Maryland has lost another longtime dining institution, following a string of beloved restaurant closures around the state. DaVinci’s by the Sea in Ocean City has served its final meal after 40 years on the Boardwalk, closing a family-run chapter that began in 1986.
The restaurant’s final season ended in late September at the Harrison Hall Hotel on 15th Street. Owner Vince Sapia said his parents started DaVinci’s four decades ago, and local coverage of the closing emphasized how deeply the restaurant became tied to the family’s life and to generations of seasonal workers and returning vacationers. Hoodline reported that the family had announced well in advance that 2026 would be the final season.
Italian comfort food by the ocean
DaVinci’s built its reputation on the kind of Italian-American dishes beach-town families could return to year after year. Its menu included homemade lasagna, chicken parmigiana, fettuccine Alfredo and spaghetti, alongside seafood dishes that reflected its Ocean City setting. Maryland crab ravioli, garlic shrimp, mussels marinara and seasonal seafood pastas gave vacationers a taste of the coast without leaving the familiar comfort of a red-sauce Italian restaurant…