Friday, November 22, 2013

Al Forno Pizzeria--Upper East Side

I wonder if there is more than one restaurant with this name ( checked Google and it is a popular name for pizzerias in other cities)

Anyway ,Go by the address listed on the Yelp review here

Mostly good reviews again with the usual couple of sour apples

  • 6/4/2013
    Al Forno is my go to place with my family and friends. The pizza always tastes delicious - I've tried many other places in Yorkville but no one compares to the great taste of Al Forno's think crust brick oven pizza. Their pasta is quite tasty as well! The pasta is always al dente - there is times when the sauce gets a little salty, but everything tastes great.

    They have the option of ordering food individually or family style which is super convenient when you have 3+ people dining with you. Their prices are great and the people who work there are fantastic as well.

    Totally recommend this place if anyone is looking for a nice sit down meal that won't break the bank.
  • 11/21/2013
    1 check-in here
    The pizza here isn't bad.  I've definitely had better (which is a very New York thing of me to say.  I know, what a PSNOB!  That's right, I made up a word for pizza snob.  If marketers can get away with making up words like meltastic and melty, then so can I!).  I ordered the pizza with prosciutto, and they slab on some thick pieces right before serving it to you.  A little awkward if you ask me.  I had Sangiovese with my pizza, and it was a little sour and served a bit warmer than it should have been (probably housed too close to the brick oven, which is not good for wine).  The tomato sauce had a sweet flavor, and I thought I was losing my mind because I tasted an essence of cinnamon.  Maybe I am.

    This is a no frills place to sit and eat, and I would come here again if I couldn't figure out where else to go or my other choices had a long wait.  Just be mindful that the pasta side of the menu tells you what brand of pasta they use.  While I know most restaurants like this don't make their own pasta, explicitly advertising the brand reinforces to me that I could have purchased it at the store and made it at home.
  • 10/28/2013
    1 check-in here
    A few things about Al Forno:

    They only use fresh mozzarella. That's a plus.  They also only do thin-crust pizzas, which I love.  However, the pizza is just OK.  Not the best I've ever had, but not the worst either.  If you don't live in NYC, you would probably think this is some of the best pizza you've eaten.  But this is NYC, where great pizza is everywhere and very easy to come by.

    That said, we shared the smaller 'pizza pie' and one of their pasta dishes that had spinach and sausage in it.  The pizza dough they use is weird...I can't put my finger on exactly why - it tastes almost as if they didn't leave the pizza in the oven long enough.  It lacked a pizza 'doughy' taste, if you know what I mean.

    The service was good.  I just don't know if I'm rushing to come back...
  • 6/16/2013
    Pizza was good. But not all that. I expect a bit more from a sit down brick oven spot. I also had the chicken parm there. Below average

    I would give the pizza 4 stars.

    The chicken parm and the pasta was 2 stars.

    I feel like the walk in pizzerias are so prominent, that the sit down brick oven spots have a higher standard to meet for me to give them a high rating.
  • 10/31/2013
    Wanted to try this place for the brick oven pizza.  I can't say I was disappointed, the pizza I was able to share with someone was good, ingredients average and the service very attentive, however somehow . . . maybe I had built the place up too much in my head, but I didn't see a real difference in the crust as if coming from a brick oven it was just good pizza.  I would come back though.
  • 10/26/2013
    4.5 stars for the crisp and tasty thin-crust pizza (love the roasted peppers topping!), 3.5 stars for the OK pasta dishes. Generally very fast delivery.
  • 10/4/2013
    Not what we were expecting. We were looking for a local everyday Italian restaurant like we used to have when we lived in Florida. We had tried the pizza here once and it was really good. However, tonight we tried the pasta entrees. Hubby had the spaghetti meatballs and I had the eggplant parm.  Eggplant was very thick slices and side of pasta was ok, sauce wasn't very flavorful. It's was crushed tomatoes rather than a sauce. Meatballs were ok.  Pasta fagoli soup was too tomato-y and didn't taste good at all. We threw it out. We both disliked it very much. Fresh baked rolls were deliciousy amazing, especially with a slather of butter.
  • 8/27/2013
    1 check-in here
    I've ate here at least 4 times by now. Great for when you want to sit outside on for brunch or dinner. Pizza and salads have always been good. Simply a great casual laid back place.
  • 5/23/2013
    I've passed this place many times, as I live barely half a block from it. Why I haven't tried it sooner is anyone's guess. I've found my new neighborhood pizza place.

