Frankies 570 Spuntino

very good kitchen.
friendly staff.
we will come back.

Went with my family a couple of months ago and we still talk about the grilled octopus. Definitely one of my neighborhood favorites.

Frankie's is definitely at the top of my list for good Italian food with a slightly updated flair.

The environment is large and quite noisy, but that's fairly typical these days and we didn't find the noise to be overwhelming as some places can be.

The food is quite good, but I want to make a point of mentioning the "cavatelli with hot sausage and browned sage butter", and also the "Sweet Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper & Onion Over Creamy Polenta". Both are outstanding. Others in my party have some of the vegetarian options on various occasions and have reported enjoying those.

Frankie's 570 is a solid 3 star establishment in my opinion. I realize there's a lot of rating inflation by some reviewers, so I should start off by saying that 3 stars is not necessarily a bad thing - it's A-OK. Nothing too special, but nothing bad.

They have a nice cocktail list and a good selection at the bar, and the bartender seemed friendly and somewhat attentive, albiet not super helpful. I ordered a prosecco which when it came out was completely flat - no bubbles even visible - and the bartender seemed a little miffed that I'd complain but replaced it without too much trouble. On the plus side, they're happy to transfer the bar tab to your table when it's ready, which it seems like a lot of establishments are unwilling or unable to do for some reason.

In terms of the food - I found the selection on the menu to be a little sparse, but found something I was looking for. But, if you're not in the mood for very traditional Italian, or are looking for something you can't get anywhere else, Frankie's might not be your place.

I ended up getting the special of the day, a homemade rigatoni with sausage ragu. That was pretty tasty, and the rigatoni was cooked nicely. That said, it wasn't "blow-me-away-this-is-the-best-damn-pasta-and-sauce-ive-ever-had-i-can-die-happy-now" tasty, but you know, for $16 in Manhattan, I guess I can't complain. My date ordered the gnocchi with marinara and ricotta and it was wholly uninteresting. The ghnocchi was allright and had a nice light pillowy texture, but the sauce was just... meh. Could have come from a jar.

Altogether, Frankie's 570 is a nice joint, good atmosphere, with good service, and good food, but it's not the kind of place that I'm dying to go back to again.

Very traditional Italian restaurant, although the portions are somehow small. The Crostinis are delightful. The waiting was excelente. As a former restaurant owner I would say this is an essencial requirement.