When Dad’s in the kitchen, it’s a good day

This father represents a new generation who are cooking for their families. Many fathers like to go grocery shopping, prepare meals, and clean up the kitchen. On Father’s Day, they are just as likely to be planning their own feast as sitting back and letting someone else serve.

Even dads who are restaurateurs enjoy the role at home. Steve DiFillippo, owner of the Davio’s restaurants, could easily rely on his team of chefs to prepare takeout meals for his wife and four children. Yet DiFillippo, who trained at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts before opening the first restaurant in 1985, rushes to the stove at home. “The one thing I do in the house is cook. My wife does everything else. The kids all come to me to ask me what’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,’’ he says.

Raised in Lynnfield and now a homeowner in Wenham and Gloucester, DiFillippo plans meals as he grocery shops. With children ranging in age from 11 to 23, he needs to cater to different appetites. “The kids come and go, or they have friends over. I like to fill up the table so they can have choices — at least one or two vegetables, a protein, and a starch,’’ he says.

Though his Portuguese mother did all the cooking when he was growing up, DiFillippo also learned Italian food from his father’s side of the family. His classical training informs his family meals, too. “Sometimes I make Hollandaise sauce and my wife says, ‘What are you doing?’ ’’ He is keeping up his skills. “I don’t want to forget how,’’ he says.

DiFillippo’s sons, Michael, 21, and Max, 11, are following their father’s interest in cooking. Michael works at Davio’s while studying at Boston University.