My wife and I come to Emporio at least once a month. We follow the same general ritual every time we come, so I'll give that a share.
Upon arriving, we order drinks at the bar or as soon as we are seated depending on the wait. My wife has an alcohol allergy, so there are only a few beers that she can tolerate. Rivertowne's Hala Kahiki is almost always on tap here, so that always makes her happy.
The past 4-5 times that we've been to Emporio, we start with the pickle chips which are incredibly delicious. They are thin and lightly battered, so they aren't too overwhelming and don't make you feel like garbage afterwards.
For the entrees, we usually both get a pannini and split some good ole' government mac and cheese as a side. I almost always go for the meatball of the month, where she usually keeps it basic with a beef meatball and marinarra sauce.
If you haven't been to the third floor for the open-air beer garden, make sure you do. It's one of our favorite places in the city.