We’re preparing our biggest birthday celebration of the year for Frank Sinatra, who would have turned 100 this December 12th. Did you know that Frank’s gauge for judging an Italian restaurant was to sample its marinara sauce? So what was his favorite Italian restaurant? That honor goes to Patsy’s, located near Carnegie Hall in New York City, owned by the Scognamillo family since 1944. Frank had his own table upstairs and visited in good times and in bad. There is a story that during one particularly bad year when his career seemed to be going downhill and Ava Gardner had recently divorced him, he went to Patsy’s and asked to make a reservation for the next day, Thanksgiving. The restaurant was supposed to be closed that day, but witnessing Sinatra’s sadness, the Scognamillo family asked all of their employees to come in to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for their famous patron. The employees were not very happy, but their boss told them they could bring their families in to enjoy the meal, as well. Frank may have wondered why the restaurant was relatively empty on such a holiday, but he didn’t find out what the Scognamillos had done for him until several years later. That sealed the relationship between Old Blue Eyes and Patsy’s.
Appetizer
Mozzarella en Carozza
golden-fried mozzarella with marinara sauce
Sinatra Salad
our house salad with romaine lettuce and antipasto meats,
served with parmesan vinaigrette
Entrée – A sampler plate with three of Frank’s favorites
Veal Milanese
Frank’s most frequently ordered item at Patsy’s,
made with bread crumbs seasoned with parmesan cheese*
Mama Sinatra’s Eggplant Parmigiana
thin slices of eggplant, breaded,
sautéed and layered in red sauce and parmesan cheese
Steak Tortellacci
with butter and cheese
Dessert
A family-style platter of pastries and cookies for your table
The cost will be $37.50 per person for this special occasion menu. If you are interested in this Sinatra menu, we request that your entire table enjoy it together. *for those who would prefer, we will offer Chicken Milanese as an alternative