Happy Birthday Frankie: 12.12.15
Today is December 12, 2012 and almost 100 years ago Frank Sinatra was born in the year 1915. Hard to imagine that man, singer, actor and entertainer was born nearly 100 years ago when he, even today in 2012 is still a pop culture icon and his music lives on and on and on.
Today I was listening to WOR710am on the radio because I was in the car most of the day in the afternoon and Joe Bartlett sat in for Joan Hamburg. They were broadcasting form Patsy’s Restaurant in New York, which was on of Sinatra’s favorites. What is great is, you can buy some of their sauces in local regional supermarkets, but nothing ever matches the real thing made fresh. Frank loved bread from Giordano’s Bakery in Newark, in fact, he actually had it flown out to him via Fedex to his home in Palm Springs, California. Unfortunately, Giordano’s in Newark is no longer there. Its unfortunate, because it was the only bread I could find outside of Italy that actually resembled Italian bread, very hard but edible crust, and soft on the inside but still with a chew. Its only bread I’ve experienced in Sicily.
When Frank went to Pasty’s in Manhattan, he loved the veal Scallopine (veal pounded nearly paper thin, tender, usually served with lemon and/or Marsala wine sauce). He liked garlic, but not chopped, they had to cook for him with whole cloves of garlic that had to be removed earlier. We have similar tastes.
The son and father were on the broadcast today, and you can find it at: http://www.wor710.com/pages/11480292.php – Click on 12/12/12.
You will hear a great story, in some respects a sad story. Listen about the story of one Thanksgiving. But you can be sure one thing: Sinatra was loved by everyone, and Patsy’s in New York is the place to dine if you care to dine where a legend has (at a fair price, for New York, plan on at least $100 for dinner, cheaper for Lunch or Pre-fixe dinner). You know the food is authentic Italian, since its cooked by the family who originated it in 1944.
And, we all know Frank liked his drinks… especially “Jack Daniels, with water and 3 ice cubes”. As his first daughter Nancy Sinatra confirms. And Frank himself called it “The perfect gentleman’s drink” and I would agree. Its American, its easy, its clean and its really hard for a bartender to screw up. Its perfect in a glass with just a cube or three of ice. Its said that Frank Sinatra was actually buried upon death with a small bottle of Jack Daniels with him.
Stories, myths, legends and folklore about Sinatra can be told for volumes of books forever, he is a great Italian-American institution, and he lives on forever. Happy Birthday, we are sure you are in Heaven enjoying it.
JRCX 