Fornino Park Slope

Really decent Cheese & Meat plate. A generous portion of meat, but the cheeses were your plain old blue, parmesan, and mozzerella. Boo. I wanted something different. The prosciutto was fresh and not too salty, even though it was Christmas Eve. There was a decent amount of customers even for 11pm on a holiday.
The Red Velvet drink was cute & not too strong or sweet, if I ever come back here I’d get that drink again.

I ignored all the recent Unilocal reviews because I had a wonderful meal here when it first opened, but it was terrible last night! The pear and gorgonzola salad was the best thing, and it was drenched in dressing and had no kick, so that says a lot. The tuscan kale side order was oily and went ice cold after a few minutes. The sauce on my margherita classica pizza tasted like it came from a jar and was dumped on the pizza. I thought the other reviewers who complained about the crust weren’t thin crust lovers, but they are right: this is not an acceptable kind of dough to make pizza crust out of.
My friend said her rigatoni was good but I think she was being polite because she only ate half.
Disappointed that this place went so far downhill.

Came in on a Saturday to you enjoy their, Unlimited pizza, wine and beer for $ 20 per person from 11pm-​1am, which was pretty cool, I’ve probably never seen an offer like this ever, especially for unlimited wine and beer.
The restaurant itself is real elegant yet hip. The menu options for their unlimited pizzas were pretty descent, but the wine and beer was limited to just a few options. The Pizza was grilled, not brick oven and made with whole grain crust which I hated, the pizza was not bad but it was just missing the classic pizza dough taste, I was a little surprised since this is what they specialize in.
The ingredients on the pizza were good but I also felt the ingredients were limited, Overall this is a good deal, and I recommend taking advantage if this deal with a large group of friends in order to get the best of it.

Ordered delivery and it came within 15 minutes. I don’t live that far away, but for the prices I like my food cooked to order.
I ordered the veal parm and it was mushy, probably because it was precooked. My wife ordered the meatballs over salad and didn’t get the salad (until we called back). When we called back, they just brought the salad, they didn’t even bother to give her the dish prepared correctly. For a place that specializes in meatballs, they were really not great.
Poorly done, poorly run. Don’t bother.

Summary: Poor service (especially the hostess). Decent food, but you can get better with higher quality service elsewhere in Park Slope.
My husband and I went to Fornino for dinner on a Friday night. When we arrived, the middle-​aged, blonde, female hostess was running around (in case you want to know who to look out for). We continued to wait. Finally I tried to get her attention and she said, just a minute. Then she came over to greet people waiting BEHIND us (Regulars…she knew the name of one of them) and proceeded to seat them before us. Then we waited some more. I contacted a server and she went to get the hostess. I was pretty much ready to leave at this point after being ignored and dismissed for so long but then we were seated.
The waiter started out quick and attentive. I asked if the pastas were homemade and he said, «Not anymore. They come from a box.» Ok — that’s already a sign that things have shifted at this place. I asked about the ricotta gnocchi and he said, that was actually homemade so I ordered that and a glass of wine. My husband got the veal paparadelle and a beer, plus some olives to start. Bread came quickly as did the olives. They were all green olives which I don’t like as much. It would have been nice to get some variety.
They took a really long time to bring us our drinks. Finally also we got our pasta. The paparadelle was pretty good and tasted like fresh pasta, even if it wasn’t made in house. The ricotta gnocchi was good but not like normal gnocchi at all since it was mostly ricotta. They should’ve been called ricotta dumplings.
All in, the entrees were good but given the low level of service here and the amount of good Italian food nearby where there is good service (Al Di La, Franny’s, etc) I cannot recommend Fornino. Take a pass.

I love this place! Happy hour specials are tough to beat with ½ off beers and $ 5 wine, not to mention they are always extending it to 8 or 9pm.
$ 1 oysters on the weekend, my favorite! I have had a few entreés and a few pizza’s and have yet to be disappointed.
The owner is so accomodating and really is invested in growing and constantly making her business better. Definitely don’t miss Fornino, see you there!

