Numero 28 Pizzeria opened in Forest Hills since February and I finally tried it out. The restaurant has several locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Austin, TX and Miami Beach. In addition, Numero 28 says the recipe for their Neapolitan pizza has been passed down through five generations. So, while the owners of the restaurant may be new to Forest Hills, they aren’t new at the pizza game at all.
My Visit
I arrived with my mother, an Italian woman whose brother once owned a pizzeria and who had of course grown up eating pizza long before she moved to the states in 1964.
We started off with the insalata pere rucola e gorgonzola which is a salad with pears, arugula, gorgonzola, and walnuts. I anticipated this because I thought the mixed sweet, creamy, nutty, and peppery flavors would all pair well together. However, I really hate being wrong but boy was I wrong. The gorgonzola was too tangy for the salad and clashed with the unripe pears to create an overall sour taste. The walnuts tried to make peace in the salad but the arugula and oily dressing just wouldn’t give it up.
San Daniele Pizza
Luckily I knew that I’ve never really had a Neapolitan pizza disappoint me before. With that blessing, we proceeded to order the San Daniele pizza and Rustica pizzas. The San Daniele came with arugula and prosciutto atop stracciatella di bufala and mozzarella cheese with a classic tomato sauce.
The crust was the right kind of chewy without all of those dusty crumbs that leave your hands feeling like that of a gymnast. The key to preventing a soggy crust is to put the cheese before the sauce. This is an admirable touch considering Nick's Pizza is a direct competitor and they have that problem.
Rustica Pizza
Admittedly, the prosciutto was a bit dry and tasted and looked exactly like Citterio's Prosciutto di San Daniele. My mother’s Rustica pizza was topped simply with long slices of green peppers and diced sausage as opposed to a sausage crumble. I think I preferred her dish over mine because it satisfied that pizza craving without the added frills.
Dessert
The dessert options were a little heavy with most of the items contained Nutella even without it in the name. I was not able to finish my chocolate cake but my mother did eat all of her cheesecake which was surprisingly not baked.
Despite the little flaws here and there, I enjoyed Numero 28. The staff was attentive and we weren’t left waiting for our food for too long considering it was full when we arrived and the pizza is made to order. In addition, the food is priced decently. A three-course meal for two with alcohol will run you under $100 which is pretty impressive. In terms of ambiance, Numero 28 manages to bring upscale pizza to Forest Hills while still fitting into the neighborhood, making it a nice addition.
Would I return? Definitely, and maybe next time I’ll try one of their pasta dishes or other protein centered entrees. But who am I kidding, I’ll probably stick to the pizza.
*Originally published on https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/behindtheplate/