    Reasonable prices, delicious pizza (reminds me of pizza I ate in Rome) and the salad, appetizer and dessert was darn good too. And any place that has $22 bottles of wine is great in my book.

    Go on a nice day and sit outside. Nice chill neighborhood spot for damn fine thin crust, fresh ingredients, brick oven fired pizza.
  • 2/4/2013
    Delicious, delicious, delicious. Al Forno is a great experience whether eating at the restaurant or ordering online. Their staff is nice and attentive and I've always received great service.

    My personal favorites are their whole wheat pizza and their Insalata Siciliana. If you are a salad person, Al Forno's salads are among the best in the City - if you are not a salad person, their salads will turn you onto them. Their Insalata Siciliana is my favorite which comes with mixed greens, capers, artichokes, mozzarella, black olives, roasted peppers, carrots, anchovies (I generally ask them to hold the anchovies) and tomatoes. It's a huge serving and it comes with their signature Italian dressing and all salads come with warm rolls. You can also ask for them to add grilled chicken (a WONDERFUL addition).
  • 4/30/2013
    I have eaten three times since moving to the area recently and so far this is my favorite Italian restaurant.

    The pizza is great and it's the type of pizza I expect in New York.  Thin crust, fresh mozzarella, great sauce, and good toppings (although plain cheese is my personal favorite here).

    I have ordered pizza twice (one-time delivery), lobster ravioli, and a salad with italian dressing when I've eaten here and all the meals have been great.

    Very reasonable prices.

    If the weather's nice I recommend sitting outside.

    Overall this is a great restaurant and will definitely be one of my places to dine in UES.
  • 4/5/2013
    I've been coming here for around 10 years and loving it!  Terrific pizza made-to-order in a beautiful brick oven, very fresh and tasty salads, and their entrees are delicious.  Portion size is generous, too, so come hungry!  The individual salads are big enough for 2-3 people to share as an appetizer.  Service has always been friendly and the food quality consistent.  They also have a full but smallish bar with beer on tap and a nice selection of wines.

    I'm a regular and the owner/manager always recognizes me and greets me with a handshake, even when it's been a while since my last visit.  Always nice to see that small-town hospitality is alive and well in big ol' bustling NYC.
  • 2/28/2013
    I have lived in the neighborhood and passed this place for years.  Last night I had a hankering for pizza and to try something new.  Yelpers steered me here, but I should have steered clear.

    Pizza was mediocre.  Too saucy and the crust was not crisp.  Had I not seen the fire from my seat, I would have never guessed that the pizza came from a wood-fired oven.  Salad was above average.  Beer was cold and big.  Service was adequate.

    I might give Al Forno a second try for their pastas but I won't be back for their pizza.
  • 7/17/2013
    Nice family place.  Quiet and cozy.  Prices are reasonable.  I had the shrimp with linguini in marinara sauce.  I wasn't too happy with the bread, it was hard and big rolls.  They make oven brick pizza there, why can't they bring you slices of oven brick bread.  Did not offer fresh parmesan cheese, it was in a shaker on the table.  It was ok, nothing to brag about but decent portions.
  • 7/31/2012
    1 check-in here
    This place has really good brick oven pizza.

    I came here with a group of 10.  We were seated quickly despite it being pretty crowded and Friday night.

    We ordered 3 pies to share...peperoni, sausage, and cheese.  They all came out about 10 minutes after ordering and were delicious.  Something about a brick oven just makes it taste better.

