Fresh Pasta Dishes Star At Emilio’s
By The Foodies./ foodie@longislandernews.com

It’s not uncommon for restaurants to grow alongside side a successful pizza parlor. It’s a natural way to expand a successful business. What is uncommon is when that restaurant is so outstanding it could well stand on its own. That’s the case in Commack where Emilio’s Pizza Bistro and Bar sports not only a thriving pizzeria, but a restaurant that surprises with an outstanding menu of freshly prepared specialties.
Emilio’s occupies a small strip mall where Jericho Turnpike and Route 347 split. Inside, it’s more like an Italian Trattoria, and not just because of the menu offering. Emilio’s is constantly bustling. On any given day of the week, the restaurant is buzzing with activity. Suffice it to say, it’s hardly a secret.

Entering the storefront, the pizza counter on the left side displays an array of specialty pizzas. Forging ahead, a hostess – or Emilio himself – mans a podium and will take your name or take you directly to a seat in any of three dining areas. Our favored spot is the diningroom to the right, with 50 or so seats and a contemporary feel. Leather banquettes line the walls and muted russet and brown tones predominate.

Once seated, service is fast and efficient. A basket of fresh baked focaccia and rolls is the first indication that at Emilio’s, if it can be made fresh on premises, it is. The menu is big – literally. Practically poster-sized, it’s crammed with Italian specialties. And from the antipasti to the desserts, it’s all about fresh ingredients and dishes made to order.

Appetizers start at $6.95 with several selections for two like the Italian Seafood Fix ($18.95 for two), a platter of scungilli, calamari and shrimp with garlic, olive oil and seasonings over bread scarpetta. Calamari at Emilio’s comes in several forms: fried ($10.95); Abrabbiata ($15.95 for two), with broccoli rabe, cherry peppers and roasted garlic with a dipping sauce and shaved parmesan; or Calabrese ($16.95 for two), with gorgonzola. Those we’ve tried feature tender calamari prepared just right to preserve the sweetness.

Baked Clams Araganate ($8.95) are another favorite. The whole clams are topped with chunky, spiced bread crumbs and served with a tomato based dipping sauce. We thought with a half-dozen to the order we’d be wrapping some to take home. Not the case.

Pasta dishes are the stars off Emilio’s menu, and there are enough of them to keep you coming back. All pastas are fresh made and the generous portions are simply prepared. Most are available as single serving or family style servings.

We’ve tried and loved the Tortellini Carbonara ($15.95), the cheese filled pasta served in a creamy Parmesan-based sauce with fresh peas and bacon, sparked by the addition of carmelized onions. The house dish – one of 20 “signature dishes” listed on the menu – Pasta Emilio ($15.95) starts with basic spaghetti, cooked al dente, and topped with a combination of sausage, ham and shrimp with diced tomato in a pink cream sauce. We were surprised to find the ingredients didn’t compete, but played off one another.

Pastas selections are numerous, and a number of chicken, seafood and meat entrees are also available ranging from 19.95 for the Veal Milanese, to $28 for Lobster Arrabiata, a half-lobster, pan-seared with shrimp over pasta.

After several trips to Emilio’s, we’ve always brought home leftovers and never gotten to dessert, thanks to the generous portions. We promise we will, and expect that like everything else we’ve encountered at this bustling eatery, we’re going to like it.