Frank

Sean Ludford

If you are most comfortable with white tablecloths, a six-month wait for a table, and an edamame foam atop of your amuse bouche then please stay away from Frank. You’ll only annoy the staff and the hungry regulars who have come for some honest cooking served in a setting void of pretensions.

Frank (not Franks – no need to make it plural or possessive) is simply my kind of place. Sure the tables are small, the chairs are not cushioned, the room is a bit cramped, and they only accept cash… That’s fine with me because if they “fixed” those issues I could never get a table in this restaurant. Frank is all about the food supported by a nice selection of primarily Italian wines sold at sensible prices, and service that may not be polished but it’s spot-on and fits the character of the establishment.

On my recent visit I ate my way through a lovely burrata (a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream), followed by a rustic Crostino Toscano (a slice of toasted Italian bread topped with liver pate). After the appetizers, we dug into two of the pasta specials - rich and meaty braised veal and pappardelle and a ravioli di zucca served in the classic butter sage sauce. Both pastas were made in-house and both were absolutely stunning proving that simplicity and complexity are not mutually exclusive descriptors.

After failing to clean the pasta bowls we declined to order a dessert opting instead to chose something from the clever grappa list. However the server took control and presented us with a homemade panna cotta topped with a chocolate sauce and fresh fruit. It was superb and despite being absolutely stuffed we made a serious dent in our complimentary dessert.

An added bonus is that Frank never Hoovers your wallet. The appetizers go for around $10 (although our burrata special was higher), the pastas sell for $11 to $16 and the mains are typically under $20. As mentioned, the wines are sold at sensible prices so the grand sum doesn’t cause an involuntary cringe.

Frank has never let me down so if you find yourself in New York’s East Village sans pretentious company give this Fave Spot a tumble.