The food here is mostly delicious. However we were absolutely fleeced recently on our bill. Several items on our bill were much more expensive than the prices on the menu. Some by as much as $10. It was a large group and the overage was substantial, but we felt like it would be impolite to say something so we didn't. I would think twice about going back. read more

Yesssss I love Frank! I mean it's one of Chrissy Teigen's favorite restaurants so it's gotta be good right!? I've been here multiple times but most recently was for dinner with with a group of 7 of my girlfriends. We went 7pm on a Saturday night -- thank god we had a reservation. It was PACKED. We got right in though thanks to the ressie and our table was on the other side of the restaurant by the window. Super cramped but that's the atmosphere of it. To start we ordered: Burrata - I want to marry this burrata. It's one of the best things Ive ever tasted. Seriously. I could just eat this as my whole meal. You must order. Bruschetta - If you're into ordering two apps instead of just one (which you should be), then the next thing you have get is the bruschetta. The bruschetta comes out on HUGE pieces of bread. Like giant pieces and are lathered with the freshest chopped tomatoes. They will bring out one for each person at your table. Wish they'd bring out two for each though.. haha For my meal: Gnocchi - This is one of the specialtys at Frank and what they're known for. It's honestly to die for. The gnocchi is so soft and the tomato sauce so fresh. I could eat it all day. It really tastes like something you'd find in Florence. You can't get more authentic Italian than this gnocchi. Dessert: Tiramisu - Our waiter was so sweet and gave us this for free. I love tiramisu. A lighter dessert especially when shared between all of us. The only complaint I had to say and this is a super minor complaint and one that really shouldn't even be a complaint...but I thought the regular meal came out way too soon after our apps. We had just eaten a lot of burrata and bruschetta plus more bread so when the food came out about 5 minutes after our appetizer we were all like "agghh not yet!!" But I mean that's the only complaint. read more

Frank - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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I came here in valentine's day for a dinner and it was great! We were able to get seated immediately even though it was packed in here. The space is very tiny and has a narrow walkway. Aside from that. Let's talk food. I ordered pate on toast, burrata, porterhouse for 2, and squid ink pasta with seafood. The burrata was creamy and wasn't served with enough basil and balsamic vinegar, and the tomato wasn't the sweetest. I ordered the porterhouse for 2, medium rare, and holy cow it was a massive steak! It had to be at least 6 lbs, and 4 inch thick! The steak was unfortunately cold in the center cuz it's hard to cook a thick cut. Luckily kitchen was able to throw it back on the grill for us. Not bad for $100 on a 6lb steak. The steak also came with mash potatoes and spinach. The mash potato did not have gravy and was overmilled, so not my favorite. I prefer chunky or smooth, not a weird medium. The squid ink pasta was flavorful but it was overcooked. The pasta clumped together but it was still edible. I would order it again because the seafood and sauce was good. My favorite item of all was the pate on toast. I will 100% reorder that and come back just for it. It was served on a thick crunch toast and it was perfect! Pate wasn't too heavy and rich. It was enough for two people to share! They also cut it in half to make it easier for sharing. read more

Awful. Pasta overcooked. Sautéed Calamari bitter and chewy. Bronzino covered in tomato Paste. Raviolis were decent. Prices were ridiculous for the quality of food. Service was also decent.Skirt steak lacked flavor. This place used to be one of our go to spots. What happened? Did new owners take over? The simple delicious goodness with fair prices that we used to covet was replaced with a long expensive specials menu. Disappointed read more

Dirty small broken down restaurant. It's one thing to have a broken down restaurant....but dirty.....I'll pass. Ran by amateurs cooks; no chefs in the kitchen. Over cooked pasta, mediocre food at best. Burrata seemed slightly spoiled, not juicy or tender at all. If you like dirty small restaurants this is a spot for you. read more

So disappointing. Food was average. Our waitress was so lovely but the two staff who showed us to our table were terrible. Rude. Why is this restaurant cash only? Who has $300 in cash in their wallet? Never again. Get a card machine cheapos. read more

