05.13.08
Review of Frank, Tuesday April 2008
88 2nd & 5th/6th St., 212-420-0202
Great for: pasta, observing other parties
The place is confusing to find, because it says “Vera” over the door instead of “Frank” as you’d expect. It’s cute though. I wasn’t as impressed with how absolutely rammed the place was, but I suppose that’s a good thing for them. We waited about 20 minutes for a table.
We ended up ordering exclusively from the specials board. The antipasto Italiano, consisting of prosciutto, a bit of salami, arugula and vinaigrette was very good. They were surprisingly generous with the prosciutto.
I liked my risotto milanese more than its accompanying osso buco, which was only ok – too fatty. The risotto was creamy, cheesy and delicious, though after working my way through half of it I was stuffed and had to stop. The Boyfriend’s whole wheat spaghetti with shrimp was spicy goodness.
It’s a little place with two narrow dining rooms, which goes a long way towards explaining the erratic though friendly service. We were sitting next to a really loud party of Japanese girls celebrating a birthday – their high-pitched, screechy laughter was just lovely. I don’t think I’ll be back. The pasta was good, but not enough to outweigh the cramped noisiness.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $65
Noise level: deafening
Chance of walking in: low.
