ITALIAN AMERICAN: PASTA Recipes

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Monday, October 12, 2026

The Sinatra Cookbook - Recipes

The SINATRA COOKBOOK

"SINATRA SAUCE"

aka The SINTRA COOKBOOK

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

AMAZON.com

"It MAKES a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT"

CHRISTMAS 2026

SINATRA SAUCE

MUSIC MEATBALLS & MERRIEMENT which features Italian-American recipes inspired by Frank Sinatra’s favorite foods. The book is about Sinatra’s love for Italian food and the meals from his childhood in Hoboken, New Jersey. It is not just a cookbook, but also includes stories about Sinatra’s life and dining experiences.

About the Book

SINATRA SAUCE – The book explores the Italian dishes that Frank Sinatra enjoyed throughout his life, including those made by his mother, Dolly, and father, Martino, who was also a good cook.

Recipes: It features recipes for classic Italian-American dishes that were a part of Sinatra’s life, such as Eggplant Parmigiana, Lasagna, and Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Stories: Interspersed with the recipes are anecdotes and stories about Sinatra dining at Famous Restaurants in New York - like - Patsy's, Jilly's, 21 Club, and PJ Clarke's.
Availability: Sinatra Sauce is available for purchase on Amazon.
About the author
Daniel Bellino Zwicke: The author is a lifelong Sinatra fan and a prolific writer on Italian cuisine.

Other works: Zwicke is also known for other cookbooks, including Sunday Sauce, La Tavola, and Positano The Amalfi Coast Cookbook. He also has a background as a wine and restaurant professional in New York City.

Frank Sinatra had a special relationship with several New York restaurants, especially Patsy’s on West 56th Street, and was a regular patron of Jilly’s, a nightclub owned by his friend Jilly Rizzo.

PATSY'S

West 56th STREET

NEW YORK NY

"It's Still OPEN"

PATSY'S ITALIAN RESTAURANTE - West 56th Street - New York NY (still open)

Sinatra's favorite dishes : included clams posillipo, spaghetti and meatballs, and veal milanese. He was known for having very specific preferences. The kitchen crew would prepare his favorite veal milanese, served crispy and lightly garlicked with an arugula salad, precisely to his liking.

Regular patron: He was such a regular that he had his own special table, and Patsy's would even serve him on holidays like Thanksgiving.

Celebrity gatherings: After performing in New York, Sinatra would bring his friends, including members of the Rat Pack like Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin, to Patsy's. . There, they would dine and socialize upstairs in a private room.

SINATRA at JILLY'S

FRANK SINATRA

With FRIENDS & FAMILY at "JILLY'S"

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JILLY'S SALOON - Legacy: The restaurant still honors Sinatra’s memory by serving his favorite veal milanese on his birthday, December 12th, even though it is no longer on the regular menu.

The nightclub: Located on West 52nd Street, Jilly's was owned by Jilly Rizzo, a close friend of Sinatra. It was a popular hangout spot for Sinatra and the Rat Pack during the 1960s. Relaxed atmosphere: While Patsy’s offered a dining experience, was more of a casual hangout where Sinatra could relax with his friends.

Social hub: It was a place for drinks, music, and mingling with other celebrities and friends. While not specifically a culinary destination, it was a central part of Sinatra’s nightlife and social scene in New York. The stories in Sinatra SauceDaniel Bellino Zwicke’s book Sinatra Sauce draws on these stories and settings to give readers a taste of the Italian-American food and dining experiences that were central to Frank Sinatra’s life. It sets the recipes within the context of the restaurants and home kitchens that shaped Sinatra’s palate.

OTHER FAVOITE SINATRA RESTAURANTS

Another SINATRA FAVOIRTE

PJ CLARKE'S

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P.J. CLARKE’S

What he ordered: When visiting this historic saloon, Sinatra was known to sit at his preferred table and order a burger and a Bloody Mary.
Historical context: Dating back to 1884, this establishment holds deep New York history, and a waitress who knew Sinatra worked there for over 44 years.
“21” CLUB
The setting: The
’21’ Club
, known for its speakeasy-era history, was another of Sinatra’s destinations.
His visit: He typically dined at a large table in the main room.

PATSY'S PIZZERIA
EAST HARLEM, NEW YORK

"FRANK'S FAVORITE PIZZA"

PATSY’S PIZZERIA – East Harlem NYC
The East Harlem Original: The legendary pizzeria in East Harlem was a favorite of Sinatra and other celebrities like Dean Martin and Joe DiMaggio.
Loyalty from afar: Sinatra’s dedication was such that he had 45 pizzas flown to him in Las Vegas for a concert.

GINO'S

The DINNG ROOM

"GINO'S. Personally, My Favorite New York
Italian Restaurant of All-Time" - author Daniel Bellino Z

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GINO’S – Lexington Avenue

Gino’s was another favorite of Frank’s as well as numerous other Celebs, including : Marilyn Monroe, Ed Sullivan, and others. Gino’s was beloved by its loyal clientele who loved the solid Old School Italian dishes, and its old world charm, and naturally the famed Salamandre ZEBRA Wallpaper. It was also famous for its “Pasta Segreta” – Pasta with Secret Sauce.
Like at Patsy’s, Sinatra would eat Clams Posillipo and Veal Milanese, and loved just a simple plate of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce.
Basta !

SINATRA SAUCE

The SINATRA COOKBOOK

AMAZON.com

Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

CAPRI

BOOKS by DANIEL

.

