FOOD: Numero 28 [NYC]

[caption id="attachment_91310" align="alignnone" width="380"] Photo from numero28.com.[/caption]
On Friday night, some friends and I were really in the mood for a BYOB dinner. We didn't want to spend a crazy amount of money, because usually it's the drinks (especially on a Friday) that really put the bill over the edge.
The problem is that BYOB restaurants are pretty hard to come by, especially ones with decent food and that are bigger than three small tables. After searching for some time, I came across Numero 28. There are several locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but the East Village location on 2nd and 12th is the only one that offers BYOB. Good to know.
I made a reservation that day for seven people at 9:30 (the best we could do on such short notice but it's nice that we could even make a reservation!). The person I spoke with was incredibly nice and accommodating and went back and forth with me for what seemed like forever until we got a table that fit all of us.
The idea was to go to Trader Joe's wine for really cheap bottles but we found a wine and liquor store only a block away so we went with that instead. Would it have been worth it to go to Trader Joe's? Probably. But we were feeling lazy and approaching 9:30.
The place was pretty crowded when we got there but we only had to wait for about 5 minutes before our table was ready. There were tables outside that looked perfect for a date or a quieter evening (bookmarking that for the next unseasonably warm night!) but we were sat inside which was totally fine with us.
Our bottles were opened and we were reminded of the $10 fee per person for the wine. I did know about this, but I was thinking that maybe we should have gone the extra few blocks to Trader Joe's so that we could have really saved on the wine! Oh well, another time. While our wine was opened right away, no one came back to our table for a while but since it was Friday no one really seemed to mind. We had lots of wine to drink and all the time in the world to do it.
We ordered four appetizers to share between the seven of us (two orders of burrata, an order of meatballs and bruschetta) and two large pizzas, each half a different kind. The amount of food we got was perfect -- there was not a bite left but everyone felt totally satisfied. It seemed like a lot when we were ordering, but it couldn't have gone better. It can be so easy to over order, and it would have been fine, but we didn't want to have to bring leftovers around with us.
The food was amazing, the staff was really knowledgeable and nice, and we had such a fun time. Granted, we did feel like the oldest people there, but we had a blast. There were apparently three birthdays that night and whenever they brought out the dessert, the lights would dim and music would start blasting. Perhaps something to keep in mind if you're on a first date, but it was hilarious and fun. The best part though was the check: $42/person (including the $10 each for the wine we brought and tax and tip). Not too shabby if you ask me! I will definitely be back.
Numero 28
176 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003