Well ladies and gentlemen, much to my dismay, it’s Winter. Cold, bitter, miserable winter. I was discussing this with a few friends the other day, and I discovered that the only thing I like about Winter is food-related. Hot chocolate? Yes. Thanksgiving food? Yes. Carbo-loading? YES YES YES. That last one would be one of the many reasons I visited Frank’s restaurant in the East Village with Marisa and LG. I had heard a lot of good things about this place, and it felt like a good time to try a bowl of pasta and wash it down with a glass of red. Also, I’d like to point out that the name of the restaurant is FRANK, not FRANKS. But for writing purposes, Frank just sounds weird so I’m going to call it Franks. Welcome to the beauty of blogging! #editorsbedamned.
Franks is one of those small, Old Italian restos in the village that crank out homemade pasta, a fruitful wine list, and only accept cash. Don’t you just love that? I charge coffee every day but can’t charge a meal. Whatever. It’s annoying, but the meal was worth it. Let’s get on with it.
Up until I visited Franks, I thought the only garlic bread/bread appetizer I would love would be Dominos cheesy bread (dont judge me). Now, my eyes have been opened and my senses have been ticked by the likes of the buttery, soft, and oh-so-garlicky bread from Franks. Marisa had the smarts to ask for bruschetta-style tomatoes on the side, so we spooned some of that on top and made our own little garlic bread bruschetta. Mmmm delicious. Get that padding good to go for Winter. Sorry no picture this was devoured too quickly.
Speaking of padding – what better way to increase insulation than to up your cholesterol with some cheese? Now, I might be alone out on this limb, but this was definitely not the best burrata I’ve ever had. It was good, but it didn’t have that creamy inner consistency I was looking for. You know when you break through the slightly harder exterior and the inside is creamy and even a little runny?? That’s how I like to see burrata. This one was too firm. We still devoured it but that doesn’t mean anything when you put the three of us in a restaurant together; pretty sure we would eat leather belts if it was perfumed with garlic and truffle oil.
Franks always has pasta specials, and that day they happened to have a chitarra pasta with veal ragu. Chitarra is Italian for guitar, so the pasta is supposed to be like guitar strings (when in reality its a cross between spaghetti and fettuccine). Either way, who cares. It was amazing. I can’t recommend this ragu enough! I also spoke to others who frequent this joint regularly and they say the veal ragu and assorted bolognese sauces are the way to go.
Marisa is a big fan of risotto, and Tuesday happens to be risotto night at Franks. All the stars were just aligning for us that night. The risotto was of the seafood variety, and it was tasty, but a bit too al dente for my taste. I know risotto to be creamy and rich, whereas this risotto seemed like it could have taken one or two more cupfuls of broth and a few more stirs around the pot.
There are some people who are weird and don’t like tomato sauce…LG would be one of these people. She’ll eat it on pizza, but not tossed around with pasta. I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. That said, it’s not all bad when we go out to eat, because at least I know I’ll be getting some variety. LG ordered the spaghetti with broccoli, garlic and olive oil; an old classic, and with good reason. Aside from the fact that my breath could have wilted daisies afterwards, this dish was perfect. If oil and garlic is your thing, then this is the pasta you want to get.
Thanks to three generous bowls of carbs, there was no room for dessert. Mildly upsetting, but not surprising. If you find yourself in the East Village (and with some cash on you), stop in to Franks for a glass of red (we recommend the Montepulciano) and one of the special pastas. So, so special…
Frank Restaurant
88 2nd Ave (at 5th Street)
212-420-0040
Website: Frank RestaurantÂ
