The Early Word on Frankies 570

Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli opened the third outpost of their acclaimed Frankies Spuntino restaurant at 570 Hudson Street in the West Village earlier this month, with a larger space, an extended menu, and full breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktail service. The food world has been abuzz with tweets, reviews and anticipation of the Italian haunt coming to the West Village, so let's get to the early word.

The Great News: The foursquare reviews praise the work the kitchen is doing at 570 Hudson. One patron even wrote in that they had the “Best Meatballs. Ever.” while another adds, "The new fish entrees (not part of the other Frankies menus) are delicious. Kudos to Kaufman and the boys, Uncle Tony included." [foursquare]

Good News: Sarah McLellan, of The Aussie Who ate the Big Apple, had a great lunch with a friend at Frankies 570 this past Saturday. Sarah lives near the Frankies in the East Village and eats there often and was not disappointed by the new location. She summarized her experience saying, “Overall, it was a delicious lunch with great service and good strong coffee. What more can one ask for on a crisp fall like day? We shall be back.” [Sarah’s blog]

The Reader Rave: An Eater reader writes in, "Checked out the new Frankies. It was strange, because I'm so used to the one on the LES and in Brooklyn where the kitchen is right there in the open and cramped. This is so much more like a real restaurant. Loved my cocktail, loved the crostini as always, and I loved the new addition, calamari. Perfectly cooked, super simple, just fantastic. It's noisy as all get out, but that seems to be the norm these days. Beautiful space. [Eater Inbox]

Good but Somewhat on the Fence Review: Erin of erin a la carte gives her overall food experience at this restaurant a B. “I have to say that I prefer the ricotta crostini rendition at the Clinton Street location, as this one had a little too much sweetness that overpowered the subtle sheep’s milk flavor of the cheese.The sauce on the meatballs was better than the meatballs themselves, which creatively but oddly incorporated plump raisins and pine nuts...Despite executing perfectly al dente noodles, the linguine with crab was a letdown. The sauce was watery and bland, and I spent more time avoiding crab shells than I did enjoying the pasta. I had to salt the dish excessively to make it worth eating. The standout was surprisingly the lentil soup with bacon, which the bartender claimed was a house favorite. Earthy, light, and well seasoned, I definitely foresee this becoming a staple for takeout nights in the winter.I may have had more than one unexciting meal at Frankies, but there’s one thing that keeps me coming back: the crostini...I am still ecstatic that Frankies is now situated just blocks from my home." [Erin’s blog]

The Quite Okay News: The Yelp reviews tend to agree that one problem at the new Frankies is portion size. “I had heard from friends that the food was ok. Just ok. It was actually quite ok, however, the portions are very small (I could never take my teenagers), which makes the prices really high because you Must have an appetizer and and entree, and you'll have plenty of room for dessert. The drinks are pricey, the service a work in progress.” This sentiment was echoed with another yelp reviewer: “Breakfast sandwich with a thick slice of bacon ($3 extra) was pretty boring. I asked for some marinara to add some flavor. Ok job with the renovation. Portions way too small. Sandwich came with nothing else, I was hungry an hour later.” [Yelp]

The Bad News: There was only one Menupages review and it fails to recommend this new outpost as a neighborhood spot, calling it a “Let Down.” “Went to Frankies 570 Saturday night right after its opening a few days prior. The place is unbelievably loud. I have never been to a louder restaurant in my life. The food was not really that great either. Service was decent but overall a huge let down as we live 2 doors down and we were really looking forward to having this place be our new neighborhood spot...too bad honestly.” [Menupages]
—Sarah Rose