Chef Douglass Williams’ DW French Closes in the Fenway
A fourth location of Mida, his Italian restaurant, will occupy its Boylston Street space this fall.
DW French’s steak au poivre with cognac-pepper sauce and creamed spinach. / Photo by Emily Kan Photography
C’est dommage: Fenway is bidding farewell to Best of Boston winner DW French, chef Douglass Williams’ 10-month-old love letter to classic French cooking. Williams and business partner Seth Gerber are turning the Boylston Street address into the fourth location of their popular Italian restaurant Mida, they announced today. (The same space used to house a different Italian restaurant—chef and restaurateur Tiffani Faison’s Orfano.)
DW French closes this Sunday, August 18. When it opened last fall, it was a reflection of Williams’ time cooking in Paris, working at the Michelin-starred restaurant Akrame, prior to opening his first location of Mida in Boston’s South End. While the DW French experience felt fairly upscale, with polished, warm hospitality, Williams’ goal was to present French cuisine as accessible, not stuffy. “My vision is to demystify it, to show that at its core, it’s about warmth, love, and the joy of shared meals,” he said at the time.
Chef Douglass Williams at DW French. / Photo by Emily Kan Photography
We adored straightforward classics like the steak frites and the French onion soup, and the crème brûlée was especially good. DW French’s closure leaves Fenway with a dearth of French food, aside from the recent expansion of PRB Boulangerie to Time Out Market Boston, bringing baguettes, cookie-filled croissants, and other casual fare to the food hall. Fans of French cuisine will have to head to Back Bay, the South End, and beyond to get their fill.
“DW French will always hold a special place in our hearts,” says Williams, via a press release. “At the same time, we are thrilled to bring Mida to the Fenway and are excited for our local community and the many visitors to the neighborhood to experience Mida’s menu, which draws inspiration from the various regions of Italy and the simplicity of classic Italian cooking.”
The new Mida is slated to open in October 2024, joining locations in the South End (the original, which opened eight years ago), Newton, and East Boston. Here’s hoping Mida classics like glazed duck wings with cherry agrodolce; pillowy, garlicky focaccia; and rich carbonara make the jump to the new location—not to mention the South End’s carb-y weekly deal, Mangia Monday, an $80 meal for two that includes five pasta portions, plus salad and bread.
Mida pastas. / Photo by Emily Kan
1391 Boylston St., Fenway, Boston, midarestaurant.com.
