Come to Villaggio Italian Bistro, where you are treated like family.
Italian-Bistro
About Villaggio Ristorante Italian Bistro
Get to Know Joe Loccisano
Joseph Loccisano was born and raised in Queens, New York. As a first-generation American growing up in an Italian household, close family and great food was everything.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from NYIT in Old Westbury, NY, he knew early on that his ultimate dream was to own his own restaurant. From wiping tables as a busboy at 13 to waiting on customers as a teenager, the restaurant industry became a part of his life as an adult.
Combining his Calabrese and Neapolitan roots, love for food, and business expertise, Villaggio Restaurant was born. Opening its doors in 2005, Villaggio Restaurant has been an ever-growing success and continues to give its loyal customers the best quality Italian food.
Joseph and his team have made their motto "Come to Villaggio, where you're treated like family" a reality for the countless amount of people that keep coming back. He loves to cook, meet new people, and most importantly make his customers laugh.
Questions and Answers With Joe
What was dinner like growing up as one of five children in an Italian household?
"Crowded! And definitely loud. My mother would always make delicious dinners and tons of food so no one went hungry. Dinner was the same time every night-- you knew even if you were playing outside that at 6:00 PM, all five of us would run home to eat dinner all together."
When did you first realize you wanted to open a restaurant?
"It's strange but I guess it was always there in the back of my mind, whether it was watching my mom cook as a kid to pursuing business in college. I always had a passion for good Italian cuisine and I wanted to introduce it into my neighborhood.
Where did the name "Villaggio" come from?
"Villaggio translates to 'Village.' We are located on the outskirts of the Whitestone Village and I wanted to pay respect to the place I grew up, so I named the restaurant after that."
What is your favorite dish served at Villaggio?
"I'm a huge lover of traditional Italian dishes and it depends on my mood. My go-to comfort food is a chicken parmigiana with a side of pasta. It's savory and the melted cheese over tender chicken is always delicious. If I'm looking for a lighter meal, the traditional and authentic brick oven pizza is incredible--the crust is perfect. My personal favorite is the seafood pizza; amazing!"
Any future plans for the restaurant?
"Absolutely. We are always looking to improve and set new goals for ourselves. For starters, my website is something I have been perfecting. It's not your average restaurant website. I wanted it to be personal and really give our loyal customers, old and new, an authentic family feel. A place where I can share my favorite imported specialty foods and home goods along with our newly jarred homemade pasta sauces. It's really something special and we are excited about. We are also looking forward to our second location! An announcement we can't wait to make, so stay tuned."
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