Celebrate St. Joseph's Day

Everyone loves a good pastry, but when you have a viable excuse to drive to the local bakery and grab a colorful and tasty treat it makes it even better. You can thank St. Joseph for that.

St. Joseph's Day is a Roman Catholic feast day, honoring the stepfather of Jesus. During a major famine in Sicily, people prayed to St. Joseph to bring food and the legend goes that he helped them grow crops, ending the famine. As a result, people promised to make annual donations of food to those in need.

In recent years, many Italian Americans celebrate the holiday with a pastry or two, but the old-school relics still eat a hefty Italian meal.

Here's a list of some Italian eateries in the Sachem area:

Anna's Pizzeria

719 Hawkins Ave, Ronkonkoma, NY

631-981-6909

Anna's Pizzeria is a quaint little pizzeria that also offers a delicious selection of pasta and other Italian specialties. It has a full catering menu for large parties, with free delivery and set-up. Don, the owner, is especially proud of his baked specialties and pizza pie specials.

Eddie's Pizza

163 Ronkonkoma Ave, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY

631-981-2557

Eddie's Pizza  in the Kohl's shopping center also serves a large menu of heros, pasta, meat and seafood specialties. Dine in, take out or take advantage of the delivery services.

Il Giardino Cage & Bakery

315 D Main Street Holbrook, NY 11741

631-588-3100

ll Giardino is a small secret, tucked away in a Holbrook shopping center on main street. It serves tasty Italian pastries and has a a handful of tables to sit and enjoy a cappuccino.  

Joe's Pizza and Restaurant

346 Union Ave, Holbrook, NY

631-981-3029

Joe's is best known for its signature pies but also offers great Italian heroes, entrees, seafood and pasta dishes. There are a few low-carb pizza options and catering is available.

La Roma Pizza & Restaurant

401 Horseblock Rd, Farmingville, NY

631-736-2600

La Roma Pizza & Restaurant is a Farmingville favorite, which serves a wide variety of gourmet pizza, pasta, heroes, casseroles and classic Italian specialties.

Mamma Cucina's

600 Portion Rd, Ronkonkoma, NY

631-981-9090

This pretty pizzeria and trattoria creates a rustic Italian atmosphere with its brick exterior, stone benches and striped awnings. Inside, the warm woods and scenic murals create a lovely ambiance for eating pizza, either by the slice or sitting down in the full-service restaurant. The extensive menu of Italian specialties and large selection of wines make this a popular local spot.

Mamma Lombardi's

400 Furrows Rd, Holbrook, NY

631-737-0774

The Lombardi family has created a culinary empire in the heart of Holbrook with an elegant catering facility and an Italian specialty store. The original Mamma Lombardi's Restaurant opened in 1976 and serves classic Neapolitan Cuisine in an elegant setting. A private room in the wine cellar is available for special occasions and a small bar and pizzeria section is attached to the restaurant. Catering is available, as is the restaurant's homemade sauce.

Mama's Pizza, Pasta & Seafood

1057 Main St, Holbrook, NY

631-981-6262

A local favorite since 1970, Mama's Pizza Pasta & Seafood at Holbrook is one of three Mama's on Long Island. Zagat's praises the local chain's "delicious home-style cooking" and "good size portions." Choose from the extensive menu of Italian specialties such as pizza, pasta, seafood, chicken and veal.

Nana's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

519 Hawkins Ave, Ronkonkoma, NY

631-981-0202; 631-981-8282

Nana's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is a lovely restaurant with a full menu of Italian specialties including pizza, tomato sauce and legendary meatballs.