DePalma's Italian Cafe
Downtown Deets
401 E. Broad St.
Athens, GA 30601
(706) 354-6966
East Side Deets
1965 Barnett Shoals
Athens, GA 3060
(706) 369-0085
Timothy Road Deets
2080 Timothy Rd.
Athens, GA 30606
(706) 552-1237
As a boy in the Bronx on Sunday afternoons at his grandmother's table, Dave Cappi enjoyed Italian food at its best. His grandmother, mother and aunts would prepare their special dishes while the men visited. When it came time to eat around 2 pm, the table was full of delicious food. Even with this weekly treat, Dave dreamed of being an astronaut and not a restaurateur. Oh, he had this family background of good, home-cooked Italian food, but his dream was to be in space.
Dave's dream took him to Georgia Tech where he studied aeronautical engineering. His studies went well, but his aptitude was not suited for flying. Thus in his senior year, he and a friend decided to open an Italian restaurant in Atlanta and call it DePalma's. Business was good, but Dave increasing felt that life in the city was not what he wanted whereas Athens had a small university town's charm and appeal. He and his business partner sold the Atlanta restaurant and in 1988 opened DePalma's at 401 E. Broad Street in Athens, where it remains today.
Restaurants come and go, especially in a college town like Athens. To stay, a restaurant has to not only serve consistently good food, but also develop a loyal following of patrons. DePalma's would appear to have mastered both.
The downtown location is the flagship and was remodeled and expanded in 2000.
With additional locations on the east and west sides of Athens, easy access is assured. The interior décor of each has a vintage charm. There are wine bottles adorning the walls as well as art and kitschy pieces prominently displayed.
The east side restaurant, at 1965 Barnett Shoals Rd., features an interesting Elvis collection and wine bottles signed by patrons giving a neighborhood restaurant feel. The west side location at 2080 Timothy Rd was opened in 2009 and continues the neighborhood restaurant theme.
All three restaurants speak in a clear Italian tone and exude the smell of wonderful food. Each location has the feel of fine dining which is borne out in each meal of consistently good, upscale Italian dishes and daily special appetizers, entrees and wines.
In the beginning recipes were from family favorites. Over time, tried and true recipes from Italian cookbooks and friends were incorporated and then in-restaurant adaptations joined the offerings. A perennial favorite is twisted breadsticks stuffed with a choice of spinach and onions, meatballs and onions or a mix and match of customer choice, served with marinara dipping sauce.
Signature dishes include seafood charmaine, a dish with shrimp and scallops sautéed in spicy tomato, spinach, basil and jalapeño sauce, served over fettuccini; a daily lasagna with seafood or chicken and wild mushroom, for instance; pasta DePalma, with cream sauce and a choice of other toppings; and chicken scallopini. Other chicken, veal, pork, seafood and pasta dishes round out the menu along with extensive pizza options. There are tempting desserts, too.
DePalma's has a wide-ranging wine selection. There are traditional Italian dinner wines served by the glass and fine, select bottled wines.
Family member cards entitle patrons to weekly lunch specials, wine club benefits, complimentary birthday meals and anniversary wine. Monday night features half-price on any fifty dollar-or-under bottle of wine. Wednesday night is Humble Pie night, four dollars off any "build your own" pizza.
Party trays are offered at all locations and a private dining room is available at the downtown location. The vino room in the downtown restaurant is a thing of beauty which may be viewed from the private dining room.
The future of DePalma's seems assured with the possibility of expansion to other towns through franchised operations. Dave's entrepreneurial spirit is leading him and his business partner, Patrick McMaster, in this direction.
Professor Fernando Larios, a regular for the eleven years he has been in Athens, finished his favorite dish, pasta DePalma, and said that not only the delicious food and good wine draw him downtown, but the fact that Dave and the wait staff greet him by name. He said that he feels " pampered at DePalma's." Another long-time patron raved about how unusual it is to find a restaurant that will cater so graciously to a request to add or subtract an ingredient to a dish.
To learn more about DePalma's, dine at any of the three locations or check them out at http://www.depalmasitaliancafe.com/. A fine dining experience awaits.