    If you are ever up in the area you should definitely give Al Forno a try.
    • 36 friends
    • 13 reviews
    6/12/2013
    Love love love their brick oven pizza! Their whole wheat pizza is to die for : fresh tomato , basil, and mozzarella. What more could you ask for? Whether you are ordering online or enjoying their food in the restaurant you are sure to have a great experience.
    • 0 friends
    • 5 reviews
    9/6/2013
    CHOPPED and DICED!
    Came to this restaurant because I heard they had great pizza. I was very excited when I got there looking around everybody's table and seeing great looking pizza. I was with family so we ordered a big pizza and a few other dishes, the bill would have been at least $200. I asked for CHOPPED tomato on my pizza. I do this because when the pizza comes out hot and you only have sliced tomato, it can burn your tongue so that's why I like it chopped because it cools quicker. I asked my server he said the cook couldn't do it, I asked the cook he said he couldn't do it unless the manager approved. Mind you the tomato has already been sliced. They could easily chop the already sliced tomato. I went to the owner and asked him. He said he couldn't do it. Mind you I spent more time asking the employees and manager about chopping the tomato than the actual time it took to take to chop them.
    Because if this I walked out. This was something so ridiculous. They rather lose money then honor a request so simple.
    If you have a special request for you meal Don't come here. They will not honor it. I have been in the hospitality business for years and this is something so in hospital it's ridiculous. Dice and done
  • 4/9/2013
    Great pizza. Brick oven. You see them baking it from your table. Pleasant atmosphere for a date. Pasta was a little too al dente for my taste. Definitely would go back. Liked that on a Friday night it was not a zoo. Now you know where to go for great pizza and quiet.
  • 2/19/2013 Updated review
    I've been coming here for years, i like it and haven't had a complaint until now.  I ordered the eggplant parm for the first time, not enough eggplant in it, mostly bread and it was a little over cooked.  Other than that,  everything else was good.  I always like their sauce and the pasta is cooked properly every time i've been there.  Their pizza is good and the people that work there are always nice and speedy!
    1/24/2011 Previous review
    Perfect dinner: the mussels with red sauce and pizza.  Their wine is decent and their lasagna is… Read more
  • 3/24/2013
    Can't go wrong with classic Italian.  Great pizza, a real people pleaser.
  • 2/16/2009
    This place is over-rated

    It was average, at best.  The food was ok, but still does not make up for the fact that I was treated rudely by the staff 3 times in a row!!!!  Unacceptable - whoever the girl is that answers the phone for delivery needs to be fired.  I am never eating there again!
  • 3/17/2009
    Listed in Flam's UES
    Meh is the perfect way to say how I felt about the pizza and pasta dishes we tried here.  For take out it was an option but there are a ga-zillion better places nearby that I would call first.

    The service was fine - no real issues - but the food was forgettable. (We had take out).
  • 4/18/2013
    Hands down the best pizza on the Upper East Size.  Light, crispy crust and great ingredients.

    I wouldn't order anything but the pizza though; the rest of the menu is something of an afterthought.
  • 4/12/2013
    Although the pizza was quite tasty i ordered a salad for an appetizer ended up getting it after i had a few bites of my pizza by then i didnt even want it. The waiter didnt even seem to care does he not know  what an appetizer is? I was charged for the salad of course. After food me and my husband wanted a coffee and dessert but  didnt even get offered a menu instead  our check was dropped 2 minutes after we ate. Mind you it was completely dead. Wont return.
  • 4/12/2013
    I anxiously awaited for the delivery man to arrive, and before I knew it I heard the familiar buzz, and Nico (my dog) going crazy - the pizza is here! We opened up the box which was still nice and warm despite the chilly 30 degree weather, and it looked delicious! First of all it was a very nice size, enough to actually feed two people unlike the one we got last time from Petaluma. And now for the first bite... Yum! The crust was thin and crispy like it should be, the tomatoes tasted fresh and not like they had been swimming in a vat of grease all day, and the mozzarella seemed legit! I also enjoyed the fresh basil on top, and the mushrooms we got as our topping were very good as well (it's hard to mess up a mushroom!) My only comment would be that there wasn't much mozzarella on it, which is fine for me, but I know some people would have been upset by this.
    To read the rest of my review, check out my blog - City Lights and Tasty Bites
    http://www.citylightsand…
  • 5/19/2012
    What a great find. We were staying in the upper east side in April and were craving Italian food. We found Uva on Yelp which is next door but they were pretty busy. So we saw this place right next door and went for it. The yelp reviews don't do this place any justice.
    We had a large group and each of us ordered something different so on our table we had: several of their pasta dishes including the lobster ravioli, spinach ravioli, salads including the one with arugula and parmesan, pizza, two bottles of red wine, and we even tried their dessert the tiramisu. The prices are great its very affordable and you get la large amount of food so the dishes could have been shared. We had a lot of left over. All their food was full of flavor, the salads were fresh, the wine was yummy and not overpriced and the tiramisu was great. Would definately come back!

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