lil room, lots of time, lil frankie’s

the goal was to find a spot where 6 or 7 (somewhat finicky) eaters could enjoy a reasonably priced, unpretentious meal, while we debate (trash talk) our oscar pool selections.

lil’ frankie’s on 1st and 1st fit the bill. their $15.95 prix fixe menu, includes a cocktail and coffee/tea/juice and a fairly extensive list of  sandwiches (basics like grilled cheese, a blt, or a bacon-egg-cheese, with italiante flourishes, like fontina cheese and cibatta bread),  salads (pear and gorgonzola–very tempting), eggs (baked or fried or poached or “omeletted”)  and for those with a more dominant sweet tooth: pancakes and french toast and tartines with peanut butter and jelly and banana or…nutella and strawberries.

i was in the mood for lil’ meatballs, so it was an easy choice for me (though i did spend the two days prior thinking about it. because that’s just what i like to do. menu gaze…).

lil’ frankie’s is actually spacious, but our table for 6 was way too cozy. an attentive waitstaff would have noticed and would have at least asked if the setup was suitable, especially since there was no one else in the place and it didn’t seem it would take much to seat us elsewhere, or bring over another table for two. my dining companions didn’t seem to mind the inconvenience enough to complain, but it was not a good way to start things off.

the service was, objectively, slow to arrive, but it was balanced out by the amount of time they allowed us to linger over our meal. so i would call it a “draw.”

polpettine and eggs: the meatballs are the cutest i’ve ever seen. it’s like they’re made with elfin magic.

the gravy/sauce had nicely balanced acidity and a kiss of sweetness.

the simple description of this dish inspired dreams: i imagined, with a prick of the fork, the  yolk of gently baked eggs spreading like lava all over the ragu, and my emergency crew (that nice piece of cibatta) could get to the work of cleaning it all up. sadly, the eggs were overdone.

but it wasn’t enough to dissuade me from another visit, and my friends and i departed thinking we’d found for our “oscar club” il ristorante perfetto.

“vederla l’anno prossimo…”

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lil’ frankie’s, at 19 first avenue, is a cash only establishment.

have a look at their menus, which are updated with daily specials. i’ve enjoyed their pasta, but i’ve not yet had their neapolitan pies, so if you go (or have been) feel free to send along your thoughts or recommendations….