Came here by default because it was so hot in Pork Slope across the street we couldn’t take the heat and ended up happily surprised at what a nice place this is.
Service is a true standout here… from the friendly hostess to the great waiter, I really found the service to be outstanding.
I had the calabrese pizza and it was delicious and filling. My friend had grilled octopus and a salad which he rated favorably.
The place is roomy and clean and it’s got a full size restrooms (not the tiny Barbie-​sized loos you find in some Park Slope places!)
They could do better with the beer list, but it’s an Italian place so I don’t knock them for that.
Would definitely come back here.

Well i was famished and wanted something to drag home and this spot fit the bill.
Having a takeout counter i wandered in and in 30 seconds saw what my carnivorous mind wanted.
I ordered the Grilled Portebello Mushrooms with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes topped with Fresh Goat Cheese. I wish there was a more goat cheese and cherry tomatoes.
The main was Double Cut Pork Chop served with caramelized onions and vinegar peppers. The pork chop was at least 1 inch thick and brined. The meat was so easy to cut and devour. Poor little piggy you taste so good… mmmmmm yummy.
Service was fast and the bill was something like $ 36.00 total.

My company’s holiday party was held here this year and I was definitely impressed. Our CEO said he was there three times previously and they had always messed up his order but the food was worth bringing the company there.
So the party started out with family style antipasti:
bruschetta and crostini: lots of mushrooms. beats, and greens. All my vegan co-​workers loved that dish.
polpettini: mini meatball, which were big meatballs. Our waiter never came back to our table with meat balls and we were given an extra portion of it. We had two different types, one which was grazed with a light to clear consistancy gravy, which I didn’t like and the other was a very flavorful marinara sauce. yummy!
old school rhode island grilled pizzas: one of my favorites! They’re like the home made pizzas, on a very thin crunchy tortilla with a very tasty tomato sauce.
Just simply off two antipasti’s I was full.
I had the Chicken and mozzarella panini and it was a bit dry. I wasn’t a big fan of the huge bread that it was in.
Lastly, I had the seasonal berry cheesecake. Simple delicious! I also had a tast of the panna cotta and I loved it. It’s a little more fluidy and has a more mushy consistancy verses the solid jello panna cotta I’m use to.
Overall a nice place with very unique and well presented dishes.

First time trying grilled pizza!
A group of 6 of us were wandering around Park Slope looking for a late-​night dinner and stumbled upon this place. Service was good and the food was okay, but I felt a bit out of place since the ambiance was dark, romantic, and rather quiet. Looked like a great place for a date, though.
My friend and I shared the Arugula, Pear & Gargonzola salad and the Margerita Classica Grilled Pizza. according to the server, the dough is flatter and laid out thinner. making the pie crispier and less doughy. Whatever. It was aiiiiight. There’s a good selection of grilled pizzas to choose from, and definitely shareable.
My friend ordered the Caesar Salad, but said it was very dry. therefore, I took a star off. She’s a culinary student so I trust her judgment.
I’m a fan of thick, doughy, greasy, and scrumptious pizza, so this grilled pizza business is more of something I’d eat as an appetizer. If you’re into gourmet, ‘sophisticated’ and pricey (not too bad when sharing) pizzas, then this is the place to try out.

All I can say for Fornino is I was not disappointed in the grilled pizza. For a Sunday night after a long and eventful weekend: grilled pizza.
The starters were not memorable, as the arancini and protobello mushrooms were underseasoned and dry. The pasta sauce promised savory sausage and tomato sauce, but delivered a bland, watery coating to boring rigatoni. The carbonara was also subpar.
That said the grilled pizza with mushrooms and cheese was inspiring. It was thin crusted, charred, with melty cheese and earthy mushrooms.
I definitely recommend you go, skip everything else and order an array of grilled pizzas to sample. Only then will you truly be happy with Fornino.

Fornino Park Slope vs Fornino Williamsburg — no relation!
I asked the barkeep what the connection was and he literally said «no connection, just owners who are friends.» With that in mind the differences between the two are indeed pretty stark.
This Fornino has a fully stocked bar, expanded menu apart from pizzas and is more like a sleek polished bar/​restaurant than the sparse, tight, near pizza only layout of the Williamsburg one. Point is, they are almost completely different apart from name.
So anyway the food: Vinny Scotto pizza with rich sopressata, a milder mozzarella (I would have been opposed to something richer however) and red peppers. A pretty tasty pie though all in all.
Short rib ravioli, disappointing. My partner had never had short-​ribs before and these were sad. Lacking in meaty richness and the all important juiciness factor. The raviolis too were more on the al dente side which is fine but where the folds were the pasta was a bit too undercooked in my opinion. Also for 6 raviolis for $ 19, they aren’t worth over 3 bucks a shell.
Some cool wines on the list, ie. an Italian Lagrein. Cool drinks ie. Absolut Brooklyn, Plymouth gin cocktails. Cool beer ie. Hampton IPA.
Not a bad addition to park slope, they apparently have amateur comedy night too in the back now – interesting and potentially awkward. Though as Italian food is everywhere, I’d pass on the full Italian feast and treat it more as pizza and beer night.

