Papa Joe's Restaurant has been in Darien for 36 years in the same location. Current owner Joseph Rivieccio, whose mother founded the restaurant, was born just outside of Rome and spent summers in the town of Ponza. In 1973, he, his mother and his brother were working in area restaurants and decided to open one of their own. He and his brother specialize in central Italian food. "Everything is fresh and made to order," he said. He added, "I think I'm one of the few owners who cooks. I've been doing it 25 years."