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Experience Culinary Paradise At Paradiso Nestled in the Home Goods shopping center on North Village Avenue in Rockville Centre, you’ll find Paradiso Ristorante & Pizzeria. It’s a great place to stop in for a quick slice of pizza or if you’re looking for a relaxing, delicious sit down dinner.
The long pizza counter is immediately to your left upon entering. It is fully stocked with a wide variety of slices including standard regular and white slices, specialty eggplant and chicken marsala slices, calzones, chicken rolls and rice balls. The large, open dining room, to the right of the pizza counter, provides a very comfortable dining environment.
Owners
Benny LoManto and Dino Stornello have been in business together for years and have
collectively owned Paradiso for 10 years now. Benny has been in the restaurant
business since he began working in a pizzeria at 17 years old. He explored the diner
business for a few years then found his way back into the pizza business. He worked
his way up the ladder of success with Sbarro’s for seven years, where he met his
current business partner, Dino. Dino started out in the deli business and from there
he got into the pizza industry, opening two pizzerias of his own throughout the
years, until he found himself as a general manager for Sbarro’s. While working for
Sbarro’s, both Benny and Dino realized they were doing something for someone else
that they really wanted to be doing for themselves, and that’s what prompted them
to go in business together. Food is their passion, as they grew up with
Sicilian mothers and had no choice but to eat! Both Benny and Dino are at the helm of
their business and truly enjoy what they do. As
we perused the menu we were pleasantly surprised with the number of selections they
have to offer. They have 14 different varieties of soup, all of which are homemade from scratch and
available daily, and also offer gluten free pastas (gnocchi, spaghetti, linguine,
penne, etc) and gluten free personal pizzas. There’s also a great selection of
entrees crafted from heirloom recipes from both Benny and Dino’s families. We began our dining experience with some warm, fresh, homemade Foccacia Bread (below left). Bursting with delicious garlic flavor, the bread was so good it was hard not to fill up on it, but we knew we had much more to look forward to.
The
Burrata Mozzarella is a specialty item you won’t find on the menu, but it’s
always in stock (above right). The soft mozzarella is so delicate it melts in your
mouth. Accompanied by sweet pears, it's a delightfully light starter and a
great find here at Paradiso. It’s a great appetizer to share, although it’s so
scrumptious you won’t want to! Our next appetizer was the Portobello Umbrella – a Portobello mushroom topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, roasted red pepper and a balsamic glaze (below left). All ingredients were extremely fresh and the mushroom was meaty, yet incredibly tender.
Rounding
out our appetizers was the
Mussels Marinara (above right). The chunky, flavorsome
marinara sauce thoroughly coats the fresh, tender mussels offering a profusion of
flavor with every bite. Arriving piping hot from the kitchen was the Gnocchi Bolognese garnished with fresh basil leaves (below left). The homemade potato gnocchi were exceptionally fresh and flawlessly prepared. The sauce was luscious and flavorful, complementing the gnocchi to perfection. It’s a great pasta offering you’ll find yourself wanting more and more of after just one bite.
Next
up was a staple menu item that has been served at Paradiso for 10 years. This
remarkable Pasta Special consists of Tagliatelle pasta, broccoli rabe, fresh
crumbled sausage and roasted pepper served in an olive oil, garlic white wine sauce
with a touch of truffle oil (above right). The garlic aroma is very enticing and
with one bite you’ll experience what people have been raving about for 10 years.
The pasta is prepared al dente and the sauce is packed with alluring flavors, making
it an irresistible entrée. It is definitely a must order and quickly became a
unanimous table favorite. The Almond Crusted Chilean Sea Bass was the final entrée we were treated to (below left). Served over a creamy asparagus risotto in a lemon white wine sauce, the fresh sea bass is generously coated with almond slices. This dish is a nice departure from your standard sea bass as the almond crust really enhances both the presentation and the taste. The risotto was an excellent accompaniment and the entrée as a whole offers a large portion of food, at a great value.
For dessert we sampled a classic Tartufo (above right) and a delicious Limoncello Cake with mascarpone cream, a best seller on the dessert menu (below left). It was light, decadent, fluffy and gluten free – although you’d never know. Accompanying dessert was an impeccable cup of Cappuccino that was so frothy and thick, it almost looked as if it had a meringue-like topping (below right).
Paradiso
Ristorante & Pizzeria definitely
has what it takes to satisfy all appetites, whether you’re looking for a fresh
slice of pizza or a traditional Italian dinner. Their extensive menu presents
options for everyone, including gluten free and vegetarian items. It’s a great
family friendly restaurant offering exceptional cuisine at reasonable prices.
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