Frankies 457 Spuntino

"You have to actually visit Cobble Hill staple Frankies 457 in order to try its best dishes, like the cavatelli that’s paired with hot sausage, sage, and brown butter. But you can get the absolutely luscious, spiced olive oil they often drizzle on the pies at their pizza place next door. It’s a very delicious consolation prize."

"The cavatelli with hot sausage at this Carroll Gardens institution is one of our favorite plates of pasta in NYC. Eat it at a table in the back garden, and you’re guaranteed an enjoyable night out." - team infatuation

"There’s a lot of Italian food in Carroll Gardens, and our favorite restaurant for it is Frankies 457. Everything here tastes homemade, it’s simple and reasonably priced, and you might lie awake some nights thinking about the sausage in their orecchiette. The brick-walled space is charming, and there’s a great backyard. Feel free to bring your kids, your parents, or a date—everyone will like it here. " - neha talreja, bryan kim, willa moore, carina finn koeppicus

"We’re huge fans of the Franks. Not just because they have sweet beards and excellent taste in classic rock, but because they were the gateway drug that helped us open our eyes and discover all that Brooklyn had to offer. I distinctly remember my first meal at Frankies 457 in Carroll Gardens back in the day. It was an eye opening experience. That was the moment I realized that there is more to Brooklyn dining than Peter Luger, and that living in some parts of Brooklyn didn’t mean moving in with the Hasidim. But thankfully, I don’t need to move to Brooklyn. The Franks are moving Brooklyn to me. Although it’s not as cozy as 457, Frankies 570 is a huge pickup for the West Village. We’ve been a couple of times now, and are happy to report that the food quality hasn’t slipped a bit. The prices still reflect Brooklyn, and the menu is still stacked with all your Frankies family favorites. But 570 has got nothing on its predecessors. That’s how it seems to go when great restaurants reproduce - the offspring don’t retain the charm and authenticity of the original. While this isn’t a must visit, Frankies 570 is a reliable option that will be consistently packed with carb seeking humanity who might just appreciate the fact that Grateful Dead’s American Beauty is playing in full. Antipasta Two cured meats, two cheeses, some veggies, and some olives. Done deal.Crostini Definitely order a couple to share. Last time through we thoroughly enjoyed both the ricotta and aged provolone, and the sicilian white anchovy.Sweet Potato & Sage Ravioli in Parmesan Broth A fantastic light ravioli, this is the perfect mix of sweet and savory. A fan favorite for sure.Sandwiches Served on a warm panini, our go-to’s are: Mozzarella, Tomato & Red Peppers, Roast Beef with Pepperoncini & Red Onion and, of course, the Meatball Parmigiana. Don’t order this as your main course, but definitely get one to share as a starter. Food Rundown Fennel, Celery Root & Parsley with Sliced Red Onion, Lemon & Pecorino A citrusy fennel salad that benefits from the celery root. Really nice. Meatballs A must order. Frankie’s big, juicy balls are incredible. Stop playing with them and put them in your mouth already. No, but seriously. You can’t go wrong here. Frankies’ Greens with Cipollini Onion Cider Vinaigrette We’ve hit the salads pretty hard at Frankies, and this one is amazing, mostly because of it’s simplicity and that sweet cider vinaigrette. House-Made Cavatelli with Faccio’s Hot Sausage & Browned Sage Butter A Frankies classic, and the best dish on the menu. It’s so simple, yet so ridiculously good. Sweet Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper & Onions Over Creamy Polenta On paper, this looked incredible, but we were actually quite underwhelmed with this dish. The polenta was good, but the rest of it almost felt like a big sloppy plate of shepherd’s pie. Not exactly what we were expecting. Get a side of polenta instead and order something else." - Andrew Steinthal

"Known to most simply as Frankies 457, this is the flagship restaurant from “The Franks” who (see it coming?) happen to be two guys named Frank. The Franks are also the proprietors of Prime Meats, and 457′s West Village clone, Frankies 570. Maybe you’ve heard of them. If you don’t know them by name, you certainly know them by their work, most notably for creating what we now know as “Brooklyn.” Frankies 457 was the first restaurant of its kind in this part of New York City, and what followed was a million copies of casual restaurants staffed by dudes that wear vests from Bed-Stuy to Paris. You’re welcome, France. Enjoy the the mustaches. Not that you need us to remind you, but Frankies 457 is still a fantastic restaurant if you can manage to get a table. It’s a tiny, cozy joint with simple Italian cooking, and the food is consistently excellent. That’s saying a lot, considering they’ve been doing this for over a decade. Also adding to the awesome is a very reasonably priced wine selection and playlists that are heavy on The Stones and Zeppelin. It’s a nice place to linger, especially in the summer when the back garden is open. Downside? Tough to linger when you can’t get a table. Waits can push well past an hour during prime time, sometimes close to two. Every once in a while you’ll get lucky and sit sooner than you expect, but there isn’t a ton of bar real estate, so you’re just going to have to be OK taking a bit of a gamble. The bummer of it all is that without those unpredictable waits, this restaurant would be an absolutely ideal date spot. Did you both have “unimaginable patience” listed as a quality on your Match.com profile? Welcome to the best night of your life. Food Rundown Fennel, Celery Root & Parsley with Sliced Red Onion, Lemon & Pecorino A citrusy fennel salad that benefits from the celery root. Really nice. Meatballs The Frankies didn’t invent meatballs, but they did figure out how to make them taste pretty good. These are mandatory. House-Made Cavatelli with Faiccos 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. Frankies’ Greens with Cipollini Onion Cider Vinaigrette We’ve hit the salads pretty hard at Frankies and this one is amazing, really because of it’s simplicity and that sweet and acidic vinaigrette. House-Made Pappardelle with Braised Lamb, Tomato, Tarragon & Frankies Olive Oil A tasty home made pasta with hearty lamb and herbs. This is a wintertime dish if I’ve ever seen one, but it’s somehow not as heavy as you might expect. Sweet Potato & Sage Ravioli in Parmesan Broth A fantastic light and airy ravioli, this is the perfect mix of sweet and savory. A fan favorite for sure. Giant Pork Shank Special Yes, I made that name up. This was a special last time I was here, and though I don’t know what the name of it is, you just need to know what to listen for and then order it. Remember that movie Encino Man? Yea, well this looks like something Link would have eaten before Pauly Shore defrosted him in 1992 California. So good, and so meaty." - Chris Stang