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Joanina Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for Joanina Restaurant
13 reviews in English
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Review from Serge L.
Holtsville, NY
8/3/2011
Joanina's is most definitely my Italian restaurant of choice, and there are many to be found in Huntington village, but I frequent Joanina's with my family above all else. I have had countless meals here with family and friends, and even proposed to my fiance here!
Service is always spectacular. The servers are friendly, prompt and knowledgeable about the dishes they offer. Donato and Danny run an excellent team, and customer service is clearly in high regard with them. Joanina's is quaintly decorated; rustic Italian villa comes to mine the second you walk in the door, and the centerpiece in the main dining room is changed seasonally which is cute.
The wine list is spectacular, and it doesn't hurt having their own wine shop to bring home your favorites too! They used to have a Deli and Bakery years ago, and I do miss that, because you could come in and pick up a pizza or a box of their pastries to go.
The menu isn't huge, like you'll find at a lot of restaurants and the area, and I find that refreshing. I can't remember a time I started a meal their without an order of the Prosciutto Di Parma or Calamari Fritti. Both are excellent choices and consistently fresh and delicious. The wood-burning oven pizzas are always good too as a starter to share.
My favorite pasta would have to be the home-made Pappardelle. Simply put its delicious, and it's usually one of the specials. The Tortellini Rosa and the Gnocchi Caprese are also two of my favorites.
If you like fish, you can't go wrong with the Whole Roasted Seasonal Fish. It's fresh and simply prepared the two most important things in my book when it comes to fish. Also, the Lamb Chops, Maiale Sorrentino (Pork Chop) and Veal Scaloppine Rustica are my other go-to's. However, they always have some special that lures me in! One time I got reeled in by the Rabbit special, phenomenal, and since then, I've been hooked on Rabbit! I just wish they'd serve it at Joanina's more frequently!
For Dessert, I only ever order the Toasted Almond Tiramisu. Their tiramisu has ruined me to all other tiramisus!
They also have a Price-Fix menu which is perfect for parties, and they never skimp on the food. I had my 25th Birthday Party here, my fiancé is having her shower here and I'm certain we'll have many, many more occasions at Joanina's. -
Review from Caitlin G.
Boston, MA
4/19/2011
This would be a 2.5 star rating if possible. We came here for dinner Saturday night, it was a so-so experience overall and slightly on the pricey side for what you get.
What I did like was that you get a complimentary bread basket with little rolls, Scali bread, and a bruschetta plate (which wasn't the best, but free). The wine was good, I had a glass of the cheapest merlot which was surprisingly tasty.
For my entree, I had the Bucatini All 'Amatriciana. The pasta was probably the best part of the meal despite spotty cooking; some of it was perfectly prepared but there were several al dente patches throughout the dish. It was homemade pasta though, that you could tell. And although I enjoy a good thick pasta, this was very hard to twirl and eat because of the consistency, it was like a licorice whip. The sauce itself was good but on the runny side, it didn't really adhere to the pasta very well. It was supposed to come with pancetta and onions, but those were few and far between which was a disappointment.
I wouldn't be chomping at the bit to return. -
Review from Gary W.
Mastic, NY
7/29/2011
When it comes to spending a wonderful evening relaxing and enjoying quality food in a setting that lets you unwind and melt the work week away, this is the place! When you walk in, you walk into a different world, the view, the smells and the amazing service and staff...2nd to none. The owner makes himself available to everyone. The staff is great and your never rushed. Visit the wine store right next door and don't miss their wine tasting events when they have them. We go almost once a month and its well worth the visit seeing friends and enjoying a wonderful evening out. Its like a vacation.. all in one night! This place "gets it" its not ONLY about great food, its about great service and atmosphere.. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE
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Review from Ben S.
Huntington, NY
7/7/2011
The service here was great and the food was good--not great. The downside of this place is that is was pretty expensive for what you get. I want to say again that the food wasn't bad, just not what I'd thought I'd get for the money. Also, lots of nice wines but very few under $50. I'd look forward to trying some of the other Italian places around here before I'd ever go back to this one.
As an aside, I thought the decorating in the dining room was a little Disney-ish which doesn't affect my rating, just thought it was kind of funny. -
Review from Franco C.
4/11/2010
Italian in Huntington Village.
Great little place - I have walked by a zillion times but finally had a chance to pop in since I was meeting a friend for a bite and was looking for something middle of the road - this place fit the bill perfectly.
Very nicely done inside - reminded me of a farmhouse in Italy. Service was good- they were there when we needed them and they got everything right.
Wines very a bit different than the usual culprits at every restaurant out there - and were good. Too bad it was a Sunday or we would have partaken more....
Our food was good and the prices are moderate- all in all a great little place.
Parking in front. -
Review from Deja S.
7/12/2010
Amazing atmosphere and surroundings.
The meal itself was perfect, but simple. The bread appetizer sucked though.
Def try the gnocchi, delicious.