Food is good but if you are going to have outdoor seating and serve food you have to wash the curb - the garbage smell does no one any good

I don't think ever in my life have I been so infuriated by a plate of food. 100% worst dinner I have ever eaten in a restaurant. Walking in I was really expecting a nice meal from such a charming interior design (I wont say ambiance because they were blasting some sort of Drake Pandora radio) and judging by the prices of everything (the prices being pretty high) I was expecting the quality to be on par with what I was paying. As soon as our 18 dollar "burrata" came out I knew we were in trouble. Absolutely awful quality and tasteless. But it was truly nothing compared to the entrée. I had ordered a 24 dollar ragù and what I got instead of a ragù was a chopped up hotdog on rigatoni. The food was so upsetting I really felt like I needed to say something to the kitchen (even though I didn't to this day I still feel like I should have). I'm not a picky person at all but the insulting quality of the food paired with the amount of money spent on it- this has left me as the worst and most aggravating dining experience of my life read more

Frank is a perfect restaurant! It's like a nice warm hug from your Nonna. You will never have a bad meal or a bad time here. It's cozy, delicious, and everything we need in this world. Thank dog for Frank! read more

Had dinner here on Sunday. Absolutely incredible. The burrata was amazing. We had the house ragu as well as one of the specials. Both were perfectly prepared. Service was great. We will be back for sure. read more

Honestly I have lived the in the neighborhood for 20 years and have always walked past the place always wanting to go in. Every time I have eaten there in the last 2 years the service has been tragic. Today I was between coppers and Frank's and I came up asking about the mussels and the host literally didn't even look at me. It was disgraceful. I thanked him for his time and he still didn't look up. The food was already average you cant also be terrible in customer service. It's just not how it works in the industry. Best of luck to you guys. I had really high hopes- hope you guys can turn this around. Total bummer. read more

Yum Yum! 5 star meal + 3 star service for an overall 4 star experience. After a surprisingly uneventful megabus ride into the city, My family and I headed to Frank for dinner. The menu would be good for sharing if that is your thing, but we ended up all getting our own pasta dishes. No one had a single complaint about the whole meal. The bread was tasty and warm and served with some delicious olives. My mom and I shared the Kale caesar salad, which was good, but my main course was most definitely the highlight! I got the Black linguine with calamari. The pasta was heavenly and the calamari was so tender. The serving size was medium to small, just the perfect amount to eat the whole thing and feel pleasantly full. I still get a bit of sticker shock at NYC pricing, and $22+ dollars for a smallish bowl of pasta (however delicious) still seems a bit steep, but I guess that is city livin for ya. Our server was very nice, however, it took quite a long time for him to return each time even with us trying to subtly get his attention as he would pass by. When you order a glass of wine they leave the bottle at the table so you can pour yourself more anytime and they measure and charge you for the amount you drank. The restaurant itself is very quaint, we sat outside which was great for people watching. The bathroom is extremely tiny and there is just one toilet, so be prepared to wait in line after you've helped yourself to all that wine just conveniently sitting on the table. There were multiple other dishes on the menu that I would love to return and try. Also important to note, the restaurant is cash only, so come prepared! read more

Frank - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I went here with a group of friends. I watch Franks's instagram. I decided that I was going to try it. The service was excellent. Kale Caesar was good, and also the Orange Fennel. The pasta dishes that we ordered were very bland and tasteless. This was a special trip for me. I was so disappointed. It was so not worth the 300.00. Will never come here again. read more

Something about their food / meatballs/ sauces doesn't taste authentic to me. Great service though, very quick and friendly.

