The Good Table | written by: PAMELA DEY VOSSLER, photograph by: BAMBI RIEGEL | riegelpictureworks.com
Because Joe knows, in a time of nouvelle cuisine, artistic efforts yielding small portions of highly specialized food and fussy variations on ethnic cooking that can strip it of its origins—delicious as all of it might be, “Sometimes the soul needs a good meal,” as he says.
If you know nothing else about Joe Rivieccio, owner and head chef of Papa Joe’s Ristorante Italiano at 1973 Post Road in Darien, know this: He’s Italian—and it shapes everything he does at his popular gem of a spot. Born in Anzio, 45 minutes outside of Rome, as was his mother, her nine siblings and generations before her, Joe channels the Roman influences of this area in combination with the Neapolitan flavors of Ponza, an island off of western Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea where his dad grew up—into food that has been filling his restaurant with loyal customers for 50 years.
His customers, hundreds of them regulars, including families who came here as kids and now bring their children in—couldn’t agree more.
The rollatini, the lasagna, the chicken parmigiana and pappardelle, the linguine with clams, the gnocchi Bolognese, the fettucine, the red sauce, a nice, crusty bread, and more—so much more …in a town filled with people who travel the world, Papa Joe’s is always packed.
“I’m a simple Italian food guy. There’s a lot of restaurants out there that complicate food right now but everything Joe does is just off the charts fabulous,” said Darien resident Jamie Tropsa, head coach of the Darien High School girls hockey team and a Papa Joe’s regular nearly since it opened. He’s there for dinner with his wife Danielle several times a month, though he would go there every night if he could.
That’s not to say Joe doesn’t evolve and try new things, learning from his biannual trips back to Italy. He does, but always within the context of his roots.
“He’s not trying to be what he’s not,” said Darien resident Kathy Finnegan, another Papa Joe’s regular who has been going to the restaurant since the mid 1990s, before he added the bar and a takeout space to his restaurant. “There are two things that draw me there. One is the food, it’s delicious,” she continued. “There are those comfort foods, they’re always on the menu and they don’t change. But then, for specials he’s always trying different things.”
From left: Joe’s house made linguine with clams, Joe’s caprese salad, Joe’s spaghetti alla chitarra / / photographs courtesy: Papa Joe’s
The other draw for Kathy is the community, the familiarity she finds at Papa Joe’s.
That’s because Joe’s roots and, therefore, the roots of Papa Joe’s, trace back to the quintessential Italian flair for bringing together a robust complement of generations over a good plate of food—an echo of midday Sunday meals on countryside terraces overhung with vines, tables heaped high with pasta, scallopine, melanzana and more—the conversation lively, the warmth undeniable, the community irresistible.
Many, like Kathy, go to Papa Joe’s as much for the camaraderie as for the food.
Go there any night. Sit at the bar, order a meal. You’ll see for yourself. Chances are, you’ll find someone you know. And if you don’t, you’ll soon feel the welcome that pulls so many back.
“There’s a feeling when you walk in that you already know somebody. You’re not a stranger,” said Kathy who finds it especially warming as an empty nester.
“It’s very common for (people at different) tables to know each other,” said Joe.
“The atmosphere is fantastic,” agreed Jamie who attributes it to the food. “I keep going back to the food: it creates the atmosphere,” he added.
What’s remarkable is the timeless appeal of Papa Joe’s—proof of the primacy of human contact and the appeal of a good meal shared.
“When you see a restaurant like that with so many regulars, it tells you something about the place,” said Jamie. “It tells you about the food. It tells you about the help. It tells you about Joe. It sets a standard for everything else,” he continued.
After emigrating from Italy to the U.S. in 1966 and arriving in Connecticut by way of the Bronx with Joe and his family, Joe’s mom and older brother took over Papa Joe’s in 1975, just five months after its original owners opened it as a pizza joint. They built it into the restaurant Joe, who began working at Papa Joe’s when he was just 15 years old, took over in 1995.
He learned to cook from his mom, who grew up cooking for her large family. He honed his skills developing his own recipes in a never-ending quest for better that continues today. It has yielded a sharp consistency to every dish. He works 14-hours most days to keep it that way. His ingredients are fresh, organic, Italian. His methods, authentic. He makes his own pasta, his own bread, everything.
“The consistency and the value that you get are just tremendous. You don’t get that at too many restaurants nowadays,” said Jamie.
…and you don’t get too many restaurants like Papa Joe’s.
“The reality is people like me are not here anymore. Italian cooks are becoming very scarce,” said Joe.
In an age when so much is gone or replaced, how nice to have a guy so capable of keeping the timeless current. Because, after all, sometimes the soul really does just need a good meal, and some good people to share it with.
