It is no surprise that Boston born chef, Mark Davis, brought his chowder recipe with him when he moved west to California over 40 years ago, and has been pleasing chowder fans ever since. Mark’s signature chowder has been voted “Best Clam Chowder” for many years running by the readers the Monterey County Weekly. Served in a fresh sourdough bread bowl gives this one-of-a-kind chowder a special twist, and Mark put another unique spin on the crowd favorite by offing the bread bowl to come with a garlic cheese lid! This unique Vivolo’s favorite is so delicious!
Mark Davis and his wife Julie Vivolo Davis, opened the restaurant in 1990 in the hopes of offering an excellent product at a reasonable price, targeted for the local’s and the tourists who want a special place to dine away from the crowded tourist areas. Mark has had a love of cooking since the age of 14 when he started working in restaurants on the East Coast. That passion allowed him to travel away from home, where he had opportunities to be trained by many renown Chef’s across the country, before landing in Lake Tahoe, Ca in the late 1970’s. After 10 years of hard work opening both the Fresh Ketch and The Beacon Restaurant on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe, he moved to the Monterey Peninsula to Julie’s hometown to raise their family, and open Mark’s dream restaurant, Vivolo’s Chowder House. With Mark’s wonderful cooking and Julie’s extensive restaurant and hospitality experience, it’s no wonder that Vivolo’s Chowder House has had so much success over the decades!
Mark is a natural born outdoorsman and has a love for both the ocean and the land. He believes Pacific Grove and the Monterey Peninsula offers the best of both. Using the freshest ingredients from the ocean and the greatest home-grown veggies from the Salinas Valley, he has put together a menu that offers a wonderful fresh flair form the local land and sea.