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Sinatra Eats Italian Cookbook

"FRANK"

GET a FINE ART PRINT

FRANK SINATRA

From FINE ART AMERICA

CLICK HERE !

IT MAKES a MOST WONDERFUL GIFT

A Young Frank Sinatra .... Hoboken, New Jersey

Frank Sinatra

"Come Fly with Me" !!!

PATSY'S "Franks Favorite Restaurant"

Frank's Favorite Restaurant in The World, was Patsy's on West 56th Street in New York, in The Theater District near Times Square .. Frank's Favorites were; Calms Posillipo, Spaghetti Pomodoro, Veal Milanes (extra Thin & Crispy) and Spaghetti & Meatballs of which patsy's makes The Best in The City ..

PATSY'S is by far the restaurant most associated with SINATRA -- on its website, the restaurant notes that it "has been known for years as the restaurant Frank Sinatra made famous." You can still order up old-school Italian there, but you might not have the exact same experience as Sinatra, who was said to have entered through a special door to sit at a reserved table on the second floor. Sinatra became especially loyal to the restaurant after making a solo Thanksgiving reservation one year, not realizing the restaurant was slated to be closed that day. Patsy Scognamillo didn't want to turn Sinatra away, so he allowed the reservation. He also didn't want Sinatra to know the restaurant was opened just for him -- so he had the entire staff bring their families to fill the place up, something Sinatra didn't learn until years later, according to Patsy's lore. The restaurant still celebrates its connection to Sinatra: At right, in 2002, Joe Scognamillo served actor Bill Boggs, who had dressed up as Sinatra . (236 West 56th St.)

FRANK & AVA GARDNER

The SINATRA COOKBOOK

SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

AMAZON.com

FRANK & DEAN

FRANK'S FAVORITE ITALIAN BREAD

PARISI BAKERY MOTT STREET

LITTLE ITALY, NY NY

FRANK'S FAVORITE PIZZA "PATYSY'S"

FRANKS FAVORITE PIZZA

PATSY'S in EAST HARLEM

No Relation to PATSY'S on 56th STREET

21a7e-screen2bshot2b2016-01-252bat2b2-29-112bpm

SINATRA at JILLY'S New York with Friends and Daughters NANCY and TINA

Frank loved going to his close Pal JILLY RIZZO'S New York Restaurant JILLY'S where Frank would eat Chinese Food, tell stories, and drink JACK DANIEL'S to the Wee Hours of the morning

Despite having served as an icon for high living for generations, Frank Sinatra was not a fan of haute cuisine. A high school drop-out from Hoboken, New Jersey, the only child of a father who was a lightweight boxer turned fireman and a political activist mother who ran an illegal abortion business that provided services for free, Sinatra even after his fame was established preferred simpler fare and cozier surroundings than were found in the five-star restaurants of the world. In New York he favored only a few establishments, none of them popular celebrity hang-outs (except for the celebrities invited by Frank). There was P.J. Clarke’s at 915 Third Ave., where Sinatra carefully scheduled his nights around those of gossip columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, whose favorite topic was anything going wrong in Sinatra’s life, especially if it concerned the disillusion of his relationship with actress Ava Gardner. Then there was PATSY'S at 236 W. 56th St., where Frank ordered the breaded veal and spaghetti with red sauce on the side. As a story goes, Sinatra found himself on the skids one Thanksgiving, without company and without plans. So he made a reservation at Patsy’s, which wasn’t open that day. But owner Pasquale Scognamillo scrambled his staff and family so that when Frank rolled in at 3pm, the place was full. Rocky Lee Chu-Cho Bianco at 987 Second Ave was where Frank would go for pizza, and if he wanted something a little more upscale, he hit the 21 CLUB over at 21 W. 52nd St., where the jacket and tie dress code was a lot less of an issue in the 1950s than it is now.

But above and beyond them all was his affection for Jilly’s Saloon. Born Ermenigildo Rizzo on May 6th, 1917, Jilly’s career in food services started early, when he worked for his father delivering Italian ice to cafés. He opened his first restaurant, JILLY'S SALOON , on West 49th Street but eventually moved it to a new location on West 52nd. It was this second incarnation of Jilly’s that attracted Sinatra’s attention. On any given night, Sinatra could be found at his regular booth surrounded by regular friends who received the call earlier in the day — having grown up an only child, Sinatra swore he would never dine alone. Jilly’s kitchen specialized not in Italian fare but in Cantonese food. Sinatra spent so much time there that Jilly Rizzo became Sinatra’s closest friend, his right-hand man, and his bodyguard.

Learn How to Make SINATRA SUNDAY SAUCE and MEATBALLS

Frank Sinatra with Jilly Rizzo and JACKIE "O"

By 1962 he and Jilly Rizzo were so close that Sinatra was securing bit parts for the saloon owner in films like The Manchurian Candidate. That same year, Sinatra and fellow Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. recorded the duet “Me and My Shadow,” which twice mentions ending up at Jilly’s. In Sinatra’s 1968 detective movie Lady in Cement, he pays tribute to his friend by naming a seedy Miami strip club Jilly’s. Also in 1968, Sinatra once again paid musical tribute to his favorite hang-out when, in the song “Star,” he crooned “If they’ve got a drink with her name in Jilly’s bar, the chances are the lady’s a star.”

Apart from being Sinatra’s throne room, Jilly’s was most famous as the spot where mobsters decided to murder television comedian Johnny Carson.