When Diana and Domenic Fortino opened their pizza restaurant in Pearl River last fall, it was another step towards fulfilling their dream of providing a place where families could dine together and feel at home.
The fact that Diana’s Kitchen On the Corner is in the community where they are long-time residents only makes the experience more satisfying.
“My husband and I always wanted to own a restaurant," Diana Fortino said. "We both love cooking and dealing with people."
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Domenic Fortino was a senior project manager with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals when he left after 31 years to try his hand at creating an atmosphere, “Where it’s just not pizza, it is like being in your mom’s kitchen. We consider ourselves a family restaurant and like to see mom, dad and the kids here to have dinner. With our restaurant it is not just takeout.”
"Everything here is fresh and homemade, including our soup and baked goods," Diana Fortino said. "All our dishes are fresh and made to order. Nothing is frozen.
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"(We) offer an extensive catering menu which is somewhat unusual for a pizza restaurant”
A specialty of Diana’s is the deep dish pizza. Domenic Fortino invites his customers to enjoy a different texture and pies that are very light, not heavy.
“We try to entice everybody to come here every week by adding different dishes to our menu,” Domenic Fortino said. “We have found that people our coming from as far as Westwood and Hillsdale because of the quality of our pizza Also, when we first opened we made sure that our prices were inexpensive and very competitive We live in this community and understand what it is like to take it on the chin like everyone else during these hard times.”
The restuarant also got a little help from a famous visitor.
"People really got to know our place when David Chase (executive producer of The Sopranos) shot some scenes here for his new movie and used our restaurant as home base,” Diana Fortino said.
Domenic Fortino is thankful for the support that the new restaurant has received.
“The town has embraced us not only because we are local people but because here the customers truly come first," he said. "It is like walking into your mom’s kitchen.”
Diana’s offers beer and wine, wi-fi access and a digital menu which helps to speed the ordering process. With the approach of warm weather outside dining will be available.
Scan the menu at www.DianasKitchenontheCorner.com or call 845-732-7444. Gift certificates are available in any denomination
