Popular bakery Raf's is transforming into a dinner-only pop-up for a week

"Frank & Sal's is inspired by the family kitchens that shaped the women behind Elizabeth Street Hospitality and influenced their love of cooking. For Mary Attea, it's her father Frank and his love of a proper Sunday sauce. For Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, it's their Sicilian grandfather Sal. Together, they've turned Raf's into a nostalgic dinner spot celebrating recipes passed down for generations."

"The menu begins where it should, with a house-baked sesame loaf served with butter and long hot peppers, followed by sharable antipasti and primi like garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, artichokes and prosciutto. There are salt cod fritters and baked cherrystone clams with lardo, crisp winter salads like puntarelle with anchovy and lemon and a fennel and arugula mix paired with citrus and smoked almonds."

"Pastas include rigatoni with Frank's Sunday sauce and meatball, spaghetti lobster fra diavolo and pasta e fagioli. They're the classics that you would expect, made with Raf's signature skill. But that's not all: eggplant parm, skate wing and, of course, pizza (hand-tossed on house-made dough with DOP tomato). These familiar classics will transport you straight to Italy. Desserts are as indulgent as you'd expect, from tiramisu and Italian cookies to a fior di latte gelato finished with olive oil or affogato-style."

Raf's, a French-Italian bakery and cafe, becomes Frank & Sal's, a dinner-only pop-up celebrating Italian-American red-sauce classics through January 17. The pop-up honors family kitchens: Mary Attea's father Frank and Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano's grandfather Sal. The menu starts with house-baked sesame loaf, followed by antipasti and primi such as garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, artichokes, prosciutto, salt cod fritters and baked cherrystone clams with lardo. Salads include puntarelle with anchovy and lemon and fennel with arugula, citrus and smoked almonds. Pastas, pizza, eggplant parm, skate wing and indulgent desserts complete the nostalgic menu. Limited-run merch accompanies the launch.

Read at Time Out New York