Frank

Tightly packed small restaurant that is so dimly lit in some areas that one would be hardpressed to be able to clearly see the food. The bar at the front of the restaurant has stools and some small tables. In the back is a communal dining table. In the other section of the restaurant, the kitchen is in the back and a part of the dining area that has as many small tables and chairs packed in as possible. Atmosphere is cozy and casual.

Overall:
Food:
Ambiance:
Service:

Feeling Frank [added by editor] 6 / 10

Frank feels hip, the customers look young and cool, people are smoking away, and everyone looks decent in the generous and dark lighting. Apart from this somewhat generic description of many East Village, New York restaurants, what set it aside for me was that the casualness, and consequent sloppiness that made me concerned about my upcoming meal. Waiting at the bar for my dining companion, I watched the bartender prepare a cold salad dish from bar menu. He placed the plate ready for service. I couldn't recognize something red on the plate but simply thought the lack of lighting made things look strange. The waiter came to pick the plate up and paused for a moment staring at the plate. He asked the waiter if the red stuff on the plate was salami. The bartender said it was. The waiter said "You can't serve it like that", after which he tossed aside what was shredded slivers and chunks of salami and proceeded to cut clean slices of salami for the dish. The bartender couldn't care less. Therefore causing me to worry about what might be going on in the kitchen. Happily the food was very good. My buffalo mozzarella salad was fresh, with deep red and flavorful tomatoes, fresh basil and sharp cheese. Buffalo mozzarella, since it is imported from Italy, often tastes bland because it is supposed to be consumed the day it is made and imported mozzarella is more than a day old. So this mozzarella, helped with a little balsamic vinegar, had the sour flavor it is supposed to. The homemade ravioli of the day, butternut squash in a sage and butter sauce was delicious, but on the heavy side. I still ate the whole thing. I think it could have been made a little lighter and still had the same potency. And the tiramisu was good, if one scraped off the overly generous layer of cocoa powder on the top. The wine list is extensive and offers many reasonably priced wines by the glass and bottle. Most offerings are Italian but French is also an option. I thought the service might be too cool and nonchalant but I was pleasantly surprised to find I was wrong. The service was friendly and informative. When lags in service were spotted, they were quickly corrected. Since reservations are not accepted, the wait may be long at busy times, but starting with a drink or a snack at the bar makes the wait pass quickly and pleasantly.

Frank
88 Second Avenue
New York, NY
(212) 420-0202

NYC Restaurants

East Village

Italian

Frank