Now, I had dinner at Frankies 457 Spuntino once, a year or two ago I guess it was, and after waiting nearly an hour for a table, we were rewarded with indifferent service and a bit better than mediocre food. Honestly, I did not understand why there was so much buzz about this place. I had certainly had many a meal I had enjoyed much more at Bocca Lupo, which was closer to where I lived at the time anyway. So I dismissed Frankies 457, not expecting ever to grace their doorstep with my regretful palate’s presence again.
Perhaps because so much time had passed, I no longer felt the sting of stubborn disappointment when friends suggested that we go to Frankies 457 for brunch last Sunday; though I admit to feeling a tad wary, despite their assurances of the deliciousness to come. (I swear my relenting had nothing to do with the fact that Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong brunched there.) I was surprised to have to wait only ten minutes for a table for four at peak brunch time. Especially as I happened to be starving, this was good news.
We ordered coffee, which was particularly good, and also bloody marys. I don’t usually indulge in alcohol at brunch time, but I tried one a friend ordered and it was so tasty I couldn’t resist. The service wasn’t the most attentive–we had to ask for the bread that other tables were getting as a matter of course, and it was difficult in general to get our waitresses attention–but it was friendly enough. And the food, well, it made up for any insufficiencies presented by the staff.
As a starter we had the beet and avocado salad—glistening gems of purple and green, in a creamy but light dressing, and wisely unencumbered by lettuce or other intrusions into the delicious flavors of the simple dish. The frittata with sweet sausage and broccoli rabe came with lightly dressed greens, making for a satisfying savory meal. 
Frankies 457 version of a BLT, made with super thick-cut bacon, juicy tomatoes, and iceberg, was a succulent success. The prosciutto frittata sandwich was the one dish that underwhelmed. Maybe this was because it was no more imaginative than it’s title suggested. It was simply a piece of their frittata sandwiched between thin piece of flat Sullivan Street Bakery bread. No mayonnaise or other condiment, not even a piece of lettuce. It was a bit dry, and the tasty bread served to mask any flavor that the frittata on its own had. With so little apparent thought put into this dish, we were left to wonder, “what’s the point?” 
The most winning dish of the day, surprisingly, was the eggplant sandwich. A sloppy affair of eggplant in a thick tomato sauce, topped with fresh salted mozzarella, all on the super thin Sullivan Street Bakery bread. It was difficult to eat, and at one point we resorted to using forks and knives, rather than our hands, but such a beautiful mess I have rarely seen. It was perfectly seasoned, and all the flavors were well balanced. Even the gaping hole in the bread exposing the cheese beneath didn’t bother me. It was an amazing sandwich that I would go back for again and again.
I do want to go back–and soon–if not for the eggplant sandwich, then for the french toast. As we were settling our bill, I smelled the most enchanting aroma, like sweet caramel and vanilla cream. I perked up and searched the room to see what it was, and then I saw it: a waitress was carrying two plates, each with two enormous slabs of battered, fried bread. That was when I inquired to my friends, “Brunch? Next week? Whatdyasay?”
Frankies 457 Spuntino
457 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718-403-0033
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September 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 pm
[...] Sunday, we met friends for Sunday Brunch at Frankies 457 Spuntino. I finally had the french toast and it was all I hoped it would be. Unlike other brunch spots, they [...]
December 11th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
[...] Court St. needs more brunch options). We then attempted to go to Frankies 457 Spuntino for their fantastic brunch, but they were really busy, and with a movie to go see later, we didn’t have the time to wait [...]