Frank - A Place to eat

Frank is my new lover. He tastes good. He smells good. He looks good. Dinner's on him and I can see other people.

Frank is not a man, he's a restaurant in the east village where i ate somewhere around day 16.

Mel said it sounded like an interesting idea and he was doing his good deed. The bartender made a joke about how i could try his knucklesandwich. I asked for water and he gave me a San Pellegrino.

The other bartender's name was Ryder and i thought to myself your girlfriend must love that name.

I left my info and went back on a saturday night. As usual, it was very busy. It is a very popular place. My bartender - waiter's name was Christian and after the good deed comment, I thought Mel said, He is a christian. Christian was tall and handsome and very aloof. I don't think I was his type. Aloofness can be a bit of an aphrodisiac, so you use sparingly. If i can land a boyfriend in this town, it is going to be a veritable coup. Looking around Frank, i noticed the entire staff was in fact cute men. This was going to be fun. Mel (Frank) uttered the words that a girl loves to hear: Order whatever you want.

Lettuce feed you a great ceasar -

My decision was quick. One look at the hand made ravioli on the menu and i made my decision. As a starter, i ordered the black kale ceaser salad. I had no clue what kale was but later discovered reading a New York Times article that kale is a type of lettuce (some of which farmed organically by former addicts upstate as part of a project called Renewal project). I loved the ceasar; it's all about the dressing and fresh croutons and lettuce and they know how to do it.

Ravioli with me -

The ravioli's filling and sauce change daily. On my day, it was potato and I have to check this - Pocini? it's a cheese but i think i have the name wrong - made with sage and parmesan. Incredible.

Lucia, the busser, dropped off exquisite bread served with oil and olives. At this point, I'm thinking, this place is magnificent. Loud but magnificent. Get ready for a very talky crowd and some loud (but good) music.

I asked Christian for a glass of chardonnay and he poured me Charmy.

For dessert, i ordered the chocolate cake. It was served warm with fruit and whipped cream. Rich and lovely.

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I came back another day to ask Mel about Frank and he said Frank was opened by Frank 11 years ago. It's about family. Most of the recipes were passed down from his mother and grandmother and he twesks them. After a while, people know each other; everybody who's everybody comes in here. It's an east village eatery. The photos on the wall are of his family. Some of the furniture in the restauant belonged to his grandmother.
"Are you a tatoo artist?" i asked Mel. He was covered in tattoos from head to toe.
"No." He replied.
"I think you were a tattoo artist in a past life," i said.
"I'm a family man; I'm raising a kid." ...

Everything is market fresh and the specials change daily.

Unfamiliar names like Branzino come up on the menu and I ask Mel what the dish is.
"It's fish with tomato sauce, onions, tomatoes.."

"What dish do you like at Frank»'s?"
"I like the ragu."
"I really liked the ravioli," i comment.
"It's different all the time..sometimes it's with meat or vegetables...today it is with spinach and ricotta... the one with butternut squash is good," Mel said.

Before Frank, there was a candy store. He bought it and opened a bar - Vera's bar -and later extended it and opened the full bar and restaurant that is now Frank's. A few dishes are named after family: rigatoni al ragu - grandma Carmella's tomato and meat gravy. Uncle Tony's Gnocchi.

"We have regulars from day 1 and they know everyone who works here." Mel said.

--
I talk to Christian, my waiter - bartender.

"I live in Brooklyn but i may move to Chinatown, for all the single ladies out there... just joking," he says with a smile.

"What do you outside of Frank's?" i ask.

"I'm a photographer and photo assistant," he says.

"What type of photography?"

"I do mainly portraits." He says.

He says of Frank's, "it's a mixing pot, get all types from wall street to artists."


Frank
88 second avenue, between 5th and 6th street.
212-420-0106
212-420-1232
www.frankrestaurant.com
Open everyday except Christmas.
delivery: 10$ minimum