After decades of serving the community in Forest Hills, The Family Restaurant has upheld its standards of quality and service.
I think they chose the name because they are so family friendly, but the day I was there for lunch several tables were filled with business people too. As you enter the spacious, attractive restaurant you are greeted by a pizza “bar” offering a dozen different toppings for the thin crust pizzas. It is a great beginning.
Then as you walk further into the dining rooms you find walls filled with oil paintings. You can also take advantage of the private room, perfect for those special occasions. The Family Restaurant offers a specially- priced four-course meal including wine or beer from $29 for parties.
There is also a bar with a well stocked choice of wine by the bottle or the glass.
They offer lunch specials beginning at only $7.95 and an early bird special from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday with four courses for only $16.95. It’s cheaper to go to The Family Restaurant than cook at home!
Since I’m making lunch my biggest meal, like the Europeans do, we began with the appetizer combo plate, which included a perfectly cooked appetizer of fried oysters and lightly battered fried artichokes. They were the best I’ve had. There was also crispy fried zucchini that is full flavored and not sopping in oil.
We shared a small portion of pasta filetto di pomodoro cooked al dente. We followed that with a garden salad of crisp lettuce and juicy, ripe, deep red tomatoes. You name the dressing, they have it.
For our main course we chose tilapia and red snapper francese. The knockout broccoli with garlic was so good we asked for seconds! There are multiple fish and pasta choices and of course veal, steak, pork and chicken cooked anyway you want.
Peter, maitre d’ and decade long manager, walked among the tables to make sure everything was as the customer wanted. He made us all feel special.
No meal is complete without dessert and since we couldn’t make up our minds we had small slices of rum cake, homemade cannoli, chocolate mousse cake and not to be ignored, a mouth watering tartufo surrounded by a mound of whipped cream. It doesn’t get better than this.
Try The Family Restaurant for lunch or dinner for a delightful experience of great food. If you can’t be there, they have free local delivery.
