"Frankies is over 20 years old, which means their olive oil is at your grocery store, their red sauce recipe is online (13 cloves of garlic), and someone you know has likely hosted a birthday or an engagement in the private room out back. A lot has changed since two guys named Frank decided to open a restaurant in Carroll Gardens in 2004. Lilia opened, and so did I Sodi—both Italian restaurants you’ve likely heard of more often, especially in terms of their tough tables. But Frankies has held its own all along, a no-brainer option for special occasion dinners that are a little more fun than fancy. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Frankies’ windows are fogged up every night, and there’s always someone on their third martini celebrating a birthday inside. The brick walls trap everything in, so you can hear the chatter of the family next to you as they eat meatballs studded with raisins and pine nuts, and rolling in that brilliant, 13-clove sauce. The sizzle of brown butter from an open kitchen provides a backing track, and the signature scent is fried sage. Both are elements of Frankies’ cult-famous cavatelli. People would probably start picketing out front if that pasta ever came off the menu. But just one bite of salad dressed in a bright, slightly sweet cipollini onion vinaigrette is all it really takes to become a lifelong Frankies convert. If you don't already know, go see what the fuss is about. Food Rundown Crostini Start with a few of these. They’re topped with things like olive oil-soaked Italian tuna, or kale with a smoky harissa aioli, and they’re shareable, if you’re determined to share. photo credit: Kate Previte Meatballs With Pine Nuts & Raisins The Frankies meatballs check all the boxes: they have that slightly dense, pizza parlor-meatball texture, but the raisins and pine nuts bring them to the next level. As does the thick red blanket of garlicky tomato sauce shimmering with olive oil—the good stuff. You can find the recipe for the meatballs, and you can find the recipe for the red sauce, but they’ll never taste as good as eating them straight from the source. photo credit: Kate Previte Frankies Greens with Cipollini Onion Vinaigrette Dressed in a tangy vinaigrette with just a hint of sweetness from the cipollini onions, this delightfully simple pile of greens is a necessary precursor to pasta. photo credit: Kate Previte Cavatelli with Hot Sausage & Browned Sage Butter Generally known as the dish that Frankies is known for. Little home made cavatelli pasta with a delicious spicy sausage. Put it on your table. photo credit: Kate Previte Pappardelle with Braised Lamb Ragu Having a bite of this after a bite of cavatelli is doing this pappardelle a disservice. After crispy sausage, soaked in brown butter, your tastebuds will be temporarily out of commission. Still it’s a nice, meatier dish if you want to share a few pastas. Just have some of that salad in between bites." - Willa Moore
