Emma’s Pizzaria — Restaurant in Ansonia

UPDATE AT END OF FIRST REVIEW!!!

My husband and I don't get out much because he's not well, but yesterday was our 31st anniversary and I wanted to take him out for a nice meal that wasn't far away. So many times new restaurants have disappointed me, but not Emma's. The owners are friendly and welcoming and our server ( wish I had gotten her name, will ask her next time) was amazing. Friendly, top- notch service, she went out of her way to be helpful. Now for the food: UNBELIEVABLE. To start, we shared a Caprese salad which was fresh and delicious, and an appetizer of Eggplant Rollatini which was piping hot, flavorful and abundant. The tomato sauce was neither sour nor acidic at all, which amazed me (I usually can't eat it because of that but no problem with this one). We only ate half of each course in anticipation of the main dishes and it was a good thing we did because I couldn't believe the size of the portions. I had the Chicken Francese, which was tender and juicy with a delicious lemon sauce served over pasta. It was enough for at least two hungry people. My husband ordered the Veal Parmesan, also a delicious, huge plate of food. We took home enough food for the next night and then some. We even took home the bread and garlic knots because, well, BREAD! Everything is served with a crisp side salad, so just be aware, you better come hungry. We saved room for a Tiramisu to share, and took home a piece of chocolate cake. But the real icing on the cake was the kindness and compassion of the owners and staff when my husband with advanced Parkinson's had a freezing episode and could not walk out of the restaurant. They came to our aid immediately and it took quite a lot of effort to get him to the car. I felt so bad for all the bother, but they were so kind and reassuring when I was pretty much in tears. You simply MUST patronize this new restaurant. I'm so glad I popped in the day before when I was trying to figure out where to go for our anniversary dinner. Emma's Pavilion was the right choice.

UPDATE October 24: Tonight we went to Emma's for the third time, this time to try the pizza. It was Thursday night, but the place was hopping like on a weekend. My husband and I each ordered a small/12-inch pizza, which is bigger than you think. One is definitely enough for two people. The Cheese Lover's Pizza 🍕 w/broccoli was delicious. Thin crisp crust that was still tender enough to fold. Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan with broccoli chopped small enough so it was easy to eat, mild, tasty, and satisfying for someone who can't eat tomato sauce. The other one we ordered was Emma's The Works pizza. No skimping on toppings here. Husband said it was great 👍. Wish I could have tried it myself, but he's fussy, so I believe him! We brought home two desserts: Cannoli and Chocolate Fudge Cake. I've attached more photos along with this update. As usual, the service was excellent and friendly from everyone. We're so glad Emma's Pavilion is only four minutes from home. With my husband's Parkinson's disease, going out is tough, but the staff, including Emma, are always ready to help us get in and out of the restaurant safely. Love this place. Don't miss it! Check...

Friday afternoon lunch myself and two friends. Service was good, atmosphere okay. Restaurant neat and clean. It’s the food that was a major disappointment. Friend #1 ordered veal parmigiana, over spaghetti in a red sauce. This by the way is a dish he often orders when eating in an Italian restaurant. The sauce tasted like “ a bland pizza sauce” which was a bit runny. The veal although lightly breaded, was on the thick side rather than thin as in a cutlet. Friend #2 ordered the chicken piccata (capers and lemon sauce over spaghetti). The spaghetti was cooked to her liking…..about 2-3 minutes longer than al dente. Her dish food was barely warm to the touch. Asked for a reheat…..the lemon sauce w/ capers just okay……nothing to get excited about. I ordered chicken marsala over cavatelli….cavatelli similar to the spaghetti….2-3 minutes more than al dente, just the way I like it. The Marsala sauce was the problem. It looked and tasted like the Heinz Home Style brown gravy with mushrooms. The sauce had no taste of ‘Marsala wine’ which in itself has a very distinct flavor that can’t be missed. Our server was kind enough to offer me another dish, but I declined. I will say the lunch portions were all very generous……but truthfully, I rather have a small portion of a flavorful chicken Marsala than a large portion of chicken in brown gravy...

We used Emma’s Pavilion for catering for my daughter’s baptism on Sunday, 1/12/25, and couldn’t have been happier. It was easy to order the food and the man who took my order was helpful in making sure we were ordering enough for the amount of people. We also had a guest who is gluten free and were offered some options to add on so she had something she could eat as well.

We ordered trays chicken parm, chicken piccata and penne ala vodka along with some loaves of bread. The food was ready for pickup as scheduled and our guests were raving about how good the food was. I would highly recommended them and would be happy to...