“I am half Sicilian, a quarter Pugliese, and a quarter Neapolitan,” says Frank Prisinzano, as soon as we sit down across from one another on an old metal dining table at Frank, the first restaurant of his East Village empire, that opened in 1998. Like many of the items in his charming restaurant, the table belonged to his grandmother, the person that taught him how to cook. It just so happened, that while he was opening the restaurant, they had to move out of the home where she had spent her entire life – to be able to take care of her – and Frank brought all of her things to decorate the space. “Nobody wanted her stuff. My grandmother never spent any money; she comes from the Depression era, so she would steal silverware from restaurants and put it in her bag – so it was a conglomeration of utensils from everywhere she’d ever eaten. The concept was pure like that: you ate her recipes on her plates.”
The restaurants feel like home and the staff is like family – with the first five people he’d ever hired still working there. A proud Italian identity and a strong sense of family has driven the success of the multi-talented chef and entrepreneur, with three popular restaurants in the neighborhood and a wide Instagram following, thanks to his no-nonsense, over-the-top personality. Rough around the edges, but with a generous heart, Frank opens up to us – over an abundant lunch of lunch pastina, pasta alla gricia and homemade gnocchi – about his viral fame, his unusual approach to cooking and his love for the neighborhood he calls home.
Homemade gnocchi at Supper
How did you get such a large following on Instagram?
“First of all, I am a photographer. I started my Instagram page 8 years ago as a notebook for all my travels through Italy; I wanted to remember all of it. It also became a promotional tool, but not in a promotional way. When you talk about what you love, your passion comes through. I am real. Many write to me saying, “You changed my life.” They tell me that they cook for their entire family now; that they tried recipes before and hated it. I teach them to cook how Italians cook – from the heart – the exact way I learned. I don’t have any recipe but I have my ‘methods.” I never give out measurements, and if they ask for it, I scold them! My character is an amplified version of myself – to make it fun. I give tough love to my followers. Like if someone adds garlic or black pepper to spaghetti limone, I would tell them to leave it alone! This is about the relationship of lemon, butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and pasta – that’s it, and it is perfect how it is. If you can understand how it is perfect the way it is, the quality of your life will increase, because you will look for the simple things that actually are the most profound.”
Spaghetti al Limone
Now that people recognize you, how do you handle your fame?
“I can’t walk into any restaurant without causing a commotion. 90% of the people that come here follow me. As soon as I come in, everyone knows who I am and it feels uncomfortable sometimes. When I dine with my family, I get five interruptions at dinner. But I always say ‘hi’ to everybody and I never turn anyone down for pictures.”
What made you choose to live and open your restaurants in the East Village?
“It has always been my favorite area. It was the center of the punk rock movement; it had so many great venues. I used to come here all the time to listen to bands like the Ramones, Patti Smith, Iron Maiden, and Ozzy. I just really loved the anti-establishment feel of it; it was cash only and the artists, producers and movie makers lived here. When I opened the restaurants, a lot of the scene was moving to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, but I still wanted to preserve the neighborhood. That’s why I opened the East Village radio station at Lil’ Frankie’s. We first put it in the space upstairs, and we expanded a year-and-a-half later, putting it in a storefront on the street. I liked the idea of a rock ‘n’ roll pizzeria. We play loud music; we never turn it down; a little spot was set up for kids. Everyone got it and it was immediately busy. Lil’ Frankie’s has been my busiest venue for the past 15 years.”
Lil' Frankie's
Do you describe yourself as a punk artist of Italian cuisine?
“That’s exactly who I am. I am like a punk rock musician doing Italian food in NYC. I am into jazz music now, though. I love improvisational music because I like to cook like that. I am flowing; it’s almost like I am playing music. That’s how it feels to me. I have a band with friends – my son plays the drums and we jam in my house; it’s completely improvised. My friend George, that plays guitar, starts with a riff and I sing whatever comes to my head. People don’t see me cook at my restaurant, but if I opened a new one, I would be behind the stove at the beginning – that’s how I set everything up. I do the menu, design all the interiors, build the whole restaurant myself, and I train every single cook, on every single station, step-by-step. I don’t just teach them how to make it – I teach them how to flow, how to move. People are watching them. Watching someone cook is like watching them dance. Everything is precise and fast, and it starts in the kitchen first; you hear them clang – it really pounds in there.”
Seafood pasta at Frank's
Tell me about your unique style of pizza.
“I went to Naples, did a lot of work on the dough, and decided I didn’t want a completely traditional Neapolitan pizza because Americans would not understand it. I appreciate it when I am there; I go to Don Michele, Brandi and I love the whole experience. In New York, it didn’t make sense. I wanted you to be able to pick up the slice. It’s the perfect combination of Naples and New York pizza. We use a Neapolitan pizza oven from a third-generation builder, Alfredo in Long Island – a good friend of my ex-wife, Lorenza. He hooked it up himself, wearing only shorts and an undershirt. I was there handing him bricks; I wish I had Instagram then. It is specially designed with a double dome. The top is hotter than the other ovens, giving our pizza its signature black spots. We make 15 at a time; it never stops. We have another oven in the basem*nt to handle deliveries. We have 12 bikes delivering pizza at all times.”
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