About a year ago, Wioletta Zywina called Boston restaurateur Hemant Chowdhry because she was thinking about opening an Italian restaurant next door to his soon-to-open French Asian restaurant in the South End. Could they, she wondered, get along as neighbors?
Chowdhry was skeptical. He'd opened four restaurants since moving to Boston from India 14 years ago, including Mantra and Diva. Banq, on Washington Street, would be his latest.
Zywina, who moved to Boston from Poland 10 years ago to earn an undergraduate degree and MBA from Bentley College, was a former waitress at Blue Ginger. She'd dabbled in sales and worked as a realtor. Now she was going into the restaurant business.
Reluctantly, Chowdhry agreed to meet one night for drinks at Sonsie. Between questions about permits and licensing, love blossomed.
While 30-year-old Zywina eventually opened her new Da Vinci Ristorante (left) on Columbus Avenue, she and Chowdhry, 37, are now a couple. We sat down with the restaurateurs to find out where they shop, what they eat, and why 50 reservations are never enough. - SUZANNE C. RYAN
What's the craziest result of your hookup?
Zywina: Now our chefs are best friends. Ranveer Brar (Banq) and Shingara "Peppino" Singh (Da Vinci co-owner) are both from India.
Chowdhry: They met through us.
When you both find time to take a dinner break, what's your favorite restaurant?
Zywina: Douzo. I love sushi.
Chowdhry: Mine also. We go two or three times a week.
Where do you shop for clothes?
Zywina: I'm from Poland so when I fly home, I stop in London for a few days. I'm into funky, unique things. In Boston,
Chowdhry: I go to Hugo Boss for shoes. For suits, it's Gucci or Hugo Boss. For casual clothes, I like Riccardi or Diesel.
What is a must-have item for spring?
Zywina: Green platform shoes from the Gucci spring collection. They have a gold heel. All of my cousins in Europe already bought them.
Chowdhry: A Cartier watch. I saw one at the store, and it looks fabulous. It has a steel band and a platinum face.
Describe the decor in your home.
Zywina: I live in Allston. My condo reflects all of my travels. My hallway has wooden masks from Kenya. My living room has paintings from my hometown, Warsaw. Under my bed is a multicolored rug from Argentina.
Chowdhry: I live in the Back Bay. It's a typical bachelor pad. I have all the toys in the world: a 52-inch flat screen TV, a
What's your favorite food?
Zywina: Sushi. I like eel and salmon. I love Philadelphia rolls with cream cheese.
Chowdhry: Arancini. It's a fried rice ball.
What's date night like?
Zywina: We like introducing each other to different cuisines. I like Cafe Polonia in Dorchester. It's Polish.
Chowdhry: I might make Indian food. She's getting used to it. I also like Shabu-Zen, a Japanese place in Chinatown. The food is amazing.
What's your favorite TV show?
Zywina: "Sex and the City." I watch it On Demand.
Chowdhry: "Kitchen Nightmares" with Gordon Ramsay. He goes to people's restaurants and rips them apart.
Where do you vacation?
Zywina: Argentina, Brazil. I love the energy, the language, and the people. The people are so happy there. I also like Hong Kong, India, and Indonesia.
Chowdhry: I'm from India. I go once a year, usually in January. I like Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. It's beautiful there and so untamed.
What kind of music do you like?
Zywina: European dance music, techno rock, Latin pop, and Irish folk music. I like Shakira and Michael Flatley.
Chowdhry: Lounge music, jazz. I like the Hotel Costes series with Stéphane Pompougnac. For jazz, I like the old stuff, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
What are you reading?
Zywina: "The Reserve" by Russell Banks.
Chowdhry: "Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business" by Danny Meyer.
Do you compete?
Zywina: I will call him. "How many reservations do you have tonight? Fifty? Then I have got to have 60."
Chowdhry: We actually help each other. We have shared supplies for the kitchen and our sous chefs.
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