FOOD: Lil' Frankie's Pizzeria [NYC]

 [Photo from Backpacking Bex]

Lil Frankie's is one of those places I've heard about and knew where it was in a general sense, but walking past it the other day brought it to the forefront of my mind and immediately on top of my list of places to check out.

Before I even get into the food, I'm going to mention the ambiance.  It's very dark--I feel old say this but I almost found it too dark--but it is the perfect place for a cozy winter dinner.  But in the summer I'm already excited to sit in their outdoor patio area.  This is absolutely the kind of place for a date night or dinner with parents--anyone you'd like to impress.  The vibe here is casual yet sophisticated and really looks like you know what you're talking about as far as good Italian food in Manhattan.

I'm normally not one for pasta dishes, which I'm sure comes as a surprise to hear.  But I would certainly consider myself somewhat of a pizza connoisseur.  For this particular meal I chose to get both (to share with my friend!).

We split the mushroom pizza and the only word that comes to mind is cheese.  The mushrooms were fine, but the buffalo mozzarella really made this pizza stand out in my mind.  In another word: incredible.

The meatball rigatoni was equally amazing, which is saying a lot considering pasta is not my favorite dish.  The meatballs, pasta, and sauce was just perfect.

I was also pleasantly surprised that at 8pm on a Thursday night we just walked right in and sat down.  I figured it would be kind of like Frank, their sister restaurant (that place can be so busy!) but while Lil Frankie's was busy, it wasn't terribly so.  And you have the added option for pizza here!

Lil Frankie's
19 First Ave
New York, NY