Il Forno Hell's Kitchen in NYC, New York

Couple of weeks ago, we wanted to have dinner at L'Ybane, close to Times Square, but the place was so packed that we decided to try Il Forno  Hell's Kitchen, an Italian restaurant that opened recently. 

When we arrived, the place was packed. And then, after 8pm, it was empty. The explanation: early diners eager to find a place to eat before their show.

The place has an interesting decor: you get the impression you are eating at a terrace of a restaurant in the middle of a village in Italy. Pretty well done!

Their menu proposes pretty common Italian dishes, such as pasta, risotto and pizette, that are small pizzas, enough for one person. Of course, that does not prevent you from sharing...

We decided to start with the warm caprese salad that was served with burrata instead of the usual mozzarella. 

Besides of the burrata, it was composed of cherry tomatoes and arugula, and dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was good, fresh and creamy, but not worth the $14 price tag considering the quantity they served.

Then we ordered two pizettes. The first one was the black label, made with prosciutto black label, mozzarella, caramelized cippolini onions and basil.

The second one was the Margherita pizette.

In fact, they brought us first on with bacon and we sent it back as it was not what we ordered.

The pizette were good, being between a pizza and a flammekueche or tarte flambée. The black label was the best one, having a lot of flavors. The Margherita was just ok, missing a bit of cheese.

I have to mention that the food took forever to come and between the wrong dish sent and the wait, it kind of spoiled the experience, regardless of the torrent of excuses from the waiter. That explains also why I skipped dessert that day. So, would I go back? Maybe, but then to try pasta and risotto. For pizza, I would go to Capizzi that is few blocks from there and is far better!

Enjoy (...)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!