Grilled pizza eh? Why not! The pies turn out crispier than most places in New York, which is welcome in my book. I liked the cocktail menu. My house-​special negroni was a bit too heavy on the anise flavor, but seemed well crafted. The artichoke appetizer was delicious. The choke was cooked to perfection and the creamy sauce it came with was so good that I asked for extra bread to make sure I got every last bit of it.
The big disappointment came with the seafood stew. It was woefully small, had bland broth, and not much seafood in it at all. Oh well. Perhaps it serves me right for ordering something like that at a pizza joint, even though it was a special.
My advice: stick to the pies. They’re good.

Forninos is fabulous. Can’t say enough.
I love my old ‘hood for so many reasons, but wow. The hipster folks have been working hard to change Brooklyn into a less than authentic suburb-it’s killing the natives!
After being told by several spots in the hood that they would be unable to accommodate our post grad dinner (their loss!), we found Forninos. Lucky us! Our family dinner was a blend of children/​parents/​grandparents and a variety of palates. Everyone enjoyed their meal including a very picky vegetarian.
Something about Forninos somewhat resists that less than authentic vibe despite being somewhat new. That said, it’s really warm and welcoming. The pizzas are amazing-​try the veggie varieties! The food in general is fresh, delicious and unexpected in terms of some of the great pairings. The wines list is really diverse and impressive. In fact, you’ll find yourself trying something new as tasting is often offered.
Finally, the owners and staff of Forninos are fantastic. There’s a real personal flavor with respect to how you’ll be treated. It’s a great spot for groups (business or celebrations), hanging with buddies, or with a hottie.
Folks are happy you’re there and clearly are interested in visitors having a great experience.

Good service, good wine, very good food. The server even let me taste the wines to help me decide.
1 app + 2 entres + 2 glasses of wine + tip = $ 94.
Verdict: I’d Def go back

This is like Fornino Williamsburg’s kind of alternative cousin. Not the chubby goth one, but the one which dresses nicer and keeps her weight down*. Fornino Park Slope is a different breed from its brethren and I liked it just as much as its slim jeans, bearded relative.
Thursday night around 9 the place was sparsely filled with almost half the bar open for the drinking/​eating combo while watching the World Series. The pizza selection is different than the ‘burg and although the pizza is made differently, I was extremely happy with the sausage fennel pizza that I wolfed down along with numerous pilsners. The crust was thin, the sauce was the perfect percentage versus the other elements and the small sausage was excellent.
Service at the bar was about as good as it can get. While eating your pizza when you cleared out the end facing you, the barkeep would spin the wheel so the rest of the pizza was facing you. Beers were never empty, but the queries about if you wanted more were timed perfectly and never pushy. Even after two of us thought we were done and one was still nursing his last tall beer, another bartender suggested a couple short glasses to keep the nurser company — done. I can’t speak for the servers, but for the bar staff only and they let us stay until there were few, if any, people left, without any inkling that they wanted to get out of there.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
* This is not because I am insulting people who are a little overweight, we’ve all been there once or twice. Fornino Park Slope grills their pizzas and therefore they can not hold as much weight on top — it’s just physics. Sheesh.

guess who discovered his new italian staple in the nabe? LOVED the buffalo milk mozzarella with fresh heirloom tomats. Sweet salty amazing.
We got the classic plain pie — super thin crust. The sauce was jusst right and of course the cheese hit the mark. I’ll stop after I mention the bread — love places with good, fresh bread and oil. With 3 drinksand still under $ 50 for the 2 of us.

