IN Cranberry Fall 2016 | Page 23

SPONSORED CONTENT DINING OUT SPONSORED CONTENT E M P O R I O : A M E AT B A L L J O I N T WHERE MEATBALLS ARE ALWAYS ON THE MENU W hen Sienna On The Square opened downtown several years ago, the owners knew the food was good, but soon found that their meatballs were a hit with everyone. The customers clamoring for the mozzarellastuffed meatball in particular got them thinking, “What if we opened a restaurant built around the meatball?” and Emporio: A Meatball Joint was born. What started as the first floor of Sienna Mercato, the downtown three-tiered concept, Emporio: A Meatball Joint expanded its meatball empire to the Wexford area in November 2015 and has plans set to open more locations in the near future. “The concept is essentially meatballs. That’s where it starts,” says Krista Koller, Emporio general manager. “It’s a creative menu where you choose your meatball, you choose your sauce and decide if you want a solo meatball or one with a side, soup or salad. Whatever you may be in the mood for, we can make it happen. It’s great for families, people of all ages, for a full meal or a quick snack.” And when Koller says Emporio is all about choice, she’s not joking. With Classic Beef, Spicy Pork, Vegetarian and Chicken meatballs as your base, you can then choose from any of the 10 sauces and gravies to complement them. Lastly, you choose whether you want them served as sliders, on a panini, as a grinder or simply by themselves. The combinations number in the thousands, meaning you could eat a different meatball, sauce and serving combination every day for years to come. There’s even a “Meatball of the Month,” which adds an extra offering for a limited time. But that’s not all Emporio has to offer. There are delicious soups on the menu, sides ranging from pasta and risotto to escarole and beans, five salads and “Snacky Things,” which include tomato-balsamic bruschetta, buffalo fried chicken balls, crab balls Romano, and crispy pickle chips with bacon-ranch dip. With 32 draft beers on tap, those who enjoy pairing their favorite domestic with their meal will feel right at home with those who enjoy trying the newest flavors from microbreweries across the country. Emporio also has a selection of wines and cocktails as well as a seasonal selection of Italian sodas. Happy Hours boast half off drafts, a tasty food menu, and wine and spirit specials each weeknight and on Friday and Saturday nights. And, if you’re a vegetarian or on a gluten-free diet, Emporio has your back. The vegetarian meatball is simply mushroom, white bean and cauliflower with seven of the 10 sauces being vegetarian in nature. The chicken meatball is gluten free with four of the 10 sauces being gluten free as well. All of the sides are either vegetarian or gluten free, and snacky things are conveniently labeled as vegetarian or gluten free on the menu. While Emporio is casual, lively and upbeat with a variety of semi-private areas to host events ranging from 10 to 100 people, the owners do understand that some people may want to enjoy Emporio’s flavors in the comfort of their own homes or venues. Catering and take-out are available for offsite enjoyment. If you would like to see everything that Emporio has to offer, check out the website at emporioameatballjoint. com, where you can find the entire menu, hours, directions, to-go menu and catering menu. Emporio uses the convenient ‘NoWait’ app which offers parties of six or less an easy way to add themselves to the guest list before leaving the comfort of home. The restaurant is located at 11978 Perry Highway in the Village at Pine in Wexford and can be reached by phone at 724.871.3555. Cranberry | Fall 2016 | icmags.com 21