Paradisio - A Downtown Culinary Hotspot
- Rex Ballard
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
Located on this quiet street at 1270 Yuba St in downtown Redding is a tucked-away restaurant where Northern California residents are blessed with some of the finest cuisine, rivaling Michelin-rated restaurants in NYC or San Francisco. We are talking about Paradisio, a small, family-owned and operated dining establishment that is absolutely amazing.
Chef Mike Hallead is the creator of the many amazing dishes that come out of that tiny kitchen. His wife, Amber Wall, keeps things operating smoothly in the "front room." The restaurant is small — about 10 tables that can accommodate couples or larger parties. My wife and I have been there several times, and it is always packed because of its loyal customer base. Reservations are strongly advised. We suggest that you visit their website at www.paradisioredding.com, or you can call them at (530) 605-1000
It shocked me when Mike told me that he is not a formally trained Chef; he simply had the privilege of working alongside some fantastic mentors while working in restaurants in Seattle and Eureka. He learned classical Northern Italian cuisine and, in some dishes, enhances it with creative Asian fusion. The menu changes with the seasons and Mike's creative flair. It will always include several of his signature dishes; among them, my favorite is the Bolognese, a pasta dish made with fresh pappardelle noodles, wild boar, and tomatoes, simmered with rosemary and served with homemade focaccia. It is absolutely fantastic. Click here to view their regular menu.
These are a few of their amazing dishes.
Occasionally, he will make Beef Wellington, a tenderloin of beef wrapped in the flakiest puff pastry you have ever met, or some different dishes featuring fresh duck. When he does, you need to book early, as it often sells out quickly.
On this Wednesday evening, my Wife and I decided to try to drop in at 7:00 p.m. Without reservations, we hoped most of the regular crowd would have begun to thin out, and we were in luck: a few tables were open. My Wife, Elisa, who has to eat gluten-free, loves going there and having Amber take our order because Amber has celiac disease, so she and her husband, Mike, are very careful to order several dishes that can be prepared without gluten. Unfortunately, Amber was not at the restaurant because she had to stay home to care for some sick kids, and poor Mike was bouncing between the kitchen and the front room all night. Somehow, he managed.
On this evening, we started with Mike's Jumbo Shrimp appetizer, which are sautéed in a house-made sweet-and-spicy pepper jam with bacon crumbles.
Elisa's entrée was the New York Strip steak, house-cut, pan-seared 16oz strip loin, with butternut squash puree, charred green onions, braised cremini mushrooms, and garlic-herb oil. She topped it off with a side of their creamy mashed potatoes.
My entrée was the Pasta Carbonara, made with pancetta, sugar snap peas, linguine, eggs, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, cracked pepper, and house-made focaccia.
Food Review
Flavor, Quality, and Freshness
Exquisite! It's hard to say much more than this one word. Starting with the shrimp, they were succulent and fresh. The sweet pepper glaze with the bacon dust was simply amazing. The jam was dominant but not overpowering-excellent.
The NY Strip was fantastic. It is cut in-house, and the portion size was very generous and cooked to perfection. Once again, Mike really shines - the quality of his ingredients really stands out, even in a relatively simple dish like this one.
The Carbonara was equally amazing. Unlike a traditional Roman carbonara that is often served with relatively little sauce, it is clear that Mike is a "sauce guy". This carbonara has a savory, creamy sauce that is perfect for dipping into the house-made focaccia bread. The pasta is cooked to perfection - not too soft and not too al dente.
Rating: 4.9 out of 5
Portion Size
The portions are very generous.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Presentation
The plating was perfectly fine. On this busy night with Mike working both the kitchen and the front room, the presentation may not have reflected typical attention to detail, but it was still very good.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Service
As Imentioned, Amber wasn't able to add her personal touch, but it was really impressive to watch Mike make it all work. The restaurant is small, and it can get a little noisy when it is full, but it gives you the feeling of dining in a classical, high-end European restaurant, right here in Redding.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Value
The prices, in my opinion, are very reasonable given the high quality of the cuisine.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Overall Rating
We'd give Paradisio a solid 4.75 out of 5. It's a spot we highly recommend for anyone in Redding wanting to splurge on fine cuisine. It goes on our "Best of Redding" list. Way to go!
