![]() I’m not sure how many of my buddies knew that my father had died that day - I didn’t mention it - but we joked around like it was just another weekend. My friends were at Parasson’s restaurant and I needed to be there to find comfort. It was Friday night, though, and I knew where I had to go. When my father died unexpectedly in Florida in February 1988, I mourned for hours with relatives at my grandmother’s house. We became friendly with some of the staff and got together for rock shows, house parties and ski outings. It’s been more than 30 years, but I still remember the names of waitresses who put up with our hijinks: Mary, Brenda, Sally, Sue, Dee-Dee, Cheryl, Judy, Agnes, Melanie, Maruja, Dineen and Kim. We’d practically close the place on weekends with our protracted, loopy discussions about pop songs, video games, sports heroes, movie stars and current events. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. In those days, the restaurant was open from 11 a.m. The menu also boasted a number of submarine sandwiches named after Parasson’s family members, including the Nancy Special (Italian sausage covered with tomato sauce and topped with sautéed sweet onions and bell peppers), Tony Special (ground steak smothered with sautéed sweet onions and mushrooms, topped with lettuce, tomato and melted mozzarella cheese), Mickey Special (butter steak smothered with sautéed sweet onions and mushrooms, topped with melted mozzarella cheese) and Gina Special (ground steak with lettuce, tomato and onion topped with Roquefort or Thousand Island dressing).Īfter I graduated from North and went to Kent State, Parasson’s on North Hill was still the place where my friends and I gathered on Friday nights. I’m one of those guys who orders anchovies - much to the chagrin of many servers - but they never complained at Parasson’s. ![]() Pizzas could be topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, black olives, meatballs, anchovies and hot pepper rings. ![]() A generous portion of rigatoni covered with our famous sauce, served piping hot.” In its menu description, Parasson’s noted: “Mama called them stove pipes. One of my favorite dishes was rigatoni with meat sauce, served with a baked garlic roll and Romano cheese. For big spenders, there were fancier choices such as chicken cacciatore, baked rigatoni, baked veal cutlet, chopped steak and fish dinners ranging from $3 to $3.50. The Parasson’s menu featured spaghetti, lasagna, rigatoni and pizza for under $2 in the early 1980s. My ski club buddies and I made weekly visits after Brandywine, and my mother and I enjoyed Sunday dinners. North High students packed the place following Vikings sporting events, after-school activities, movies and concerts. It was ideal for first dates, family outings, group events and even solo meals. One of my favorite hangouts in the 1970s and 1980s, Parasson’s was known for good, inexpensive food, hearty portions and friendly service. For North Hill residents, it used to be a popular gathering place that promised fun times despite the dungeon-like décor. ![]() The North Main Street restaurant, which Tony Parasson opened in 1967, was just shy of its 50th birthday when it closed its doors Saturday, citing declining business. When I close my eyes, I can still catch that delicious first whiff of garlic, cheese and butter that wafted over the dining room as people waited for tables and booths. I remember the loud clank of iron rings on wooden doors, the life-size suit of armor that stood in the corner, the medieval decorations, crossed swords, dark paneling, wrought-iron bars, stucco walls, oil paintings and heavy chandeliers. Hungry customers lined up to get inside Parasson’s Italian Restaurant on Akron’s North Hill.
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