Il Porto Ristorante owners Akbar Zadran, left, poses for a photo with general manager Lou Fellah, head waiter Jesus Perla, and brother and co-owner Wali Zadran in preparation for the upcoming 50th anniversary celebration April 26.
But one notable and impressive exception is Il Porto Ristorante, a landmark Italian eatery on King Street since it was first opened in 1973 by local legend “Mr. Ray” Giovannoni. Now under the ownership of brothers Akbar and Wali Zadran, Il Porto is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special throwback dinner on April 26.
“We are celebrating 50 years with a special menu of dishes served 50 years ago at 50 percent off,” said Wali Zadran. “The evening will also feature live music including a saxophone player, violinist and accordion player. It will be a fun, casual evening and reservations are open for everyone.”
The back of the original 1973 menu at Il Porto Ristorante featured founder “Mr. Ray” Giavanonni.
The Zadran brothers originally hail from Afghanistan, with Akbar emigrating to the U.S. and being hired by Mr. Ray as a bartender at Il Porto in 1982. He bought the restaurant from Mr. Ray in 1990 and was joined by his brother Wali in August of 2001, just weeks before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“We’ve survived three down cycles,” Wali said. “Business died out after 9/11. Then came the 2008 crisis and most recently COVID. That was the worst. What kept us alive was the loyalty of our patrons and employees. I cannot thank my employees enough for their dedication and hard work. Some managers and even some busboys have been here longer than I have been.”
Employee loyalty is another area where Il Porto has defied the odds with the average tenure in the industry just under two months. General manager Lou Fellah has worked at the restaurant since 1997, when he began as a bartender. Head waiter Jesus Perla joined the restaurant in 1998 and executive Chef Miguel Ferman first joined the staff in 2006 before taking over in the kitchen in 2013.
Originally built over 200 years ago, the historic building has its own history with the original owner being a retired sea captain. After his early demise, it became a house of ill repute before that owner, Madame LeCleaque, was shot by an angry customer and she and her employees fled the building.
Over the years a butcher shop, artist’s studio, speakeasy and repair shop were located on the premises before Mr. Ray restored the building to its natural charm and opened Il Porto. His first chef was the then-unknown Franco Landini, who went on to open his own restaurant just doors away with his brother Piero in 1979.
“I used to think before I started coming here that this was like a tourist trap,” said Roger Parks, a longtime patron who first discovered Il Porto with his late wife Georgina in the early 1970s. “Then I came in one day and started watching them make the pasta every single morning and saw just how committed everyone is to serving only the best food. That’s when I found out this is the real deal.”
Each dish at Il Porto Italian is made from scratch, on premise, including the pasta, every day. While its roots are traditional Italian, in recent years there has been a transition to modern cooking techniques as well as focus on offering a wide selection of wines.
“The atmosphere is like a second home, not a corporate business,” said Wali. “The customers and employees are our family.”
Wali, 48, and Akbar, 62, are now co-owners of the restaurant and can be seen daily greeting customers, including second generation customer Rick Lane.
“My father taught these folks how to make an old fashioned,” laughed Lane on a recent visit. “But it is really the friendly people and good food at reasonable prices that keeps me coming back. There is no other atmosphere like this in Old Town.”
Akbar is especially grateful for the loyalty of customers like Lane and Parks.
121 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-836-8833.
www.ilportoristorante.com