ANN ARBOR, MI –Paesano Restaurant & Wine Bar has been bringing classic Italian meals to Ann Arbor for decades, and that’s not planned to change anytime soon.
The restaurant at 3411 Washtenaw Ave. has been serving authentic Italian food since former owners Bridget and Mike Roddy opened its doors in 1984.
Related: Paesano Restaurant & Wine Bar is changing owners after 40 years
Ownership changed last June when the Roddys sold the business to Richard Buhr, who’s been in Ann Arbor’s restaurant industry since 1979 and is now running Paesano with his family, which includes his daughter, Elissa Spangler, and her son, Andrew Spicer.
Even with the new ownership, customers can expect to find the same service and the same menu they’ve come to know and love.
“There’s no reason to fix what’s not broken,” Spicer said.
Dishes like its lasagna will continue to use the same recipe as the last 40 years. Spicer said his family loved the dish so much they would often get it every Christmas Eve.
Other top classic meals that won’t change include the chicken piccata, made with a lemon sauce, capers and garlic with white wine and herb butter and served with angel hair pasta.
“This dish has a very simple sauce, but the simpler the sauce is, the better,” Spangler said.
Paesano’s chicken parmesan also hopes to remain a top seller. It’s made with crispy, pan-fried breaded chicken breasts topped with melted mozzarella cheese with angel hair pasta and tomato sauce.
However, Spicer said customers can expect some new dishes to make their way to the restaurant with its everchanging seasonal menu and weekly specials.
One weekly special that recently gained a lot of hype is the restaurant’s handmade rose petal ravioli filled with short rib and ricotta cheese, served over arugula puree. It was so popular it will return to the menu for Mother’s Day.
The restaurant’s chef is also introducing customers to new handmade ravioli every week, Spangler said.
Other recent dinner specials have included blackened salmon topped with cucumber-tomato salad and dill cream sauce and a lemon chiffon cake with layers of blueberry buttercream.
There are a few specials coming for Easter, including grilled lamb chops with house-made chimichurri, roasted red skin potatoes and puff pastry filled with roasted asparagus and gruyere, brie and mozzarella cheeses drizzled with white balsamic glaze and spicy honey.
The new owners loved the energy the Roddys always seemed to have and are making it a priority to bring the same personable approach to their services, Spangler said.
The goal is to continue to “make the Roddy’s proud” and leave their own legacy with Paesano, Spicer said, adding he loves that he gets to work so closely with his family.
“I just feel really lucky and blessed to be able to be the face of such a longstanding popular business,” he said. “This is a huge deal, and we take it very seriously.”
Paesano Restaurant & Wine Bar is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Find it online, on social media or by phone at 734-971-0484.
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