"Red sauce, red sauce, and more red sauce. That’s what a night at Emmy’s is all about—this Bernal Heights spot doles out spaghetti with a heavy dose of nostalgia. The walls are covered in endless photo strips of all-ages regulars (from the booth in the back), and the staff will gladly subject themselves to Fireball shots to celebrate birthdays. Besides the infinite supply of tomato sauce, it’s easy to see why this place has been a neighborhood gathering place since 2001. photo credit: Erin Ng photo credit: Erin Ng photo credit: Erin Ng Clearly, this isn’t an Italian place where you'll get a crudo topped with edible flowers or perfectly al dente, seasonal, Cal-Ital strozzapreti. Instead, you’re ordering a good old-fashioned mountain of spaghetti, marinara, and meatballs. Ask for a parm blizzard (a.k.a. a generous tableside grate), order a margarita in a boot-shaped glass, and settle in and brace for the noise—it’s louder than a helicopter landing pad most nights. But when you need an undeniably fun place to get a group together over cheesy garlic bread and wine, there’s no better place. Food Rundown photo credit: Erin Ng Spaghetti & Meatballs This pile of marinara-drenched spaghetti and meatballs is the reason you’re here (besides to have fun, obviously). This is the classic, comforting stuff you want to devour at a place like Emmy’s—so roll up your sleeves, ready the napkins, and twirl away. photo credit: Erin Ng Garlic Bread Order this, and always add cheese. You’ll want something to wipe up the leftover marinara sauce with. video credit: Taylor Gomez Parm Blizzard For $2, you too can say you survived the latest tableside cheese storm. It’s actually more like a parm drizzle, but the spectacle of the massive parmesan block is still fun—and necessary. photo credit: Erin Ng Rigatoni + Bianci Bolo When you’re red sauced out, this white bolognese is the way to go. It’s creamy, light, and heavy on the pork sausage." - Julia Chen
