New Italian Restaurant Brings the Flavors of Rome to Houston – Numero28 Arrives with Major Pasta and Patio Power

For years, Italian-born restaurateur Bernardo Nolfo has traveled the world opening the elegant outlets of glamorous Milanese restaurant Bice for its owners, the Ruggeri family. He often traveled to distant places from Europe to Asia and spent time in Houston for what turned out to be Bice’s short-lived stint at The Galleria mall.

But when it came time for Nolfo to do his own thing, he knew he wanted to move somewhere in the solar belt where the climate was temperate and the people were as friendly as those he grew up with in his native Sicily. Luckily for us, Nolfo chose Texas.

With his partner Leo Gravina, Nolfo opened Numero28 in Austin (2014) followed by North Dallas (late 2020). Their new restaurant Numero28 has opened in Houston’s Highland Village. (Each was made possible through the endorsement of Nolfo’s longtime partner and friend Rolando Biamonte and his family, the founders of Numero28 in New York City with four restaurants across the Big Apple.)

Numero28 was originally named for the address of Biamonte’s first restaurant. In this new version of Houston, you can sit inside or outside on the charming patio surrounded by a trellis frame for lunch or dinner. You will feast on homemade dishes from southern Italy, the kind of Nolfo’s Nonna made for him growing up in Sicily.

Menu Number28

Start with the caponata ($11), a cousin of the French ratatouille made with a mixture of cooked eggplant, celery, tomatoes and onions, seasoned with capers and olives and served with grilled crostini slices . Or maybe try the arancina ($13), either the spicy saffron risotto balls stuffed with green peas and bolognese sauce or the vegetarian version made with tomato-tinged risotto stuffed with melted mozzarella, eggplant and of basil. Both are served with homemade tomato sauce.

Light 12-inch, thin-crust, made-to-order pizzas include options like a classic margherita ($16, add $3 for Buffalo mozzarella or $2 for gluten-free crust) and Bianca del Diavolo topped with pepperoni , mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. This Italian restaurant‘s signature pie is stellar. The Numero28 pie is made without tomato sauce and topped with button mushrooms and mozzarella. It’s finished with slices of speck (smoked prosciutto) and drizzled with a truffle-flavored cream ($21).

Incidentally, Numero28’s range of panini selections – served only at lunch – are made with the same dough as the pizzas and share the plate with a side of greens.

Homemade pasta noodles include gnocchi al pesto ($20) tossed with homemade basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, and bucatini all’amatriciana ($21) – hollow spaghetti noodles served with a traditional spicy red sauce flavored with porchetta fat (cooked pork belly) and pecorino cheese. Cacio e pepe ($22) is undoubtedly Numero28’s signature dough. Spaghetti alla chitarra with ground black pepper (so named because the noodles look like guitar strings) are finished at the table in a wheel of pecorino. Made much like you’d find in some of those older little restaurants in Rome, if you’ve never lost your taste for kid-friendly macaroni and cheese, here’s your chance to elevate the ordinary.

Next time I visit, I can’t wait to try Numero28’s lasagne bolognese prepared like in the old country with pasta sheets layered and cooked with that slow-cooked meat sauce, creamy béchamel and parmesan cheese. Plus, the full menu includes chicken parmesan ($24) and porchetta ($23), roasted pork belly wrapped around a cut of pork loin, then stuffed with fresh herbs.

Don’t leave without a bite of the freshly made tiramisu ($11). Presented at the table, the single-serving tiramisu is constructed in a transparent cylinder to hold the stacked layers of custard and espresso-soaked ladyfingers upright. It is finished with a spectacular pour of mascarpone diluted with lightly whipped cream, then generously dusted with dark black cocoa powder. Made fresh before each service, I can’t tell you when I’ve had a better version.

Finally, to get to the drinks menu, you’ll find a list of (shockingly, I know) Italian wines that hail from the North, South, and regions in between. And before the hip spirit of Aperol crossed the Atlantic to our shores, the Aperol spritz was the drink Italians drank in outdoor cafes from Milan to Florence. Served here, it shares the cocktail list with drinks like the basil martini mixed with vodka, fresh lime juice and crushed basil leaves. While Margarita No. 28 is shaken with tequila, Aperol, Cointreau and lime juice before being topped with a splash of club soda.

Numero28 is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. It’s closed on Mondays.