Frankies Spuntino is a unique Italian restaurant owned by chefs Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo. Frankies’ menu is a fresh approach to the lighter side of Italian cooking, including Italian cured meats, slab bacon and sausage from Faicco’s, cheeses, crostini, specialty thin-crusted sandwiches on Grandaisy bread, hand-made pastas, citrus-marinated olives, roasted meats and vegetables and fresh salads. The wine list includes focused selections from Italy and beyond. The service is friendly, and the menu items are delicious and easy on the portafoglio (wallet). Frankies is the perfect place to stop by for a tasty snack, a quick espresso, a glass of wine after work or an intimate dinner with friends. But mostly it’s a place where everyone feels welcome and knows they won’t leave hungry.
Frankies Spuntino opened its doors on September 13, 2004. The building at 457 Court Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn had been an Italian social club, and it was a classic “fixer-upper” when discovered by friends Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli in 2003. The Franks, both chefs and local residents, had a distinct vision for the property. They set out to create a comfortable dining space, serving seasonally-inspired Italian fare that they themselves would enjoy on a frequent basis.
Frank and Frank grew up together as friends and neighbors in Queens, New York. After losing touch for 18 years, they reunited by lucky coincidence in November 2003. Both were consulting in food and nutrition at the time, and after catching up, they decided to join forces. Together, they conceptualized Frankies—a unique restaurant that would embody the sum of their travels, food philosophies and experiences. They would offer deceptively simple fare—dishes prepared with the freshest possible ingredients and a high level of attention. Service would be attentive, but never pretentious. Wines would be food-friendly and a great value, so there would be no reason not to like the place.
Construction at 457 Court Street began in December, 2003. Frank and Frank worked with friends and future colleagues for ten months to complete most of the refurbishment themselves. Inside, a stripping of the blue painted walls revealed century old brickwork, and the crumbling tile floors were renovated with light hardwoods. A former multi-car garage became a garden of fragrant herbs and colorful flowers. Frankies Spuntino was founded on relationships that began before the restaurant was conceived and continue through the opening of a second property, Frankies 17 Clinton Street, in Manhattan's Lower East side.
Today, Frankies is just what Frank and Frank envisioned—a solid restaurant, likable down to the smallest detail.
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Rocko
