The Seafood Dish Frank Sinatra Loved To Order At Patsy's Italian Restaurant - Tasting Table

"Frank Sinatra's love for Italian food was no secret. The legendary singer was well known for being an avid foodie and was frequently spotted at many restaurants across the U.S. that he loved, but none of them came close to Patsy's in New York. Sinatra's love for the iconic restaurant was shared by a laundry list of notable personalities, such as Madonna, Bono (who apparently visited Patsy's on Sinatra's recommendation), Stephen King, and many others."

"Sinatra started frequenting the Italian restaurant in the 1940s and quickly established a list of his favorite dishes that became his go-to orders. Chief among these was the clams Posillipo, a gentle yet flavorful dish made from littleneck clams dressed in a tangy tomato sauce and seasoned with herbs, of which Sinatra usually had two servings. Chef Pasquale "Patsy" Scognamillo (the founder of Patsy's) also tweaked the dish to Sinatra's liking by going easy on the garlic."

"The sway Sinatra held over Patsy's transcended the formal relationship between a business owner and customer, almost venturing into familial territory. More interestingly, one anecdote states that when Sinatra hit a rough spot in the 1950s and didn't have anywhere to celebrate Thanksgiving, the iconic restaurant broke tradition and stayed open just so its favorite customer would have a place to go to and not feel left out."

Frank Sinatra loved Italian food and favored Patsy's in New York above other restaurants. He began frequenting Patsy's in the 1940s and developed a set of preferred dishes. Chief among them was clams Posillipo, a littleneck-clam dish in tangy tomato sauce and herbs, which Sinatra typically ordered two servings of. Chef Pasquale "Patsy" Scognamillo modified recipes for Sinatra, reducing visible garlic by sautéing then discarding cloves. Sinatra enjoyed privileges at Patsy's including a special table, discretion, custom-made foods, and the restaurant stayed open one Thanksgiving when he had nowhere else to celebrate.

Read at Tasting Table