Patsy’s, the original, family owned and operated Italian restaurant at 236 West 56th Street in Manhattan, has been a legendary dining destination in New York’s Theatre District since 1944 when it was founded by Pasquale “Patsy” Scognamillo.
Patsy’s has been known for years as Frank Sinatra’s favorite restaurant and, in fact, his family still enjoys dining at Patsy’s whenever they are in town. In addition to Sinatra and family, Patsy’s has become a favorite with countless stars on both the east and west coast who have come to regard Patsy’s as the mecca of Italian fine dining. Some of Patsy’s high profile patrons include Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Madonna, George Clooney, Sean “Diddy” Combs, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Lopez, Barbara Streisand, Tony Bennett, Robert DeNiro, Michael Buble, Don Rickles, Josh Groban, Jacklyn Smith, Phyllis George, Calvin Klein, Jerry Seinfeld, James Gandolfini, Christie Brinkley, Jon Bon Jovi, Liza Minelli, Chris Noth, Tony Danza, Farrah Fawcett, Kate Hudson, Chevy Chase, Cheryl Ladd, and Patty LaBelle, to name several.
We recently stopped by the legendary restaurant for our first Patsy’s experience. The menu is filled with Italian favorites like Penne Alla Vodka, Tortellini Bolognese, Spaghetti, Veal Chops Siciliano, spicy Lobster Fra Diavolo, and so much more. For our visit, we sampled a little of everything. Some of our favorites included the Clams Oreganata, Rigatoni Sorrentino, and Spaghetti and Meatball.
The littleneck clams were stuffed with breadcrumbs, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, oregano and fresh parsley. We could literally eat them all day. They were cooked to perfection. These little morsels paired nicely with a glass of red wine.
If you’re looking for the ultimate pasta dish, check out the Rigatoni Sorrentino. It was a cheesy and flavorful delight. The Rigatoni is baked with tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
We’re huge fans of classic dishes and Spaghetti is no exception. Patsy’s prepares a gourmet spaghetti dish. It comes with veal meatballs and seasoned with garlic and cheese, served with a tomato basil sauce. Patsy’s signature tomato sauces add the right touch to just about any dish.
Patsy’s has had only three chefs in their 75 years, the late Patsy himself, his son Joe Scognamillo, who has been at the establishment since the age of seven, and Joe’s son Sal Scognamillo, who has been manning the kitchen for over 30 years. Patsy’s lovers can take a part of the restaurant home with their collection of sauces and cookbooks. Patsy’s currently sales 6 different sauces, Marinara, Tomato Basil, Fra Diavolo, Pizzaiola, Puttanesca, and Vodka.
In 2002 Patsy’s published their best-selling cookbook, Patsy’s Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes From A New York City Landmark Restaurant. The cookbook includes 100 recipes and many heartwarming tales from family members and famous friends. In 2015 Patsy’s released their second cookbook, Patsy’s Italian Family Cookbook. With a foreword written by longtime customer and family friend, Ben Stiller, the cookbook includes both a collection of family recipes and never-before-told stories from Frank Sinatra’s all-time favorite restaurant.
After 75 years of greatness, Patsy’s is still serving up mouth-watering pasta and succulent seafood. It easy to get lost in the competitive restaurant scene in NYC but the food at Patsy’s has remained true to their roots while standing out as one of the best Italian restaurants around.
Patsy’s hours of operation are 12 PM to 9:30 PM Sunday through Thursday, closing at 10:30 PM on Friday and Saturday. For further information about Patsy’s, call 212-247-3491 or www.patsys.com.