Established in 1994 Fava, is owned by Jeff and Maryellen Kaye, a cozy, quiet restaurant carved into the granite walls of what once housed the Needham Center railroad station. Fava is among a growing list of restaurants that have in very recent years brought a higher level of cuisine to Boston's near suburbs. Fava aims at delivering something more than the "good food at good prices" theme that had been predominant among little restaurants that dot the downtowns of the bedroom communities around Boston.

The emphasis here is on packaging a complete dining experience that begins with warm ambience and proceeds to an inventive yet very accessible menu, a carefully crafted wine list, friendly and attentive service and skilled culinary execution in the kitchen.

But Fava does not take itself too seriously. For all its pleasing upscale trappings, it exudes the welcoming air of a neighborhood place where its clientele enjoy returning on a regular basis.

When you enter Fava, you glance at Chef/Owner Jeff Kaye and Sous Chef Stephen McGuire in the open kitchen on the right and beyond it you are welcomed by the glow of the dining room with candle-lit tables and an atmosphere of cozy elegance.