Eric Swartz is part of the team that opened Davio’s Boston located at 75 Arlington Street in 2002. Swartz, originally from Plymouth, MA, began his restaurant career at a young age by working in several kitchens throughout the Cape Cod area. Swartz attended Cambridge Culinary College and Bunker Hill Community College, but for the most part, he is a self-taught chef.
Growing up in the business then eventually marrying into a family that enjoys food, Swartz learned his love of cooking starting at the age of six. His father was a restaurant manager. On weekends, Swartz would help out his dad in the restaurant. By the age of ten, Swartz knew he belonged in the family business. He worked at odd jobs for little or no pay just to learn what was going on in the kitchen. Recalls Swartz, “I remember climbing into giant pots, scrubbing them clean, the cleaner the better and thinking what great fun that was. The grown-ups in the kitchen appreciated all the grunt work, but they must have thought I was nuts!”
At the age of 15 ½, Swartz got his first bona fide restaurant job at Station One in Plymouth, MA where he began as a dishwasher and worked his way to busperson, then to line and prep cook. The owner of Station One, Mike DiGravio, realized the talent Swartz had in the kitchen and nurtured his cooking skills, even sending him to Napa Valley to explore new food ideas. From there he worked at several other restaurants on the Cape including The Cove and Fiores. In 1982, Swartz moved to the Boston area to attend school. In 1988, Swartz came to Davio’s, working as the sous chef at the former Brookline location. In 1996, Swartz transferred to the Davio’s on Newbury Street where he was promoted to Executive Chef.
Swartz has always been excited about the team-chef concept at Davio’s. Swartz stated, “Growing up and spending a lot of time in and around Cape Cod and the fact that my father-in-law is a retired lobsterman, I learned much about seafood and shellfish. I’m happy we’ve included many of my favorites on the menu – if it comes from the sea, I love it!”