Numero 28 (Artisanal Pizza)

[jeffperez62]

Has anyone tried this place yet??!! I stopped by today and had a great margharita pie. Thin, crunchy crust, great tomato & fresh basil flavor. A couple of guys from Naples are running the place.

[Pan]

Where is it?

[jeffperez62]

It's at 28 Carmine, just south of Bleeker. There was a review of it on the Gothamist website last week. We decided to take a walk past the place today, and while we were outside looking at the menu the owner stepped out and convinced us to come in. I'm glad he did, over dinner tonight my wife was still talking about the place. The owners really can't be more than 30ish were gracious and very excited about what they do.

[Pan]

Thanks. I'll try to remember to check it out. I take it they serve whole pies only, as normal for a Neapolitan-style place. Do they also have salads and so forth, or is it pretty much strictly a pizzeria?

[jeffperez62]

Whole pies only, 12, 18 or 22 inches. A few salads. Wine list painted onto the wall. has that sort of funky, run down look like you would find on a side street in Rome.

[slkinsey]

Here is a link to the blurb in Gothamist, which had this to say:

. . . So crunchy were the outer edges of dough that we found ourselves wishing for a steak knife instead of the standard-issue restaurant bread knife we were given. . .

. . . Numero 28 goes out a few limbs, with everything from pears and gorgonzola to lemon slices and zucchini, in combination with more expected sorts of toppings. . .

. . . It was like no pizza we'd ever had in New York before, and it reminded us of the best (non-pizza) Italian food we've had over the years. The various textures (meltingly thin prosciutto, warm globs of mozzarella, crackly crust) and flavors (salty ham, slightly bitter arugula, yeasty dough) came together in such a way that made the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Here is their menu on menupages. The place next door, Numero 26, is an Italian wine and soccer bar owned by the same people. What happened is that the people from Numero 26 bought the space next door and opened Numero 28. This Gothamist blurb explains it all:

The La Villa brothers behind Numero 26, the hoppin' soccer-themed antipaso/wine bar, have opened a brick oven pizza joint next door, aptly named Numero 28.

No. 28 sounds like a place worth checking out.

Edited to correct No. 26/28 confusion

Edited January 25, 2005 by slkinsey (log)

[Bux]

Here is their menu on menupages.  The place next door, Numero 26, is an Italian wine and soccer bar owned by the same people.  What happened is that the people from Numero 26 bought the space previously occupied by Joe's Pizza and opened Numero 28.

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I'm confused. Joe's had two places on Carmine. One was at the northwest corner of Carmine and Bleeker. That's recently closed. The other is further north of Bleeker. Both were on the odd numbered side of the street. 26 and 28 are south of Bleeker. I don't recall what was at 28 Carmine. It is interesting that the menu in front of 26 still offers slices from Joe's for $3.75.

[jeffperez62]

Well, I was there last week and they do not sell slices (I asked) The "counter" section of the restaurant is in a different room than the dining room section of the restaurant. They are joined by a doorway that makes it look like they could have been seperate stores at on time. Maybe that explains the 26-28 address. I think I had read somewhere else that they may have sold slices from Joes at one time.

[jeffperez62]

Sorry Slkinsey........I didn't see your post. Thanks for clearing up the confusion

[Pizza Napoletana]

What kind of oven do they use?

Thanks

[slkinsey]

Gothamist says "brick oven," which could mean any number of things. It suggests wood burning to me, but as you know not all wood burning ovens are created equal.

[madziast]

Gothamist says "brick oven," which could mean any number of things.  It suggests wood burning to me, but as you know not all wood burning ovens are created equal.

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definitely woodburning. Gothamist has not gotten around much, i guess, Salvatore, the pizzaiolo, has been making the gorgonzola and pear pizza at L'Asso, which opened last May and some other toppings were first created at Pie (by the Pound) on Fourth Ave. which opened in early 2003 and where he was the opening talent as well.

the space No 28 is at was a restaurnat called Biamonte, also owned by the No 26 guys - behind that oven there is a whole kitchen where they may put another oven.

i do like his pizza but find it extremely uneven in terms of quality/flavor. best when he makes it himself. observed an interesting practice of putting cheese first and than pooling sauce over it

[madziast]

on recent visit pizza was actually better (not that it wasn't good the first time - this was better. apparently, Luigi, Salvatore's brother, is the better pizzamaker), but there was one very active little mouse running out from under the pizza oven. at least i hope it was just one, not the whole family taking turns, lol.

[JennyUptown]

definitely woodburning.  Gothamist has not gotten around much, i guess, Salvatore, the pizzaiolo, has been making the gorgonzola and pear pizza at L'Asso

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L'ASSO??

[slkinsey]

asso = "ace"

[Bux]

L'ASSO??

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I passed by L'Asso last week and saw they were advertising slices at lunch. A day or two later I wandered in and had a couple of slices. Pretty good for pizza by the slice that's reheated. I thought I'd go back today and saw they were shuttered. I've only been in there a few times and it's never been crowded. More often it's been near empty. I can't say we were ever really pleased with anything we had except for the pizza, but I hope they've not gone under.

[JennyUptown]

asso = "ace"

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Still... OK, I'm immature sometimes and I admit it.

Where is "L'Asso"?

[Avumede]

I had a "Seinfeld" experience there, where I went to the bathroom there, and noticed there was no soap, and no place where soap could conceivably be.

I'm not sure how I should feel about it. The pizza is great, and I am a slob, so maybe I can forgive it. On the other hand.... ewww!