Classic Italian spot in the east village. Perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner... it always hits the spot. Cash only with a cozy, quaint interior as if you stepped into an Italian grandmothers apartment with a gorgeous marble bar. Service is friendly and fast! Get the chicken Milanese sandwich at lunch and the penne a la vodka for dinner, though anything is delicious.
This is my favorite restaurant. Quaint, cozy, downtown vibe. The food is fantastic. Simple and fresh, like you're on the Almafi coast.
Nice intimate place. Excellent service and great food. Much more than simple pasta. Very good variety of fare. Bring cash
Wow! So pleasantly surprised by this place! Haven't been since before the Pandemic. Pulled up with my crew - all five of us - and the hostess kindly sat us after a brief wait, and with no reservation. It's a small, cozy place with old photos on the walls, loud music, an open kitchen that shoots flames every so often, and good vibes. We ordered a kale caesar with fresh, sturdy green tasting kale, and lots of creamy dressing. My father in law gave high marks to his mussels - the sauce was a beautiful ocean-y marinara, perfect for mopping up with good bread. I adored the chicken parm - reminded me of those great restaurants behind the pizzerias on Long Island. The rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe was soulful and good. Desserts aren't worth the calories but order one anyway, and an espresso for good measure. Service was amazing. Thanks for a good time, Frank!
def enjoyed frank when i went friday with friends! took off a star because it was honestly so cramped and the fact that it's cash only is a little annoying lol. vibes were great, music was LOUD. they play a lot of hip hop and rap friday evenings which i personally enjoyed a lot if you're looking for a romantic setting this might not be it though because of how packed and loud it was. the food was really good though, we got the steamed mussels to split and i got the special pappardelle. prices aren't listed anywhere for the specials, my pappardelle ended up being 32!
I was in town visiting and got a local recommendation for frank from the fine folks at paradise lost. Boy, am I grateful for them. Frank is a nook in every sense of the world. But, a beautiful spot nonetheless. Bustling, cozy, intimate, spirited all come to mind when in Frank. Seats are nestled right next to each other, the music is going, conversation is up. This is the type of experience folks want when looking for authentic italian. The menu is small, yet diverse enough to satisfy all palates. I rolled with a slice of roasted garlic bread and the chicken alla parmigiana. Both great. The garlic bread was charred and crispy on the crust, while the side was still soft and fluffy. The roasted garlic shined with the parmesan. There is nothing better than a good piece of garlic bread, and the bread at Frank is going to do it for you and then some. Now, the chicken alla parmigiana: a masterclass in chicken parms. The cutlet was paper thin and crispy. Oh, it was perfection. The red sauce had just enough sweetness to offset the acidity. Of course, chicken was layered in cheese as well. Silky smooth. An added element of depth and texture. It also comes with pasta so their portion is certainly generous. I can't forget the service, either. My server was great and so was the host. They accommodated me on a busy evening and got me right in. An absolute gem in the east village.
This place is an Italian restaurant that is very unassuming. You walk by and your last thought is an Italian restaurant. But the food was really good. It was more authentic and less "olive garden-y" which I really liked. The portion sizes are kinda odd though. If you're going with friends, make sure you ask the server about the serving sizes because some portions are huge and some are tiny. My friend ordered the daily special of the tortellini and it was a decent portion. I ordered the chicken Parm and it was big enough that I was able to give him a nice chunk of my meal. It is a nice place overall.
Had a reservation for 9pm with four guests and was seated within a few minutes. We were led through one entrance to the back, through a door, then toward the front of the adjacent room for our seats. Very maze-like and a bit chaotic LOL. It was also quite loud with all the chatter, plus it was a very intimate space so you're very close to all the other tables. I originally wanted the Friday special, the black gnocchi with calamari but had to get the linguini with calamari since they were out of the gnocchi. It was a fairly decent portion with lots of squid which made me very happy. I was surprised how much tomato was in this dish as I thought it would be more seafood-y with oil, but it did taste delicious. Overall, cute intimate vibe with a lively young crowd. Pretty popular Italian spot with some solid staples. It is cash only!
Frank prides itself on offering fresh Italian cuisine and they mostly live up to their reputation. The flagship of a small group of restaurants in Manhattan (Super, Lil Frankie's, Daddy, et al), the menu covers a range of pasta and meat dishes. I met up with some friends from out of state on a Saturday evening and our group of 5 got a table outside. We split an order of the stracciatella and an order of pate crostini. The stracciatella was phenomenal: fresh, milky mozzarella atop thick tomato slices and basil leaves with an aged balsamic. The pate was rich and earthy. I did the tagliatelle special: wide strips of fresh pasta with a mushroom cream sauce. The pasta did a great job of soaking up the sauce but the flavours were a little muted. All in all, a great meal and reasonably priced for the neighborhood. Be aware: Frank is cash only!