Foodies and die-hard New Yorkers love to get into verbal scuffles over which of the city’s old-school Italian restaurants came first, stay faithful to the cuisine, are truly authentic, and so on. But one point is not in dispute: Patsy’s on 56th, the family-owned and -operated Italian restaurant open since it was founded in 1944 by Pasquale “Patsy” Scognamillo, was a favorite late-night drop-in of one of New York’s most beloved sons, Frank Sinatra (the man had to eat -- even if, as alleged by Kitty Kelley's very unauthorized biography, it involved scrambled eggs served on a call girl's chest).
On Friday, December 10, in what's become an annual tradition, Chef Sal Scognamillo and crew will be serving Patsy's annual Sinatra birthday tribute menu (the Chairman of the Board would have been 95 this Sunday, December 12).
Danny Aiello and crooner Steve Tyrell will be there, forks in hand, for a meal of Frank’s favorite dishes: Frank’s Clams Posillipo – involving littlenecks with garlic, tomatoes, basil, and more garlic -- Frank’s Veal Milanese, Frank’s Fusilli with Fileto di Pomodoro, and a ricotta torte that was among his favored desserts. $75 plus tax and tip gets you the above, a glass of wine, and the feeling of being connected – across time and tomato sauce – to one of the greatest entertainers New York’s ever birthed. Even if he was actually from New Jersey (potato, potahto).
Frank Sinatra Birthday Tribute, Friday, December 10, 1PM at Patsy's, 236 West 56th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. $75 pp. Reservations at 212-247-3491.
What I'm listening to: Avalon – Sigur Ros