Then they give ladies a rose at the end -- plus. Other people at my table were unhappy with their meals, but the pasta seems a good choice -
Review from raul z.
Huntington, NY
9/17/2008
Part of Joanina Restaurant (in the same place), this is the cafe/take-out version. I've been here a few times when in a rush or for a quick lunch-bite and always like the food. Here is the run-down...
The salads are very fresh. Had the Greek salad and it was just delicious, specially when you choose the fat-free raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The sandwiches, pasta and pizza were nicely done and tasty too.
However, if you order a slice of pizza, make sure is hot as mine was just warm. The staff is overall friendly.
The problem is that the place has no order when it comes down to ordering food or even paying for it. Everyone is jumping around and the staff has no idea who goes first, second or third... they should have either a line or a number ticket system to keep things in order.
But if you want a nice, delicious and fresh Italian food for a quick bite or take-out, this is a good place to go. Highly recommend it but do not mind the crowd around you while trying to order some food. -
Review from Joshua S.
Huntington Station, NY
8/1/2010
Very nice atmosphere, maybe they go a little overboard with the Italian piazza motif, but it's cute nonetheless. They have a private parking lot, whick is nice in huntington, but they're also close to the muni lots. Host was very pleasant while we waited for the rest of our party.
When you are seated, you receive a complimentary bruschetta app for the table. The tomatoes were terrible, mealy and not sweet at all. This is inexcusable in late summer. However, it was free, so I looked the other way. Ordered an app of prosciutto and melon. Received 3 slices of mealy, overripe honeydew with a paltry amount of mediocre prosciutto. I ordered the dish specifically because we're in the height of melon season and assumed the fruit would be excellent. Well, you know what they say about assuming.
Next up was the main course. nowhere to go but up from here, right?! Wrong. I ordered the fish special, which was a striped bass, served with mussels in a tomato, olive, caper sauce. Sounds delicious, right? The good? The mussels were tasty if a bit overcooked. That's it. The fish was destroyed, overcooked, dry, and tough as opposed to moist and flaky. The sauce had all of the ingredients that it advised, yet tasted of none. the olives and capers lacked any salty, brineyness. Accompanying the fish was 2 slabs of potato that had been cooked some time earlier, and 3 pieces of completely unseasoned vegetables, including a small chunk of carrot, and 2 broccoli florets.
So you think the food is the worst part, huh? I took a few bites of my meal and put my fork down. Others in my party offered me some of their meal. The one's I tried were not as bad as mine, but nothing to write home about either. The waitress did her customary "Is everything OK?" I explained that my fish was overcooked and under seasoned. I was full and didn't trust they could make something I wanted to eat, so I didn't ask for anything else when she offered. At this point our waitress switched tabled and we had a new one.
Come then end of the meal, when we received the bill, our new waitress advised me that she was sorry the dish wasn't to my taste and they removed it from the bill. At this point i was happy with their customer service, they owned up to their mistakes and rectified the situation. Only it didn't end there, she then advised me that the she had tasted me meal and said there was nothing wrong with it. I didn't want to make a fuss, so I just smiled, but I am a trained, professional chef and I know when fish is cooked well. When she came back for the signature, I said, "I didn't think the dish tasted terrible, but certainly you must have found the fish to be over cooked and dry?!" She replied, "We all tried it in the back, and we thought it was great!" with a rude tone, as if to say, how dare you question the quality of our food?
In the end this is a nice looking place with simple Italian fare, the problem with that is that you need to use good, fresh ingredients, season properly, and show some care in your preparation. Joanina Restaurant is lacking in all three of these areas.
Bottom line, don't go here for the food. If you want good Italian fare in Huntington, you have many superior options including Piccolo, Bravo Nader, and Osteria Toscana. Give them your business instead, at least they will appreciate it. -
Review from Jody F.
Huntington, NY
8/8/2007
A pleasant little restaurant for a casual night out.
Typical Italian specialties, decent service and fine prices (not cheap, but not expensive).
Recommended. -
Review from fritz L.
Huntington, NY
9/16/2008
one of our strong got tos in town.
Never loud (except when babies arrive).
Reasonable priced. Samll but varied menu with many good choices. -
Review from M W.
Arlington, VA
1/21/2011
Our lunch was excellent. The paninis and pizza were perfect, and the service was friendly and quick.
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Review from Jeff P.
Oakland, CA
12/10/2008
+4 Good Italian food
-2 Sloppy, inconsistent service including forgetting my father's
app after repeating aloud
+1 Good, interesting Italian wines
+-0 Good coffee -
Review from Robert F.
East Meadow, NY
6/16/2009
I love this place. You are guaranteed fresh and delicious Italian food. The owner is very nice and pleasant along with his staff. They have a great wine selection including some nice Sicilian wines. And to top it off the prices are very reasonable . Plus there is a movie theater and other unique spots walking distance from this restaurant.
