Although Melo's English is now flawless, and his children "understand more than they speak," Melo still keeps the television above the counter tuned to a Portuguese station.

Pizzeria As-Ilhas has the standard fare of any pizzeria--pizza, subs, calzones and pasta--but Melo also experiments with Portuguese fare.

"Cambridge has a big Portuguese population; I try to mix Portuguese [into the menu]," he says.

On weekends, Melo showcases his love for Portuguese cuisine with a rotating menu.

Common Portuguese dishes include cod and other fish and meats, with seasonings of distinctive spices, olive oil and hot pepper.

Some of the rotating dishes include bacalhau, a codfish stew with potatoes, onions, garlic, green pepper and spices, smothered in olive oil and vinegar; polvo, an octopus dish with potatoes, onions, and red and white wine; and alcatra, which includes big chunks of beef, pepper corns, smoked bacon, onions, tomatoes, and red wine, placed in a clay pot and baked for three hours.

Melo says he learned his traditional recipes from his mother and grandmother, but he adds his own flair. "Everybody has a secret," he says.

He has found that owning a small restaurant is a lot of work--since Pizzeria As-Ilhas's opening, he has only taken time off on Wednesdays, when he leaves work at 1 p.m. The rest of the week, he is behind the counter or over the stove.