Il Positano's: A Family Affair

, in Kinnelon, offers the best of both worlds in terms of Italian food.

Depending on your mood, you can casually drop in for a slice of pizza or a nice dinner and sit in the pizzeria, or take a few steps into the dining area to experience a more fine dining atmosphere. Either way, the food and service remain the same.

The food is fresh, high quality and consistent. Since taking over the restaurant in September of 2008, Owner Joe Cira and his family have made Il Positano’s a warm, inviting restaurant, and Cira said there is more to come within the next month or so. Even in this economy, sales have been up 30 percent, climbing about 12 percent every year, according to Cira. Cira said he believes when you are doing well, you have to take care of the restaurant and those working hard to make it a success.

My husband and I were immediately greeted by our server, Lois, who sat us and quickly got our drinks while we browsed the menu. We have a lot of Italian restaurants among us in New Jersey, most serving bread, but Il Positano's serves their fantastic bread nestled with hot garlic knots. I poured some of their high-quality olive oil on top, with some pepper flakes to make the absolute perfect bite.

For my meal, I started with the soup of the day, which was an escarole and bean soup ($4.50), while my husband was craving mozzarella sticks ($4.75). I had to try one, as they looked scrumptious, and they were. Most restaurants serve them a bit greasy, and so that they have a tendency to sit in your stomach, but those at Il Positano’s are perfectly browned, leaving no trace of oil on your fingers. Perfecto!

I then enjoyed the Warm Chicken Salad ($9.95) which is a generous portion of greens and arugala with a huge portion of cooked grilled chicken, Shiitake mushrooms and sundried tomatoes marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette. The chicken sat nicely atop the greens, so you are left with a perfect salad instead of a soggy mess. This salad is a wonderful blend of flavors accented very well. The big portion served as dinner and lunch for the following day.

My husband cleaned his plate of the Veal Positano ($18.95), which is served with shiitake mushrooms, Sherry wine and a touch of cream, with vegetables and a side of pasta.

Cira said he contributes Il Positano’s success to being family-owned and operated. With his four younger brothers, his sweet wife, sister, and sister-in-laws, the family works together as partners and they are not afraid to jump in when the going gets tough. “We all get along-even our wives. They have a great relationship and I think that teamwork has really held us and our business together,” he said.

Meeting with Cira, I had a great respect for him, as he was not just a businessman, but a smart businessman with a big heart for his family and customers.  Cira laughed about how sometimes you just have to throw on an apron, grab a delivery, or work the door. Some business owners would cringe, but Cira knows every aspect of his business.

Cira’s grandfather came to the United States in 1967 and opened up his family's first pizzeria in 1968. Il Positano’s uses the same sauce and same cheese as his grandfather did, but Cira said that the extensive menu is very different. Cira said he enjoys dining out to get inspired on new dishes and likes to observe what is working and what is not to compare to his restaurant to make it one of the best.

Cira has owned more that 21 places, building from scratch, starting in Brooklyn, moving to Florida and when his father called him up and said he needed to come check out a place that would be good for the family business, Cira called on his mother. His mother, who he respects greatly, said he needed to get on a plane and check it out. So he did. He worked the counter, seeing if this spot in  would be a good match for his family-and it was.

He also opened Presto’s NY Pizza in Hackensack, with the same menu as Il Positano’s, and spends his time during the day there and coming to Il Positano’s for the dinner crowd, where tables turn over three times on Friday and Saturday nights. Cira considers Il Positano's home and said that he is truly blessed by the success of Il Positano’s.

Il Positano's is open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.