This place is great! Same owners as Lil Frankie's and has majority of the same items on the menu without the really long wait. They also have a great brunch and daily specials. The service is always super friendly and fast and food is delicious. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because the restaurant itself it's soo small. They really pack the tables close and you are practically on top of the people next to you and it is really hard to navigate around the restaurant. But other than that a great spot! They are cash only read more

Wow ! My bf was so excited to eat here, but we were so disappointed . The burrata was ahhh "ok" and that's me being nice . Considering they charged $28 for appetizer of burrata ( you think it's going to melt in your mouth) nOt even close . We also ordered the mussels- I returned it Bc it was wayyyyyy fish - it was def frozen so many times or just bad. Least to say it glad I didn't go on and order entree when we ordered apps!!!!!! This is my first yelp review ( I never do this ) but it was that bad!!! Let's not forget the service was horrible! read more

Absolutely love this place. I sat at the counter that overlooked the kitchen and was mesmerized by the chef's agility and efficiency in the kitchen. Pretty much everything on the menu sounded delicious, and everything being cooked up in the kitchen looked equally amazing. We ordered the grilled octopus to start, which came with cold potato slices and a cool fennel salad. Though it sounded like an odd pairing to me, it offset the flavors of the octopus nicely. We also had the baked fennel, which I could have eaten 3-4 order of. So delicious and cheesy. I settled on the roasted chicken as my main entree with a side of sauteed broccoli and my date got the pappardelle ragu. The chicken had super crispy skin and was very succulent, and the pasta was great too. Overall, it was an awesome meal. Counting down the days until I can go back! read more

Came here for Brunch for the first time and WOW everything was spectacular. I ordered the pancakes and they were absolutely delicious and fluffy with extremely crispy edges which was my favorite part. My boyfriend ordered steak and crispy eggs which were also incredible. The steak had a rub which made it extremely flavorful and the eggs were fried to perfection, crispy on the bottom with runny yolks. They also have 3-4-1 drinks which is an unheard of special. They had great service and had heaters all through out. Love this place, will definitely go back. read more

Bit of a s*** show getting seated for 6. They jammed us in outside corner table and next table of 4 was right on top of us and LOUD. Garlic bread good but how much garlic is too muck? This came close! Orecchiette, sausage, broccoli rabe was just ok. Asked for cheese and got a pizza house glass jar of store parmigiana. They forgot on entree and were nice about it and removed from the bill. Place is popular but the quality has suffered. Overall, meh! read more

Everything about this place is great! The service was on point, the wine was amazing, the food was delicious.

One of my favorite Italian places in the city! It is cash only and you'll need a reservation for a party larger than 2-people. I visited when I had family in town and we had a great meal filled with so much cheese and carbs (no regrets)! We started with the burrata and then moved onto our own pasta dishes (the lemon one, Rigatoni al Ragu, and the Penne). Everything has so great! I need to make an effort to go again! read more

Delicious north Italian food. Super intimate setting - you will be close to other tables - and the service is great. Low key no fuss. You feel like you're at home at your uncle/granddad's house for family dinner. They have a full bar or a lengthy wine selection. Food was off the charts good. A good place to check out but be sure to bring cash - that's all they take. Enjoy! read more

Frank - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Frank is overrated. Maybe all the frank restaurants are overrated? But if you are going to visit a Frank restaurant, I would not put Frank at the top of the list. Maybe consider trying Supper or Lil Frankies before spending the same amount of money on less good food. Don't get me wrong, you'll think you're meal is good, but you wont be rushing back here. read more

lil cozy spot on second ave w excellent pasta, full bar, dim lighting and a bomb soundtrack. every night of the week theres a different magical pasta special. fyi - wednesday night is spaghetti and meatballs! had the salmons w spinach (medium rare bc its "good salmon") and was super into it. fennel salad is extra fennely. its simple in composition but the flavorings are hella complex. since its a tiny place, it fills up quickly and ppl tend to linger, so you might have to wait a minute for a seat. if youre homeless come here for the great heating. ca$h only!!! read more

great casual authentic italian brunch with 3-4-1 mimosas bellinis bloody mary and prosecco read more

Frank - baked eggs ragu - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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The restaurant is overpriced for the quality of food yet the ambience is unpleasing. There was a rat that ran under the table while we had dinner it was no fun. Please for your own sake do not get the garlic bread, it's very bad and will give lil (big) stomach issues. The penne tomato sauce is eh. Not great not bad. My child could've made the same dish. Do not recommend. There is way better restaurants in the city. Ohhh and also they didn't tell us it was cash only so I had pay 25 dollars extra to get cash at that time. read more

