David’s on Jefferson Hill

The food here is great and well worth the trip. I didn’t find the dining room lightening to be a problem. Our server was friendly and efficient and made us feel comfortable immediately. Our party had the duck, wild salmon and brick chicken, all delicious, well seasoned, perfect. We also had the homemade ice cream, it was melt in your mouth heaven. David’s has a great wine selection with reasonable prices. Personally, I don’t order beer with meals, especially fine dining, so I can’t comment on the beer selection. I would visit again any time.

Not sure what to think about Amanda R.‘s review since it had nothing to do with the food but everyone’s entitled to their opinion!
My Wife and I decided to check out David’s after Chicago Mag listed it on their Top 10. We also live in the Fox Valley so the location in Naperville is a plus.
The first thing we noticed as we walked up to the place was how bright it was inside. I mean it was very bright. Far too much light going in in there. It was a bit of a shock since we were planning on this being more of a romantic setting. So I think David needs to give some serious consideration to the ambiance. Some candles and low lighting should do the trick.
We had reservations so no problem getting a seat. Our waiter was OK. And by OK I mean he wasn’t all that professional. More like a chummy type of attitude. I’m OK with being relaxed but I’d think the waitstaff should be a little more on the formal side at a place like this. Luckily we were surprised to see one of our favorite wine buyers waiting tables that night. They needed some extra help for Valentine’s Day so she stepped up. So it was good to have her stop by our table a few times.
Ambiance and service aside, the food at David’s was very good. I ordered the pan seared Muscovy Duck Breast with Wild Mushroom Risotto. It was cooked to perfection, seasoned well, and very succulent. The risotto was phenomenal and paired really well with the duck. My wife ordered their wild king salmon on a bed of baby spinach and mushrooms. It too was flavor intense and more importantly cooked absolutely perfect. The salmon was clearly wild and had a buttery rich flavor. We shared a plate of asparagus spears that were a tad over seasoned but not enough to really complain. They were good.
The wine list is modest but loaded with economical options by the glass. In fact, you can easily find a nice bottle under $ 50 since most of what they carry falls under that price point. I enjoyed a Malbec for $ 8 a glass.
But beware! If you want the hard stuff you’re not going to find it at David’s. Also, their beer list is HORRIBLE. I think it goes like this: Miller Light, Blue Moon, Heineken, and Bud Light. No joke. Someone needs to seriously improve the beer options.
Overall, David’s prepares some amazing food. I also believe it’s quite reasonable especially for the portions. Three stars instead of four simply because of the lack of ambiance and informal waitstaff. If you’re OK with that then you should definitely go to David’s for dinner. Just bring your own candle for the table!