Pasta Flyer Supper Series

Most Italian meals we make from memory. Burned into our brains as kids between our grandmother and mother making dinner each night. The magic of Sundays and holidays always brought new dishes across our plates. When we do need help one of the books we reach for is The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual. It’s simple, classic and filled with stories. Just the way we like it. Now, the Franks have introduced a little of that childhood cooking feels back into our lives with their Frankies “Cook the Book” Club. Each month you get 3 dishes to feed 4-6 guests. Curated and pre-prepared by the Frankies team the accompanying instructions guarantee a perfect meal and a bolstered kitchen confidence. Think, Radish Salad with Parsley, and Red-Wine Braised Short Ribs with Rosemary & Fennel. You just need to do a little finishing. Just enough to make you feel accomplished. If you are a fan up plus ups, The two Franks provide a scratch for that itch too. A proper wine pairing or a bottle of Frankies’ Olive Oil is easy to include in your box. As a bonus, the club comes with 10% off all in-store purchases at the Frankies Pantry, their mini-alimentari. First access to events, collaborations, and new membership offerings, like their Provisions Box.

Ahh, yes. The red sawce joint.

If this is the first time you are hearing this term or discovering my map, I suggest you start HERE for some background and then return to this post.

There's nothing like sliding across that squeeky, fifty year old, red leather banquet as you temper your anticipation for the abundance when classic Italian-American dishes start hitting the table. The bubbling mozzerella on the veal parmagiana with wild spirals of spaghetti marina poking out from all sides. A spicy red curtain coating a bowl of uncle Vinnie's (or Joe or Sal or Paulie's) scungilli fra diavlo. Clams casino. Linguini vongole. Eggplant rollatini. Chicken saltimbocca. Nonna made tirimisu. The hits are all there. Too many, in fact, to make a decision. That's why you decided to bring a group. Part family, part friends, ALL FRAMLY. I've been feeling nostalgic lately, hence my TikTok, and learning more about how Italians migrated to America. This packs some very interesting, and some rarely told, stories. Many of these tales led me to an Italian restaurant story. This in turn sparked the idea to map the best of the classics, starting with New York and continuing across America.

The below map will evolve as I learn and catalog newly explored Italian-American neighborhoods. Take a peek and let us know any we missed.

Dinner, food science, your favorite chefs and helping kids. We should end this post right there. There won’t be a better sentence than that in the rest of this post. Despite that not even being a full sentence, we’ll fill you in a bit more. Jeff Salaway was one of the founders of Hayground school and he passed in 2001. His friends and family carried on his mission which is best summed up in the following quote. Jeff believed, “The growing, preparation and sharing of food is a primal human experience and the foundation of family and community.” Sounds a lot like what we’re always talking up. No wonder we were enamored by this event and the work the Hayground School is doing with kids. Although a seat at Hayground Chef’s Dinner is a steep one, it couldn’t benefit a more important cause. Teach a kid to fish Jesus once said. Or, was that Tom Colicchio? Either way, invaluable skills. Sunday, July 31st at 6pm in Southhold, New York.

CONTERNO VS. CONTERNO sounds more like a 1920’s boxing match in which two brothers face off in a makeshift ring above a Bensonhurst red sauce joint. It’s not, but it is the next best thing. Batali’s highly knowledgable and uber hospitable caporegimes take you on a tongue punch for tongue punch of masterly cared fro Nebbiolo grapes. The berry that makes world famous, highly discussed barolo. In 1961 brothers Aldo and Giovanni Conterno, sons of one of the best barolo makers, disagreed on their wine making philosophy. The feud that followed created two of the best wines on earth. At this 7-course dinner paired with the vintages, you get to ring the bell and call the winner. Monday, April 25th @ 5:30 to 11:15PM in NYC.