Ripe Italian tomatoes, savory garlic, and a few select spices go into the sauce. Eggplant, sliced paper-thin, is baked until crisp, then topped with sauce and the best mozzarella. No meal is complete without crusty bread.
Simple, fresh, all-natural ingredients make up the mouth-watering Italian classics at Paradise Restaurant in the Verplanck hamlet of Cortlandt. Old-fashioned homemade dishes, including chicken parmigiana, veal marsala, and fried calamari, taste like grandma used to make.
The Broadway landmark has been serving the Margiotta family’s recipes — and award-winning pizza — for eight decades. But the Margiottas are perhaps best known for their legendary ingredients of care and love.
“Customers become family,” says owner and chef Joe Margiotta. The four-generation family business is poised to celebrate 80 years in 2027. The business was started by his grandparents in 1947, and continued by his parents, Gerry and Lucy, until their deaths 10 years ago.
“There aren’t many places like this anymore,” says Margiotta. “If you want an old-time feeling, come see us.”
A family affair
Margiotta, the ninth of 10 children, manages the business full-time, with part-time help from brother Victor. But all the Margiotta children – Anthony, Vicki, Frank, Mike, Gerard, Jim, John, Victor, Joseph, Charlie — have helped in some capacity over the years, from the time they were kids.
Today, Margiotta’s daughter, Amanda, 25, manages the restaurant’s social media and online ordering platforms. With a newly minted master’s degree in corporate communications, she has added new media and delivery services like Grub Hub and Door Dash. Daughter Alyssa, who is studying to be a teacher, waits tables in the summer.
At 59, Margiotta could retire, but he says he loves the business, especially the customers. “I don’t do it for the money; I do it because of the people,” he says.
“We have a lot of regular customers, whether they come twice a week or once a month. Many have been coming throughout their lives and now bring their kids. I know just about everyone.”
Even the 95-year-old building, which his parents renovated and expanded, is nostalgic, with an old-time phone booth, antique cash register, and photos of Frank Sinatra hanging on wood-paneled walls. “My dad liked Sinatra,” Margiotta recalls. The family saved keepsake menus from over the years, including one from 1977 showing the price of a pizza at $3.50.
A 1977 Yankees World Series plaque hangs in the bar, an area of the business where Margiotta would like to spend more time. “I want to get out of the kitchen a little and do some bartending.”
Attention to detail
But even with Margiotta out of the kitchen, the meals are under his supervision. “We use very little salt, and you can’t over-spice,” he says with a smile.
Margiotta estimates spending approximately 50 hours a week at the Paradise, which is open Wednesday through Sunday. When he’s not at the restaurant, he’s busy shopping for food and creating event menus. “You put in a lot of hours and make a lot of sacrifices. You really need the support of your family.”
He continues: “Most parties happen on Friday and Saturday nights.” Restaurant owners, he adds, “don’t go to parties, they host them.”
But the hard work has been worth it for the personal satisfaction of carrying on the tradition of his parents and grandparents, who he fondly remembers as traditional Italians who loved their family, restaurant, community, religion, and friends. “You need someone in the family willing to do it,” he says. “You really have to love and nurture the business. I love it. I grew up in it. It’s hard to peel away from that. It has become my identity.”
In a tough environment when restaurants seem to open and quickly close, Margiotta attributes the Paradise’s legacy to consistency, food quality, and a welcoming atmosphere. “My parents used to sit at that table and welcome everyone by name,” he says, pointing to a small round table by the door.
Margiotta continues that tradition by chatting up the customers, and thanking them as they leave. “Our customers are generational, too,” he adds. “They all want to give you a story.”
“Most restaurants last only five years. It doesn’t mean they failed, it’s just a very taxing business,” he explains.
Respect and courtesy
“Customers always know what they’re getting here. People will forgive mistakes but will never forget if you’re rude to them.” With that in mind, he hires employees for his four-person staff who are respectful and good-natured. He’s grateful for little staff turnover.
Some of the Paradise’s success was built when Indian Point was in operation, according to Margiotta. The restaurant is still busy, especially on Friday and Saturday, and takeout business is robust. On a Sunday, when the restaurant is less busy, Margiotta prepares for about 20 tables for supper. The dining room can seat about 100.
“This is a destination place,” he says.
The Smith family can attest to that. When they come to the area to visit relatives, one of their first destinations is the Paradise. It’s a tradition that continues, especially for the eggplant parmigiana.
“I grew up going to New York every summer to visit family,” says Connie Smith Hunter. “The adults always went to the Paradise. It was intriguing and I couldn’t wait to be old enough to go. When I became an adult, it was exciting to finally be able to dine at the iconic Paradise.
“The whole family grew to love this neighborhood restaurant and the great memories made there over so many years. It makes me feel close to my parents when I’m there, remembering all the stories they’d tell.”
In addition to serving lunch and dinner, Margiotta also caters and hosts events. Amanda explains that the Paradise hosts weekly live music, including a piano player on Saturdays and other types of entertainment. Couples have had wedding receptions at the Paradise, and funeral repasts often take place here.
The family also likes to have fun with their menu, naming weekly takeout specials in the spirit of Sinatra: “My Way,” “The Godfather,” “Bada Bing,” and others. Wednesday’s special is a pizza and an oversized homemade creampuff for $20. “My parents liked to have fun,” Margiotta recalls.
Homemade desserts
In addition to the creampuff, all desserts are prepared in-house, except for the cheesecake, which is made by Homestyle Desserts Bakery in Peekskill.
In gratitude for how the community has embraced the Paradise, Margiotta likes to give back, and has sponsored local baseball teams, taught Catholic education at his church, umpired baseball for Westchester County, and patronizes local restaurants on his days off. His only vacation time is the week of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast in July, when the restaurant closes.
“The real true regulars consider this home as much as I do. That’s part of the reason why I stay.”
Recipe for Paradise Eggplant Parmigiana
- Peel and slice eggplant thin
- Dredge slices in flour, egg, breadcrumbs
- Oil a sheet pan and lay slices in a single layer
- Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes (keep an eye on the oven)
- Top slices with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, heat to melt cheese.
