Casa Stellina GM: 'We Have Gotten A Great Response' In Farmingdale

FARMINGDALE, NY — Like a good marinade, Casa Stellina has had time to let feedback from the Farmingdale community seep in.

Michael Catania, general manager of the restaurant, located at 300 Main Street, said the response has been "great" from Dalers, as well as visitors.

Casa Stellina Ristorante's menu features Naples-style dry pasta; house-made pasta; entrees with chicken, veal, beef, and more; Roman-style pizza; appetizers; sides; salads; and more. Chef Fabrizio Facchini moved from Italy with his family and has lived in New York since 2017.

Catania said Facchini's menu has been "received very well."

"I can't speak for all the restaurants around here, but our restaurant menu is a little bit more on the authentic side," Catania told Patch. "I'm not seeing some of those American Italian dishes. Sometimes, we can be unapproachable because the menu is in Italian, but at the same time, we're getting a lot of great feedback on a lot of the classic homemade authentic dishes, especially the homemade pastas, the lasagna, the paccheri with the saffron sauce. A lot of traditional, authentic Italian dishes that, I would say, you don't see everywhere, have been really nicely received. Fabrizio does a great job with the food. It makes my job a lot easier."

Catania's message to those who have not tried Casa Stellina yet is that the restaurant offers a price-fixed lunch and promotions during the week, Tuesday through Thursday. Getting a reservation is easier during weekdays, Catania said, as "weekends kind of fill up quick."

"We'd love for you to come try Fabrizio's menu and the service we offer here ... We'd love for everyone to come try the place and see what we have to offer and try the Stellina brand," Catania said.

And for those who have tried Casa Stellina, Catania's message was one of thanks.

"We can't thank enough all of our regular guests and everyone who comes back as a returning guest," he said. "We get a lot of feedback from them saying similar things I mentioned: The food is great, it's a bit different. The vibe in the restaurant is a nice option, as well. It has that New York City vibe that we've been getting some compliments about. It's nice decor. It could be a little quieter during the weekend, because it's a little bit loud in here; sometimes, we hear that. For the most part, it's a great vibe, and we seem to get a lot of great feedback from our guests. So far, so good."

Local businesses around Casa Stellina have been "great," Catania said, and the business has made some friends. Catania pointed to a partnership with Charlotte's, next door, where the restaurant will make pizza for their parties.

"I wish it was a little busier during the week, but that's every restaurant," Catania said. "We fill it up on the weekends. We're starting to do a lot of catering and booking events, for anywhere from birthday parties to showers to weddings and rehearsals. That's been a really great part of our business now that we've been here for about a year. That's something we're really excited about and that we've been pushing forward. We're going to hope that continues and brings a little more of a crowd to the restaurant so we can stay in business throughout the weekends when we are full. So far, so good."

Casa Stellina is looking to get more involved with the local community.

The restaurant plans to participate in a Tasting Under the Stars event this May at one of the local schools.

"We're really looking forward to that to put our brand out there, as well," Catania said. "Like I said, we're happy to be a part of the town and be on Main Street as a main restaurant here. The events that we did in the summer time with Music on Main was a really fun addition. We're very much looking forward to doing that again this summer. We're happy to be here and we hope to keep feeding Farmingdale."