Its 50+-year reputation as a beacon for authentic Northern Italian food drew me to Il Porto Ristorante in Alexandria’s Old Town, and I was eager to sample its offerings and devour its wonderfully unusual history.

Inside this building on a corner lot, black wrought-iron railings flank mini-staircases of two steps to different sections. Above the rustic swirls of plaster on the walls, empty wine bottles rest on a high shelf. Sconces sport stained-glass panels. The black and white linens parallel the wait staff’s shirts, ties, vests, pants, and shoes. Wood-beam ceilings and brick and stone walls indicate the building’s age and history, and that’s a fascinating story that kept me well occupied until my meal arrived.

Erected more than 200 years ago, the building was originally owned by a retired sea captain, until he was arrested and tried in the town square for attempting to sell a valuable family heirloom that didn’t belong to him. The new owner ran her brothel here until she was shot by a customer and her ladies of the evening fled into the night. After the Civil War, two Southern women operated a shop that sold family treasures—as well as a secret wine press and distillery in the basement. After its turn as a butcher shop and an artist studio, the building housed a speakeasy during the Roaring Twenties. In the 1940s, a Nazi family moved in and set up a radio network disguised as a fix-it shop. In the early 1970s, Ray Giovannoni restored the building to its natural charm and opened Il Porto in 1973. Ownership eventually passed in 1990 to Akbar Zadran, a proud-to-be-American Afghan immigrant who started working as a bartender at Il Porto in 1982, and his brother Wali, who joined him in 2001.

With a great story like that, you’ll be primed for an outstanding meal, which will arrive promptly after you place your order.

Try This: Imagine a great lasagna and turn it into soup—that’s the appetizer you’ll want, the delicious lasagna soup with homemade pasta, ragu, and melted cheese. For your main course, select one of the pastas made daily from scratch, like the tortellini filled with veal, sautéed with portobello mushrooms in a light pesto cream sauce and garnished with asparagus. End your meal with a wonderfully ethereal dessert, the torta di ricotta e pistachio: sponge cake with layers of ricotta and pistachio creams, decorated with pistachio pieces and dusted with powdered sugar.

I’d Love to Hear From You!

Have you been here? Have I inspired you to go? Let me know!