Went here on a double date with a blackboard eats coupon for 30% off. The discount was key — we still spent $ 70 per couple which is not bad for a nice meal out, I know, but I’m not sure I’d have been happy spending much more. It was enjoyable, though. Allow me to elaborate:
The place is nice and really big — like, real-​restaurant big, something rare enough in Park Slope for all four of us to comment on it several times. We had a reservation but would probably have gotten a table right away without one (at 7pm on a Wed. night). The service was good, but not great. Our waiter was friendly but not especially attentive and he seemed aloof; I had to ask for a steak knife after my food was served and it took a couple tries to order a second drink.
We shared a bottle of wine, a $ 25 bottle of red that I thoroughly enjoyed. They brought out plenty of focaccia which we all gobbled up with olive oil. We also shared the spinach pizza as an appetizer. The whole grilled pizza thing is interesting. It was delicious, but I’d call it a flatbread, not pizza. I’d expected wilted spinach and melted cheese but it came out covered in fresh, raw spinach and parmesan cheese shavings — delicious, but not filling, and I had to hold it together to eat it. Very thin and crispy, more topping than crust. As an appetizer, it was perfect, but it would not have left me satisfied as a main course.
My flank steak was definitely cooked rare to my liking, over a bed of spinach with cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives. I usually like my steak with something more substantial like potatoes, but the flavors blended perfectly into a delicious and refreshingly light alternative to the norm. It was a steak dinner made for a lady, but strong enough for a man. And guys, I can eat, and it was plenty; I even took home leftovers.*
I would go back if the circumstance presented itself, it was a perfect double date spot. Not über-​romantic but just fancy enough to warrant date status. Except without that 30% off coupon, I’d probably stick to pizza/​appetizers and wine.
*FAIL sidenote: I took my leftovers to work the next day in the plastic container they provided, without wrapping it in a plastic bag. I threw the container in my purse, not really thinking — I’m not the best morning person. When I got off the subway, I realized the container had leaked meat juice all over my purse (and a little onto my dress). It was so disgusting. I never thought the smell of steak could disgust me, but I’d never sat all day smelling it in my lap, either. Big fail. I was able to salvage my purse (and the leftovers, too, which I still ate and enjoyed) but it was a mistake I’ll never make again. Lesson learned: even the best containers cannot contain meat juice. Always bag your leftovers.

You can find as many great restaurants on 5^th Avenue as there are stars in the sky. So it is a pretty difficult choice to make when looking for a cozy fine dining experience.
After reading the New York Times review on this place I found it interesting. I looked at the reviews on here and there were plenty of mix feelings. Well, let me put your mind to rest and tell you it is MILDLY SOPHISTICATED and MILDLY FLAVORED…
My first suggestion is to get a reservation… Lucky I had one and got points for it! Thank you OPENTABLE.
I truly recommend the «Montepulciano» from the wine list… It is a red Tuscan wine, not too sweet and not too dry… It is perfect pair to any pasta dish. You can get it by the glass. Let them give you a taste first.
As an appetizer I recommend the Onion, Goat Cheese & Olive Tart @ $ 6, it’s unique and incredibly rich. The black olives freckled on top gave it a nice sharp balance to the creaminess of the cheese and the sweetness of the onion. It carried perfect harmony…
As for the main course goes I DO NOT recommend the Spaghetti alla chittara $ 18. The dish consists of guanciale and prosciutto, dusted in a peppered pecorino, sauced in chicken broth, decorated with a poached egg on top. I was disappointed to say the least. With every bite, I kept waiting… anticipating for that kick of flavor to hit me. The dish was missing spunk and it wasn’t a dash of salt…
I still can’t put my finger on it. I’m discontent with my experience on the dish I was anxiously waiting to have ALL day…
However, the glee in others face while enjoying the pizza sparked curiosity in me. I will have to go back and try it.
Mildly Flavored eats!

What’s the point?
The people behind this place (and the original location in Williamsburg) have gone through considerable trouble to assemble a restaurant that brings together top-​notch local ingredients, vintage lighting and an impressive wine list behind one not-​so-​great concept: grilled pizza.
Grilled pizza is like a well-​cooked turkey meatball: it’s fine, but all it really does is remind you of the better original.
The portions here are O.K. and the prices in line with the setting, but the entire experience reeks of over-​thought. Our appetizer — the chickpea fries with Gorgonzola sauce — demonstrated why potatoes are the most popular type of fry.
These pizzas are fine, but there are much better options in the neighborhood.