Wow do I love this restaurant... I stumbled upon their Instagram page about a year ago, dreamt about it for a while, and finally got to visit NYC and try their food. It definitely did not disappoint! Portions are large, hearty, fresh, and delicious. The servers are friendly and love to give suggestions which just shows how invested everyone at Frank is in the food. Order Spaghetti Limone and you will have the best meal ever. read more

Frank - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Absolutely horrible!! Food was late a half hour late. Uncooked gnocchi-- completely raw dough with sauce on top. There was something floating in my half-spilled cup of ginger ale, with melted ice, even though there's a can on the Caviar app. Dirty broccoli-- thought it was seasoning... it was not. Spaghetti parm tastes like dish water, chicken is tough. Disappointing. read more

Frank - Raw gnocchi. - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Having walked by this cute little resto on 2nd Avenue numerous times, I was excited to finally join the good lookin' East Village patrons last night. Their outdoor seating area is modeled on a suburban front yard with a white picket fence, paisley plastic table coverings and a nice bench window that looks out from inside. The only thing that detracts is the fact that you'll basically be sitting on each other out there. With not more than 5 inches between tables, awkward butt grazes, eavesdropping and accidentally eating off a stranger's plate are par for the course. On to the food. As a fan of their sister spot, Lil' Frankies, I felt rather sure I'd dig the Italian home cooking fare from Frank. My Rigatoni al Ragu with Grandma Carmella's Tomato & Meat Gravy ($13.95) was absolutely excellent. It's no gourmet gastronomy but it tasted incredible, filled me up and made me feel a little homesick (nothing's better than your pasta, mama!). For the prices and the atmosphere, I'd say Frank is an ideal place to idle on a warm spring evening. read more

If the reception from the Maître Douche was anything to go by, the food at this place would be the equivalent of eating a plate of sautéed arseholes with a side of scrotum. That's right, we didn't actually bother eating here after the way we were treated while waiting to be seated. After five minutes standing around on the street waiting for Maître Douche to finish his conversation with his friend, we decided to just seat ourselves. Considering there were about 87 free seats we didn't think it would be a problem. Maître Douche's head then spun around fast enough to give himself whip lash. "DON'T seat yourself. JUST WAIT." He then continued his conversation. Having a bad day mate? Needless to say we left and ended up having an amazing experience with incredible service and food at the place directly next door called Local 92. I suggest you do the same. Sorry to be so Frank. read more

I am giving this place one star on the basis of one thing: THIS IS THE RUDEST SERVICE I'VE EVER RECEIVED. Now, caveat: the food is fantastic. Really. Better than I expected. But the service completely ruined the experience and embarrassed me in front of 8 friends, and for that I will never returned. I turned 30 yesterday (send cards and cupcakes, please) and I had been wanting to go here for a while, and as me and most of my friends are broke, it's fantastic prices were a lure. So I booked a table for me and 8 friends. Over the course of the ensuing week, I had to make a change to the reservation and they were wonderfully accommodating. They called me the day before to confirm and were very nice. I made a second confirmation the day of just to be extra sure, since as a former server, I know a party of 9 can be a challenge. They were great. I even went so far as to make SURE we would be on time by telling my friends that the reservation was actually 15 minutes earlier than it was. I went out of my way to make this go smoothly. On my way to the restaurant from the Upper West Side, I ran into a snag--a very late, then creeping B train. It was so slow, I decided to get off at Columbus Cir. and take a taxi. Then I got caught in traffic behind a car accident on 2nd Ave. Since it looked like I might be five minutes late, I called to alert the restaurant. They could not have been ruder about it if they tried. The host on the phone was openly antagonizing me. "*Heavy exasperated sigh, then sarcastically* Yeah, I'll do the best I can." You could hear him rolling his eyes. I said, "So we're all set then?" And he said, "I just told you I'd do the best I can." A bit shocked at his rudeness, I sort of stammered, "Um...oh...okay..." "What would you like me to tell you? Should I make something else up?" He actually said that to me. He made just a giant deal out of me possibly being five minutes late and openly told me that he probably wouldn't hold the table, and seemed extremely aggravated. He even demanded to know WHY there was so much traffic holding me up. Of course my answer, "There's a car accident on 2nd Ave" was totally unacceptable to him. Now get this. I arrived on time ON THE DOT, and all of my friends were already there waiting, and after alllll that, THE TABLE WASN'T EVEN READY. Then we sat down, and frankly, our server was a jerk. Just a jerk. He clearly did not want to be there, clearly did not want to wait on us, was not friendly, or nice, didn't say hello, just flung some greasy menus at us and was gone. We had planned to do the whole nine--bottles of wine, apps, entrees, dessert and coffee. He was so put out, and we were so aggravated by the way everyone treated us, that we all just had a quick glass of wine and an entree and got the hell out there. So, frankly Frank, I won't be back. You ruined my 30th birthday and embarrassed me in front of my friends. I would have had a better experience at f'ing Olive Garden. At least their forcibly nice to you, even if their food is disgusting. Thanks for nothing, Frank. read more

