Through cold drizzly weather and a mild headache, the scents coming from Padrino’s Pizza told me it was time for Italian, and I’m glad it happened.

Established in 1981, everything on the Padrino's menu is custom designed, which turns for some great food, especially their pizza. Current co-owner Carmelo Naro keeps a very family-based theme within the décor and recipes.

The atmosphere and lighting is reminiscent of other Italian restaurants, but certain things make it distinct. The tables and chairs are all wooden, the waitresses are attentive and busy, fauna hangs from the ceiling, and the lighting is darker than most places. That said, the lighting was perfectly well placed above the walls holding trophies, plaques, and awards, given by respective youth and community sports teams who chose to host victory parties at Padrino’s. They were everywhere, testament to the “homey” feel shared by those who ate there.

In 2007, Padrino’s Pizza won a county-wide contest, sparking a full-page article in the Washington Post that is now framed on their wall left of the register. Naro said Padrino's didn't even know at the time they had won.

Padrino's aims to prepare fresh ingredients and serve fresh food; all in efforts to enforce the idea that homemade should always taste better.  You’ll pay a few extra dollars, but you certainly won’t be wasting them.

I tried Padrino’s Special, a large pizza with mushrooms, green peppers, olives, onions, sausage, and pepperoni. It took roughly 15 minutes to reach my table, impressive for how busy they were, and the pizza wasn’t too hot to enjoy. That’s a big deal for pizza lovers; there’s little worse than staring at a steaming pizza you can’t touch for 10 minutes because it’s too hot to eat. Instead, I was able to take a slice and begin immediately, the freshness mantra very much alive in the flavor.

Overall, the pizza is worth every dollar, which can be anywhere from $12-18 depending on what you order, but so is everything else on their menu from what Naro explained to me. With a focus on fresh authentic Italian dining, Padrino’s Pizza is well worth a dinner with friends or family if you’re in the area.