Paradiso Italian Restaurant: 'They Make You Feel Like You’re At Home'

There’s always something to do when you work at a restaurant, so David Nieves enjoys Sundays off with his wife and two children. Why, then, does he like to take them to the restaurant where he works for Sunday brunch?

“This place gives a good quality and quantity of Sunday brunch items,” Nieves said about Paradiso, the family-owned Italian restaurant that recently marked its 20^th anniversary.

Paradiso owners Tony and Julia Amato marked the occasion by remodeling the bar area, expanding the space for the Sunday brunch and Monday through Saturday lunch buffet. They also made it possible for the main dining room to give birth to tasty, brick oven pizza after 3:00 p.m. That’s also about the time when the well ventilated smoking section opens up, on the opposite side of the restaurant from where the toddler-sized tables and chairs are put to good use.

Assistant Manager Nieves has been with Paradiso for more than two years, after almost a decade working in more corporate restaurants in Miami. He moved to this area to bring his young family closer to where his parents live, before they retire and return to their native Peru. Also a chef, Nieves’ eyes sparkle when describing the atmosphere of the Franconia Road eatery.

With corporations, Nieves said, “you follow a lot of stuff, rules.… the good thing about family owned restaurants, which I think I like the most, is having the chef involved in the kitchen, and making happy one of the owners or both. If they want a special we can actually run a special on a weekly basis.”

Nieves said he also gets to work with the chef on Paradiso’s specials, which range from entrees, to wines and desserts.

The most special thing happening these days is that the Amatos, who are originally from Sicily and also own Villa Bella Italian Restaurant in Burke, are expecting their first grandchild. As a result, they are off of their usual schedule of stopping by Paradiso several times a week.

“The owners actually get involved in what’s going on in the restaurant,” Nieves said. “Most of the time Julia is the one checking the entertainment at the bar. She’s the more outgoing with customers, and Tony is very good with back of the house, running the business…. When you see Julia she’s like a regular person, having a good time with every single person.”

“That’s the good thing about this place,” Nieves smiled, “they make you feel like you’re at home.”

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Paradiso Italian Restaurant, 6124 Franconia Rd., Alexandria, VA 22310, 703-922-6222, www.paradisoristorante.com

Hours: Monday-Saturday, open at 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, open at 10:00 a.m., Sunday-Thursday, close at 9:30 p.m. (dining, bar open later), Friday-Saturday, close at 10:30 p.m. (dining, bar open later)