Traditional Italian restaurant? Hamilton or Darby Street, right? Not anymore, at least, not exclusively.
When the late Emilio and Barbara Falcon opened their eponymous restaurant in 1983, Darby Street was the place to go to meet family and friends for a meal in a suburb known for its warm and friendly atmosphere. Along with their children, Carlo, Caterina and Angelina, they created a place with a reputation for home-style Italian cooking, great house-made pasta and pizzas.
Fast forward to 2020 and the children have recreated Emilio's in Warners Bay, which made sense as this is where the family home has been for more than 50 years. Using traditional Italian ingredients and sauces, and hand-picked fresh produce, they offer an extensive menu. Don't expect the modern Italian cuisine you'll find in off-the-tourist-track restaurants in Italy today. This is hearty, homestyle stuff. They are capable of baking puffy, blistered wood-fired bread, which makes one wonder why the bread on offer, to dunk in good olive oil and balsamic vinegar while we make our decisions, is chunks of a nondescript white bread.
Did I say the servings are generous? Unless you have a large appetite, I suggest you do a lot of sharing or take home a doggy bag.
Entrees include a variety of breads, an antipasto platter, olives, cauliflower fritters, chilli octopus, pepperoni (capsicum) ripieni and polpette al sugo. Arancini ($16), one filled with Bolognese sauce and the other with mushroom and mozzarella, are coated in golden, crunchy crumbs, deep fried and on biting, oozy, stringy mozzarella.
Garlic prawns ($16) are a highlight. Simply six just-cooked prawns bathed in garlicky oil and served with that excellent wood-fired bread. Yum.
Pastas run the gamut of traditional favourites including gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce and spaghetti ragu, their house Bolognese. The pasta is made in-house as are the sauces.
Two cannelloni ($25) filled with meat and vegetable sauce are smothered in a curiously salty Bolognese sauce. Silky pasta filled with spinach and ricotta and cooked in the ubiquitous Napoletana sauce with added cream and basil constitutes the ravioli aurora ($25). Both dishes are generous.
Given that they pride themselves on fresh seasonal produce I'm surprised there's no market fish, at least, not tonight. Just a suggestion. Instead, you could try the Emilio's special seafood ($38), a sizzling mix of prawns, mussels and calamari cooked in garlic, chilli and olive oil and served with more of that wood-fired bread.
Veal saltimbocca, veal scallopini, parmigiana di pollo and risotto ai funghi e salsiccia complete the list of mains.
Parmigiana di pollo ($35) is a successful variation on the classic veal parmigiana. Crumbed chicken is topped with the required eggplant and napped with napolitana sauce, melted mozzarella and basil. It's tender and juicy and comes with carrots and beans.
By now you may have no room for more, but out of the list of six dolci, I'd suggest you try the delicious tiramisu, prepared Nonna Barbara's way. Coffee and marsala soaked sponge, mascarpone and chocolate are all there. And it's definitely one to share.
The service is excellent and well-paced. With a two-hour window due to COVID restrictions we had plenty of time and didn't feel hurried. For wheelchair accessibility I'd suggest they invest in a longer ramp. The one they have may be okay for manual chairs but it is a bit short and scary for someone like me in a power wheelchair.
Congratulations to the Falcon family for reviving the spirit of their pioneering parents and bringing a little bit of traditional Italy to Warners Bay.
Quick Bite
- Where: Emilios, 75 King St, Warners Bay, 4947 1896.
- Hours: Tues-Sunday, 11.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm.
- Vegetarian: Several choices, six or so entrees, four pasta, two salads, one main and five pizzas.
- Drinks: Classic cocktails, spirits and liqueurs, two tap beers, and a short list of mainly Italian brands or Italian varietals, two by the glass.
- Cost: less than $100 for one entrée, two mains and one dessert for two, plus drinks.
- Wheelchair accessible: yes, but not perfect. No accessible toilet.
