Gina La Fornarina
“Ordered the Prosciutto and Fig pizza that we shared which was one of the best pizzas I've had.”
“Portion sizes are proper sizes for a human being not for an elephant , which is good.”
“Tastes good and very well priced ,, wonderful for families
My faves are: skirt steak / gnocchi / mushroom cheese & truffle pizza…”
Gina La Fornarina
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
6 reviews
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Gina La Fornarina is one of the better Italian places that I've been to.
Food-wise, I have tried the beef carpaccio bruschetta (appetizer) calzone (pizza section), the chicken piccata (entree), fettucinia a la bolognese (pasta), and spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino (pasta). Many of the dishes were 5 stars. The beef carpaccio bruschetta features raw beef layers on toasted bread, is DOUSED with truffle oil, and also has a slice of parmesan cheese on top. The bread was perfectly toasted, the truffle oil was generous, and the slight stinkiness of the cheese was an excellent compliment to the iron-y beef. The calzone was also delicious. There's not too much bread, it's stuffed with a creamy, light cheese, fresh mushrooms, and sprinkled with arugula and yes, truffle oil again. For a calzone, I felt full but not stuffed/greasy afterwards. The spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino is one of the best pastas I've had. It is very simple but flavorful dish – just spaghetti, olive oil, red pepper, and garlic. Amazing combination of flavors, but you'll probably want to get something else (meat or veggie) to go with it since those won't be in the pasta.
The two less stellar dishes were the fettucinia a la bolognese and the chicken picatta. The bologneese was probably a 4-star dish. Good, but not great – it's pretty much your standard pasta with bolognese sauce. The chicken picatta is probably closer to a 3- star dish. The chicken is cut thin, which I like, as this makes it easy for it to soak up all of the sauce around it. It was a bit dry/chewy, and they overdid it just a tad with the capers. The green beans came as a side, and they were fine, but the other side of potatos was very dry, chewy, and stale. I suspect that these were cooked first and left to languish on the dish for a bit.
Ambiance – adorable. I love the pink and white motif. I think it adds some fun to an otherwise austere/modern setting. The only thing to note is that there are a lot of families with young kids here, which is something that you don't see too much in the city. Most of them are well-behaved, but some of them are loud/obnoxious, as kids can be, so I would not come here for a quiet, serious, meal.
Service was generally good. Attentive and prompt waiters and food. They can be a little pushy on drinks at the beginning, but are otherwise just fine.
Yeah, it is three star review time. I really hate to give it, and I guess I would go 3.5.
The food was ok. Nothing special. Pizza with onions and sausage was good but not great. The service was fine. Not remarkable.
If someone tells you they want you to go here I think you can go without fear that it will be bad. However, if they are open for suggestions, San Matteo, half a block a way, is miles ahead of them on the food score.
Yummy food, fast service. I got into NY late, and was able to get take out from Gina La Fornarina around 9pm. I got chicken in mushroom sauce (totally spacing on the name). The dish was nicely sized, and came with bread and veggies. Super tasty, and was able to pick it up within about 10-15min.
I think the pizza is pretty awesome and it delivers well. The in restaurant experience is just as good. Reasonably priced wine, pasta, and pizza – all pretty good. It is also a cute little quiet spot on 91st really close to the park. As it is relatively casual, my recommendation is a nice stroll on the reservoir to build your hunger, followed by a nice dinner at Gina's.
Pear and Gorgonzola pizza sounds like an awesome idea but it's a huge disappointment: flavorless cardboard crust and even the pears lacked juicy goodness. Overpriced and underwhelming. If it's a real Neapolitan pizza you're after, "go east, young man": a short walk on 91st to the upper east frontier of 2nd avenue will bring you to San Matteo. It's the real deal unlike here.
Thank you Yelp once again for allowing me to crowd source the best menu options. Let me add one more point for the pear gorgonzola pizza – it was delicious! Only order this if you have a sweet tooth – they drizzle condensed milk on it to create a creamy, sweet bite of heaven, especially when consumed fresh out of the oven. Great presentation too. On the flip slide, we also ordered a chicken salad to share which, although it tasted good, looked pretty pathetic with its slightly damp room temperature romaine lettuce next to the glorious pizza. The ambiance is fun with a pink and white theme. Great place for a date!