Emma Elle’s serving up classic Neapolitan pizza, Italian dishes in west OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY –

A restaurant in west Oklahoma City is thriving on Italian cuisine, including classic pizza.

Emma Elle’s, located at the intersection of the Kilpatrick Turnpike and Route 66, has one of the hottest pizza ovens around and serves up delicious pasta dishes.

Its wood-fired pizza oven is 900 degrees, imported from Naples, and though you have to be specially trained to use it, it cooks a whole pizza in about 90 seconds. The Neapolitan-style pizzas are one of the guests’ favorites.

Cameron Wilson is the founder and owner of Emma Elle’s. Wilson was a commercial general contractor until 2021, when he jumped from building Oklahoma restaurants to owning them.

“That’s been one of the questions that I’ve had, ‘Why do you get out of construction?’ I said, ‘Well, it smells better in the restaurant,’” Wilson said.

He named the restaurant after a family friend, and started compiling recipes for the standouts like homemade lasagna, spicy bolognese and fried chicken alfredo.

“I’m a big Italian fan, I think Italian food is sort of a universal language,” Wilson said. “I think so many people enjoy, whether it’s pasta or pizza, but Italian food is such a universally applicable cuisine that I really wanted to start with Italian food,” he said.

Wilson said his goal is to get as many ingredients as he can from Oklahoma.

One of the most popular items on the menu is the Italian meatballs. They are handmade with local Wagyu beef from a farm in Arcadia, then covered in pasta sauce.

“It’s some of the best beef that I’ve had, and the fact that it comes from Oklahoma makes it even more special,” Wilson said.

Another local Oklahoma item is the line of Sabbattia Wines from Norman. The restaurant offers a rosé and a dark red. Emma Elle’s also carries a line of soda called AfroPop, which is brewed in Oklahoma City.

Diners at Emma Elle’s are able to see into the kitchen and see where their food is coming from due to the open concept.

“I love the theatricality that goes into food preparation, and I love just putting it on display for the whole restaurant to be able to see it,” Wilson said.