I decided to have lunch at Frank recently based on a friend's recommendation. I found it a little confusing to find, since I never saw a sign that actually says Frank out front. Using the street address, I honed in on the building and proceeded to enter through a house door (doorknob and all). I asked if they were Frank and whether or not they were open for lunch (the place was entirely empty). I was told that indeed they were open, and I was led around to the other half of the restaurant where they had an intimate seating area with a handful of tables. The place is actually very charming and colorful. Indeed, my tabletop was blue and had designs of strawberries on it. The floors were dark wood, and the walls were all nicely decorated. I could have been sitting in the parlor room of someone's home if it were not for the view of the street from the prominent window before me. The menu included a number of Italian specialties and even some Italian regional specialties (!) and was supplemented by a chalkboard behind me above the open kitchen detailing the added specials of the day. I opted for the Frutti di Mare with black linguine. Prices were not listed on the board, but this rang in at $19.95. The portion size was generous and the fruits of the sea included fish, mussels, and calamari all of which was served with a red sauce over a bed of linguine and bedecked with fresh parsley. The dish was decent, but I wasn't taken with it. I really thought the flavors could have been cleaner. I mean, I really loved the black linguine, but the fish seemed like it was leftover, not being very fresh. Also, I never really got a taste of the ocean in the noodles, and the marinara could have been more nuanced. I was really expecting more at that price point. Indeed, for only $4 more I could have had an amazing version of this dish at Esca with a more refined ambiance to boot. Overall, I was very pleased to see a charming restaurant in East Village serving up real Italian food replete with real Italian patrons speaking Italian. With careful selection of dishes and choosing to go here for dinner rather than lunch, I think this place could be a real hit. But based on what I had, 3.5 stars. read more

Frank - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

One of my favorite little places in the east village. I have been coming to Frank for close to a decade, and although it can get crowded at times, and its a really small space - for some reason that only adds to the charm. When I bring out of town guests here, I always get a chuckle when they are shocked by how close the tables are together or how loud the music is (often hip hop, reggae, or some other cool music) Then the food - just solid all around. Get the RIgatoni al Ragu, or the daily pasta special. They also have a special for each night of the week, which never disappoints. The garlic bread is something out of this world. For real, it's like they sprinkled crack on it, its that good. Honestly its worth the trip just for the garlic bread, Someone took serious time to curate the wine list- many really great, yet inexpensive options, and the staff (although tattooed and too cool for school) is all to happy to help you make a selection. Go early or really late - I would avoid prime time on weekends, and even most weeknights, as they do not take reservations and this place is still wildly popular. read more

there once was a little bunny... it hop hop hopped all the way into my plate, and I ATE IT!!!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHHAHH!!! I also spilled good wine on the table and generally made a compete ass of myself on a first date with what seems to be a very worthy gentelman. Fuck. The restaurant: teeny weeny, well decorated, good music, attentive wait staff on a busy saturday night, and a good variety of people. We first sat next to a family, and then later (during our long camp out) next to a guy with animals on his T-shirt.. you know, like elephants or wild horses and the shirt is usually all gray or green?.... whatever. It was my first time trying rabbit meat (although my mom claims it was my second time,but I think I may have been tricked the first time..), so I was very excited and expecting something really smelly or gamy, but to my surprise it was very tender and almost sweet. weird right? so whats the moral boys and girls? Hide your bunnies... I'M COMING FOR THEM! read more

