GREENPORT, NY — Sunday will mark the last day for a popular family-owned pizzeria in Greenport that has long drawn raves for its pies and mouthwatering Italian dinners.
Emilio's, located on Main Street since 2006, will serve up its last slices on Nov. 1, said owner Emilio Trotta of Wading River.
"It's been 15 years. It's been a great run," he said. Trotta has been in the pizza business for 40 years and Emilio's is his fourth eatery.
But the time has come, he said, to retire. Trotta said he decided that this would be his last year even before the coronavirus.
And yet, the decision wasn't an easy one. "It's both sad and good, because the customers have become family," he said. "It's been an amazing journey."
Over the years, he has watched Greenport blossom, growing by leaps and bounds as a destination. But the timing, he said, is right to embark upon his next chapter.
Pizza has been in Trotta's blood since he was a boy. His father opened his first restaurant on Long Island in 1956, a post on the Emilio's website said.
"Authentic Italian cooking has been a passion of Emilio's family since his grandfather, a baker, came to New York City from Italy as a young man in the late 1800's. The unique style of pizza originated from an old-fashioned bread recipe created by Emilio's grandfather," the site said. "As the times changed the bread making business turned into a successful pizza business run in the home of his grandfather's home where you could only enjoy Sicilian style pizza."
Trotta's father owned a number of restaurants in locations including Northport, Brooklyn and Valley Stream.
The love of food and sharing family recipes is a legacy handed down for generations: Trotta's five children, four daughters and one son, have all worked in the restaurant, he said. His true joy in life, he added, has been watching them grow, find their own paths and careers, and have children of their own.
Trotta said 15 years ago, he came to the East End and learned that the formers owners of a business at the location wanted to move on. He met with the couple and the rest was Greenport history.
In 2018, North Fork & Knife reported that Emilios had been sold to an LLC owned by Matt Michel of 1943 Pizza and Brix and Rye. Michel told the Northforker in 2018 that Emilio's would remain in place until the lease expired in two years.
The space is well-known for its outdoor picnic tables under a canopy as well as its parking area. On Saturday families sat outside enjoying pizza and sunshine under blue skies after a Halloween event in the village.
When asked what memories stand out about his time in Greenport, Trotta said the summers have been special, as well as the Maritime Festival. "That was actually really upsetting this year that we didn't have the Maritime Festival, since this was my last year," he said.
Trotta's last year unfolded differently than he could have imagined. "Everything was planned out and then COVID happened, so a lot of things went sideways. Getting through it for the past five months was kind of difficult, but we did it," he said.
To his customers, Trotta bids a heartfelt farewell. "They're more like family. I'm going to really miss everyone. These were close ties — 15 years is a long time. But it's all positive. It's all good."
Looking ahead, Trotta says he plans to spend time with his family — and out on the water fishing.
Trotta said he will likely stay in the area. "You'll never know when I'll pop up here and there." He smiled. "You never know. You might see another Emilio's pop up one day. I might get bored fishing."
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