. He eventually outgrew the Brown's Wharf location and recently consolidated both businesses into the current, bigger operation.

     "I like the hustle and bustle of the lunch business," he said. David and Dad's serves about 450-500 customers per day, and while a lot of that is just a juice or coffee, it's a large crowd of people to keep happy every day ^Ë especially regular customers.

     "In some ways it's good, because business is stable and predictable so we can prepare fresh food. On the other hand we don't want the customers to be bored," he said. "We're known for our pot pies, lasagna [a family recipe], cheesesteaks and fresh roasted turkey breast. Here it's the day after Thanksgiving every day." All the pasta salads, shrimp, chicken, tuna, egg and potato salads, and cole slaw are made from scratch. In addition David and Dad's offers vegetarian sandwiches, a turkey burger and turkey pastrami for those who are looking for low fat alternatives.

     David and Dad's also has a unique service policy. Customers order at the counter, choose a drink from the coolers and sit down at a table. "We bring your food to your table, on a real plate with real silverware and then we clean up after you. You pay on the way out and it's on the honor system," he said, adding that it would be easy to cheat, but he hasn't had problems with it.

     The banana pudding, classically garnished with vanilla wafers, is also homemade. Cookies, pound cake, brownies, bagels and croissants come from an outside purveyor, as David acknowledges that is would be hard to make baked goods as good as what they can buy.

     David and Dad's also serves espresso, cappuccino and latte as well as soft-serve yogurt, a popular afternoon treat during the summer.