Cheap Eats

Paradise Pizza is aptly named

Owner-chef Joey Cardillo pampers to the recession-minded on Cape Cod

Paradise Pizza is a baseball throw south of Route 28 on School Street in West Dennis across from the Post Office. That's cheerful chef-owner Joey Cardillo in the inset.

Two people can dine Italian for under $20 total and bring home enough for lunch

The cozy interior reminds the writer of the wonderful place Cape Cod abounded with in a simpler time.

The Pasta and homemade meatball was covered with Joey's tomato sauce.

The homemade Lasagna would satisfy a trencherman.

And save even more by printing several of this coupon.

If haute cuisine and a Platinum credit card cost is what you want in a restaurant, you should stop reading about Joey Cardillo's Paradise Pizza right now.

His prices are so low they'll remind you of eating out a decade ago.

Joey and his dad started the restaurant here in 1976 and earned a good reputation for generous portions, the freshest ingredients and their own homemade pizza dough.

For the arithmetic-challenged, that's a third of a century ago.

Several restaurants later (including Joey's Seafood in Yarmouth) and a detour to Boca Raton Florida, Joey heard that his original location was available, and he couldn't resist an encore performance on Olde Cape Cod.

Luckily for us he returned during this recession.

Pizza, Munchies, Grinders, Calzones, Dinnera, Free Pizza

You can get out of here for $6.25 for the plain, 10-inch pizza all the way through Joey's 40 pizza varieties to the humongous 16-inch Paradise Special.

You can even get a pizza free by printing out copies of the coupon on the right or pick up a copy of Best Read Guide and use the coupon in Paradise Pizza's ad.

Last night we ordered the Antipasto shown below. It was more than the two us us could eat for $6.95.

We split two entrees - Joey's deservedly famous homemade meatballs and spaghetti, $7.9.5, and his homemade Lasagna $8.95.

Those photos on the right are 12 inch plates and each weighed a ton!

We will have about half the order tonight at home because there was no way we could finish them at Paradise Pizza.

And the best is yet to come

We didn't realize when we ordered the entrees that Joey bakes fresh very garlicky rolls which come with each dinner order.

The rolls were swimming in the best-ever olive oil/garlic juice, and we were able to eat about half of them. See the photo at the bottom.

I don't want to lead you astray. This is simple pleasures well prepared at bargain prices. If your dinner choices border on the gourmet and fancy, take off your necktie and jacket and relax at Paradise Pizza's 1976 era eating.  Joey's genes originated in Southern Italy, not the north, and this class of cooking is more peasant than proper, with prices to match.

• Paradise Pizza is at 74 School Street, West Dennis.
  (508) 398-977     The Original Joey since 1976.
  
• The website. or the menu.

Below is the giant Antipasto and the incredible Garlic Rolls which come with each dinner entree.