Forma Pasta Factory, which began its journey in Greenpoint, Brooklyn back in 2019, has recently been recognized as the top spot in the country for Italian food delivery, as noted in a DoorDash report.
Interestingly, the restaurant had originally intended to phase out delivery services altogether.
When the third-party app revealed its list of top American delivery locations for 2025, owner Amit Rabinovich expressed his surprise at the customer feedback.
“It’s been only seven years since we started, and much of that has unfolded during a pandemic,” Rabinovich shared, calling the news “strange.”
The ambience of the restaurant features an open kitchen where fresh pasta is crafted daily, with an intention for patrons to experience the food in-house, observing the preparation, and enjoying the freshly made pasta on heated ceramic plates.
“Delivery wasn’t exactly our goal,” Rabinovich, 42, admitted. “We felt a bit pressured to adapt because it coincided with our one-year anniversary.”
The team quickly pivoted into “survival mode,” frantically refining their dishes to ensure they were suitable for delivery, particularly for those homebound in New York.
“While it’ll never replicate the in-person experience, we are committed to delivering great quality,” Rabinovich added. “We prioritize quality control for both our dine-in guests and our delivery orders.”
Handling homemade pasta is a delicate task. At Forma, the chefs strive to prepare orders as close to delivery time as possible, with deliveries limited to a 2-3 mile radius to ensure they arrive hot and slightly overcooked.
“We have a dedicated team working hard to maintain consistency and quality,” Rabinovich said.
For him, the real reward lies in the recognition from grateful customers.
“We’re just regular folks, not celebrities, so we are really, really thrilled.”
Will the delivery really be delivered?
Although technically outside its delivery area, Forma Pasta Factory went above and beyond by delivering a selection of handmade pastas directly to the Post’s Midtown office, allowing the team to sample some of the restaurant’s popular items.
The spread, which had Post reporters and editors eagerly diving in, featured an array of dishes that could make any carb lover weak at the knees. Silky fettuccine nameko in a rosemary-thyme cream, classic rigatoni vodka topped with smoked chili and sun-dried tomatoes, hearty pappardelle bolognese, tangy mafaldine scampi, and spaghetti pomodoro with meatballs nestled in comforting ragu rounded out the feast.
They even included delightful sides like seasonal vegetables, gem salad, and focaccia, perfectly complementing the meal.
While every dish looked and smelled enticing, the big question remained: did the takeout live up to expectations?
Takeout pasta can often be a gamble, showing up in subpar containers or losing its texture in transit. However, the Post team found that all the pasta arrived al dente, even if some strands were a bit stuck together, possibly due to their 40-minute journey.
The fettuccine fungi stood out as a delightful dish, rich and creamy with a hint of mushroom that left us curious about the ingredients used.
Then there was the pappardelle bolognese—generously loaded with beef ragu and served with bright San Marzano tomatoes. It was comforting and flavorful, a far cry from the lesser offerings out there.
Our editors were also impressed by the vodka pasta; the paccheri noodles had just the right chewiness, paired with a luxuriously rich pink sauce.
The spaghetti pomodoro with meatballs could have been an anthem for hungry New Yorkers, bursting with tomato sweetness and savory meat flavor.
The verdict? New Yorkers are onto something. Forma’s takeout is just as satisfying as dining in, making it all the more valuable for locals, especially as tables at this cozy spot can be hard to come by.