Been a fan of Frank & it's siblings Supper & Lil Frankies for years. This spot is perfect as it's just off the F line, so it's a quick jaunt into the city for me. I arrived at the perfect hour of 7:30. Knowing New Yorkers preference for 8:30 dinnertime, I knew I'd snag a spot easily. So I sidled up to the bar waiting for my date. Turns out she used Apple maps to find the address. And wouldn't you know it but Apple thinks that 88 2nd ave New York NY 10003 is at 58th street! Try it and see for yourself. BIzarre as it sounds, that's where she was while I was sitting at the bar. :( I explained to her what to do, and then got off the phone. The bartender was quick to bring me a glass of montepulcciano, which settled my nerves, while the resto filled up. I also ordered the insanely delicious fennel salad which has just a touch of parmesan on top. MMMMMMM Slowly but surely the bar cum waiting area started to fill up. This is a tiny restaurant that seems to fill past capacity that even seems possible. Wall-to-wall people. And it's no wonder why, the food is very homemade and reasonably priced too. It's now 8pm and my date is still on her way, sharing location via imessages, I'm watching her walk down second ave. :) I'm nibbling on the delicious bread they offer, which keeps my hunger pains at bay. Oil for dipping, is a delicious touch right about now. 8:20 and finally my date arrives. By this point a gaggle of four women are dominating the corner of the bar where I'm desperately holding onto an extra chair. I make room for the lovely lady and we chit chat about how crazy apple maps is! She's smiling I'm smiling, ok alls good! She asks about mushrooms and the bartender suggests a special, tagliatelli, which is mushrooms over pasta with a white creamy cheesy sauce. She lights up at that idea, and I order the penne with tomato basil. I'm a bit full already from the salad & bread. Shortly thereafter our food arrives, and she is absolutely delighted by the mushroom feast before her. I've had the penne & knew it would be perfect, and yes it was. Meanwhile the volume turns up a notch, with one guy already 3 sheets to the wind, shouting nonsense at the end of the bar. I don't know how he will make it past 9pm tonight! Despite technological difficulties, the night turned out to be a good one thanks to the delicious food and superb service at Frank. Go here any day & be delighted. Word of warning, if you don't like loud restaurants, especially very crowded ones, steer clear. Remember though its popular for a reason! read more

When I drop $12.95 + tax on an Italian hero, I expect to be full when I'm done. Here, they underfill the bread for their Sausage & Polpette Hero (baby meatballs and Carmella's slow cooked 'gravy'.), which is tasty, but I wish they'd just give enough meat to cover the bread rather than include some measly side salad with some vinaigrette. read more

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Awesome! Make sure you look at the special board and try as many things as possible. We went here on a Thursday around 6:45pm. (Yes we were hitting the blue hair special...especially by NYC standards.) While the menu looked good, we started at the Special Board and stayed there for most of our meal. Pear and Gorgonzola = heaven Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad = So good I didn't want to share. The tomatoes were super red, huge and delicious. The Lasagna Bolognese = a bit greasy but so good. (Definitely enough to share.) Vanilla Panna Cotta = someone forgot the vanilla I think b/c it was a little bland. But the texture was awesome. All of this and a bottle of wine for $100. Not bad for New York. Very cool shabby French chic decor. The staff was dressed like they were ready to be back up dancers for a Jay-Z video. Which was kind of a disconnect from the vibe of the place but good for them. I mean what do I care how my server dresses?! Did you get me food and wine in a timely manner? Yes, then you are okay in my book. Would definitely go back again. Mangia baby! A few things to remember: No reservations. (Check about large parties b/c I swore I saw a sign that they will do it before 8pm.) Cash only. Long wait unless you get there before 6:30pm. There is a wine bar next door where you can wait but it is small too. Only about 22 seats in the whole restaurant. read more

