Cooking With: Gemelli's Giorgio Cosentino and Jose Romero

It's only fitting that "gemelli" means "twin" in Italian, as this 'Cooking With' installment is a two-fer: owner and chef Giorgio Cosentino and his kitchen deputy Jose Romero talk to Patch about what it takes to attract and retain a loyal clientele, the importance of simple ingredients cooked to perfection, and what to do if your boss gives you the ax (hint: come back).

The Cosentino family comes from a long line of restaurateurs, first in their native Naples, where they owned "red-checkered tablecloth and house wine trattorias," as Cosentino describes. The family is now a New York foodie dynasty, with cousins running kitchens from Brooklyn to Suffolk Counties. In Babylon, it all started with market, which is known for high-quality meats and prepared foods.

The , run by Giorgio and his sister Patricia, opened in 1997 and just received an enviable 24 rating in the latest Zagat survey, a reputation Cosentino attributes to his perfectionism and daily high standards.

So many restaurants fail: the statistics say three in five eateries will fail in three years. What makes Gemelli Ristorante successful?

Cosentino points out the gleaming, spotless pans hanging above the line in the kitchen.

"Have you ever seen pans like that in a restaurant kitchen? Those sauté pans are 15 years old."

The chefs:

Jose Romero is Cosentino's go-to guy for upholding those exacting standards. A native of El Salvador, Romero has worked his way up the kitchen ladder over the last 10 years. The Central Islip resident previously cooked at Patty McGee's in Island Park and enjoys cooking Italian cuisine, since he laughs, "I love to eat it."

"He was fired a few times, " jokes Cosentino. "But he just kept coming back in the front door, asking for a job."

Cosentino, whose family came to New York in 1969 when he was only four years old, returned to his native Italy to spend several years cooking, honing his almost genetic predisposition for a life in the kitchen.

Patch asked Romero what he considers the hardest thing about cooking for a living.

Cosentino helpfully offers, "Dealing with me?"

Romero demurs. "There's nothing hard about it when you're doing something you love. I learn something new every day here."

Cosentino admits it can be hard to manage a full staff, and sometimes a cook can be great in the kitchen, but fall prey to an overactive ego.

"If the customer says they want it medium-rare and they mean black, burned, you have to turn around and give it to them that way. You have to accommodate your diners."

Northern Italian and Central Italian rustic peasant food has had a boom in recent years. When do you think Southern Italian or "red sauce" Italian cooking will have its celebratory moment?

Cosentino: "It's already happening. Although there's no red sauce on our menu, we do a mix of Southern and Northern food, because of where my family is from.

Italian food is best when it's simple. You don't know how many people can take a simple dish like linguine with garlic and oil and mess it up. They burn the garlic or they add too much cheese. Ingredients are so important. For instance, the best garlic in the world comes from California but it can be hard to come by here."

How experimental are you with the menu? Do you find that you have to cater to certain expectations and old favorites of customers?

"We try to offer Italian twists on new dishes," explains Cosentino.

But some of the recipes stay true to their roots: "My mother [known as "Mama Gemelli" on products in the market] brought a lot of those old recipes with her."

Cosentino says they cater to customer's desires for special items, especially for catered parties.

Romero agrees: "Nine times out of 10, we can do whatever they want."

Any plans to open new locations? Will we see Gemelli Ristorante East or West soon?

Cosentino quickly answers, "Never."

"Unless I could get someone like Jose [Romero] to run it. You have to be there every day, making sure everything is running smoothly."

Cosentino says he's seen too many successful establishments branch out and suffer a decline in quality as a result.

What would you choose for your last meal on earth?

Cosentino: "A brick-oven pizza margherita done my way."

Done your way?

"Perfect."