Ops watch at 176 2nd Ave.

There has been activity at 176 Second Ave., including the arrival of a new pizza oven. (Thanks to the EVG reader for the photo!) 

As noted in September, Mike Fadem, the chef and owner behind Bushwick's Ops (and sister pizzeria Leo in Williamsburg), plans to open a Neopolitan-style joint here between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Community Board 3 approved a liquor license for the venture in September. The questionnaire (PDF here) on file at the CB3 website noted that this will be a second Ops location, where the sourdough-leavened pizzas get high marks. (Time Out recently ranked them at No. 5 on a city's best pizza listicle.

No. 176 previously housed Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana, which went dark in late 2023 after a 2009 debut.

A bad sign at Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana

Photos by Steven

The Marshal has taken possession of the retail space at 176 Second Ave., home of Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana here between 11th Street and 12th Street.

The legal notice, dated yesterday, states that the landlord is now in possession of the storefront...

As always, this doesn't mean the end for the business.

However, in this case, the space has been listed for rent on LoopNet since mid-October. 

The pizzeria, with multiple NYC locations as well as in Miami Beach, Fla., and Austin, Texas, arrived in the East Village in 2009... taking over from Singas Famous Pizza. 

Numero 28 Pizzeria is closed until Aug. 26 for renovations

[Photo by @jeremyblock]

From the EVG inbox: Questions about Numero 28 Pizzeria on Second Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Workers are gutting the space. The restaurant, which serves Neapolitan pizza and a variety of traditional Italian dishes, is in the midst of a two-week closure.



The sign on the gate notes a reopening on Aug. 26...


[Bottom two photos via Harry Weiner]

Numero 28 Pizzeria, which opened in the East Village in late 2009, has multiple locations around NYC as well as one in Miami Beach and Austin, Texas.