The darkest place is under the candlestick, they say. The restaurant was right under my nose but I circled around the block forever for this restaurant. Somehow I had the hardest time locating the entrance. And it was freezing outside. Decorated with big tables and chalkboards (laid back, family style), the bar selection definitely did not disappoint. The bartender was quite helpful, attentive and willing to make a whisky drink upon my special request... thank goodness for alcohol after a hard day at work. Reservation was quite difficult to make--min. of 8 people or no reservation can be made. With 7 people attending, my friend manage to squeeze in a reservation at 7pm although they stressed that everyone needed to be on time or our table was up for grabs. I wasn't a fan of NY pretentiousness (rolling my eyes). And of course, our table wasn't ready by 7pm (another rolling of my eyes and a huge grunt of annoyance). But I wasn't going to fret over that--I was too distracted by their wine selection. We were seated at a huge communal table, right next to another party. I guess the huge, wooden, communal table was the cherry on top for the homey, Italian ambience, but I was not (and still not) a fan of sharing a table... whether it's a size of Hawaii or Alaska. Never. It's awkward. But it was too dim to truly notice the uncomfortable proximity between the two parties. I had one of their specials--black squid noodle (that wasn't the title of the dish but it's basically the overarching theme). Delicious. Overly priced for a dish of pasta, but it was special enough to overlook the price. Everyone else got Rigatoni Bolognese--perfectly cooked al dente pasta drenched in a delicious sauce with perfectly seasoned meatballs. Just another great Italian meal in NYC. It made me miss Pistici (another Italian gem in Morningside Heights). Short and to the point: good company, good food & wine, a friendly bartender, and a quirky waiter straight out of The Great Gatsby era. read more

Small Italian restaurant with outdoor seating and surprisingly good food. Everything was cooked to perfection and was nicely portioned. I ordered skirt steak which came with a simple but nice sized salad. The steak was so juicy and tender, I could've easily gone for seconds. They had a decent selection of wine and a lot of dinner options to choose from. I say go for the daily specials, they'll knock you right off your feet. read more

Frank - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

A tourist trap disguised as a neighborhood joint, Frank disappoints in more ways than one. To start with, we had pappardelle ai funghi, which would have been just barely edible had they not completely over-boiled the pasta. The sauce was bland and tasteless with the texture of partially digested baby spew. I'm sorry but if a self-proclaimed "italian" restaurant can't cook a simple bowl of pasta right, it's time to call it quits. For the main course, we ordered the Tagliata Toscana and the Osso Buco. The Tagliata Toscana amounts to a bastardized version of a marinated skirt steak that was so tough it was impossible to eat. Its "marinade" was some cheap balsamic vinegar in which they doused the meat after they grilled it, so it was both bitter and sour at the same time. The Osso Buco, on the other hand, was not veal but pork: a weird choice given how fatty and undercooked the pork was. Served on top of bland, soupy risotto, it made my dinner partner sick after the second bite. Now the worst part: all of the above were part of their "special menu items" for the night. In fact, their specials rarely (if ever) change: they've had them for years. Why call them "specials" you ask? Well, herein lies Frank's dirty little secret: by calling some of the items on the menu "specials," they don't need to include them in their regularly priced menu and hence don't tell you how much they cost (unless you ask, which would be rather gauche and they know it). Of course, we assumed that since everything in the menu is between $13 and $18, the same price range would apply to their specials. It does not: our dinner for two came to $75 - without alcohol, desert, or tip. We even split our appetizer. The average price of their "specials" ended up being almost double their regularly priced items. Had the food been good, we wouldn't have cared. But to pay $75 for quality that is hardly any better than the Olive Garden (or what I'd imagine the Olive Garden to be like) - that's downright criminal. If you want cheap but really good Italian food, suck it up and go to Bianca a few blocks away. There is a reason why they always have a 30-minute wait. read more