NL_121219

28 | December 12, 2019 | the new lenox patriot dining out
newlenoxpatriotdaily.com
The Dish
Paisano’s maintains family-oriented atmosphere for 41 years
Sean Hastings
Contributing Editor
Not much has changed
since Paisano’s opened its
doors to New Lenox in
1978.
The restaurant’s original
owners, Mike and Sandy
Panzo, focused on keeping
a family-oriented atmosphere.
After all, “Paisano”
means “friend” in Italian.
And Steve and Shelly
Trilikis have kept that
alive since 1993 when they
bought Paisano’s, 350 W.
Maple St. in New Lenox.
Though there are other Paisano’s
in other locations,
they are not connected.
“My parents kept it and
worked side by side with
Mike and Sandy in the beginning,”
Brittany Glynn,
daughter of Steve and
Shelly said. “They kept it
pretty much the same and
keep with the same tradition.
“It has been there so
long, and people have been
coming for so long, and
people remember coming
in with their grandparents
and family.”
Glynn was an only child
and has been working with
her parents for years. Most
of the employees have
worked at Paisano’s for
more than 10 years, and
the family atmosphere of
the restaurant starts there,
Glynn said.
The customers that
come in — new and old —
just add to the size of that
family.
“Our customers are our
family,” Glynn said. “We
watch kids grow up. It’s a
restaurant, but it really is
much more than that; it’s
like you’re own community.
We’re really lucky we
have the awesome custom-
Paisano’s homemade tiramisu ($5.50) is popular among
customers looking for dessert after their meals.
Paisano’s Pizza and
Italian Restaurant
350 W. Maple St. in
New Lenox
Hours
• 4-9 p.m. Monday-
Thursday
• 4-10 p.m. Friday-
Saturday
• 3:30-9 p.m. Sunday
For more information…
Web:
paisanosnewlenox.com
Phone: (815) 485-
2422
ers that we do.”
Similar to the atmosphere,
the food had not
changed over the years.
“If something’s not
broke, don’t fix it,” Glynn
said. “We don’t change,
because that is what people
have liked.”
The pizza is, of course,
a community favorite,
but the ribs ($19.95), Italian
beef ($9.95), shrimp
scampi ($14.95) and all of
the other pasta dishes are
go-to choices, Glynn said.
Paisano’s also offers a variety
of desserts, including
homemade cheesecake
and tiramisu ($5.50 each).
“You could turn someone’s
day around with
some good food and a nice
glass of sangria,” Glynn
said. “It is really easy to
make someone happy.”
In a town as booming
as New Lenox, with the
addition of multiple restaurants,
Paisano’s has
continued to be there for
the community. Paisano’s
sponsored a girls softball
team this year, and plans to
keep finding ways to stay
involved with the community
and grow with it.
“We want to stay involved
in the community
and be there for families
when they come in,”
Glynn said. “I love when
kids come in and see stuff
and are excited. We just
do what feels right. If they
want to see the kitchen, I’ll
take them back there and
show them.
“The people are the best
part. The best part about
New Lenox is that there
are all kinds of different
people, but everyone
comes together.”
Paisano’s pizza has been a community favorite since the restaurant opened in
1978 in New Lenox. Pictured is a thin crust with pepperoni and green peppers. Pan,
stuffed, taco and gluten-free also are sold. Photos by Sean Hastings/22nd Century
Media
Shrimp scampi ($14.95) is one of the favorites at Paisano’s.