FRANKIES SPUNTINO: Fresh and simple lunch

July 11, 2012 ChubbyChineseGirl

Dear Food Diary:
A while back at the Frieze Art Fair, I made sure we snatched a reservation for Frankies Spuntino. Amongst the brightly lit pavilion filled with art work from galleries all over the world, we also got to stimulate our senses during meal time. A fresh and simple lunch by the window. Nice and relaxing.

The items were right off the menu of their Manhattan and Brooklyn locations. Perfectly light for a hot summer day.

Fresh lemonade made my day bright and sunny, it also opened up my appetite.

CROSTINI – CREMINI MUSHROOM & TRUFFLE
Oh so fragrant. Crusty with that juicy and meaty mushroom. And did I mention who fragrant this was? Great start.

ANTIPASTI – RADISHES WITH ANCHOVY DRESSING
The perfect crunch for a hot summer day. I’ve been obsessively trying to replicate at home, yep, it was that memorable. The mix has lemon juice, anchovy, parsley and a bit of garlic. So refreshing, I toss it with arugula and forgo the dressing altogether, delish. (Had it for dinner a couple nights last week, that good!).

GRILLED OCTOPUS
Looked great and the chimichurri like sauce was a good match, but it wasn’t as meaty as I would of hoped. A tad bit undercooked on the inside perhaps. Wasn’t totally bad but my least favorite dish of our meal.

HOMEMADE PASTA – CAVATELLI WITH FRAICCO’S HOT SAUSAGE & BROWNED SAGE BUTTER
Perfumed by sage, the intense flavors penetrated each piece of cavatelli. Al dente with a nice chew that stood up to the spicy sausages and that sinful browned butter coating. StalkerBoy and I shared the portion, which was just the right amount for me.

RED WINE PRUNES WITH MASCARPONE
Ohhh my… where have you been all this time!? The perfect rustic dessert in my book – Something fruity, something boozy and something creamy. Melt in your mouth mascarpone cheese (would eat it by the spoonful if given the chance), intensely deep rich flavors that play nicely with the tender sweet and tart prunes. Love it.

A neighborhood joint, serving up fresh and simple meals. Since their brooklyn location is further away, I’ll probably become at regular at their West Village location.

P.S. Chubby’s Rating:
(It would of been a 3.75 to be accurate, but I’m being generous since I loved the dessert)