The Comforting Italian Dish That Frank Sinatra Often Ordered

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It's well known that Frank Sinatra loved good drink and food. There are a string of the crooner's favorite restaurants across the U.S., including steakhouses and Italian restaurants. And one comforting Italian dish that Sinatra often ordered was veal Milanese.

Originating from Milan, veal Milanese (or cotoletta alla Milanese) is made with veal that's been pounded thin, coated in flour, dipped in beaten egg, then covered with a breadcrumb mixture with Parmesan before being pan fried. The aim is for a final result that's beautifully crispy after being cooked in olive oil or butter. As it's traditionally served with a lemon wedge, veal Milanese may sound a lot like wiener schnitzel but there are key differences. Many Italian restaurants have their own version of veal Milanese, and the one Sinatra loved most of all came from Patsy's Italian Restaurant in New York City. He enjoyed the dish paper thin and fried extra crispy, with no to minimal garlic and served with Sinatra's favorite arugula salad, a simple yet balancing accompaniment to the otherwise rich dish.

Although Frank Sinatra enjoyed many restaurants, Patsy's Italian Restaurant was arguably one of his all-time favorites. Located on 56th Street in the Theater District in Midtown Manhattan in New York, Patsy's has been operated by the same Scognamillo family since 1944, and Sinatra was a devoted patron since near the very beginning. He even had his own special table upstairs, and the restaurant once opened on Thanksgiving just for him. Patsy's is known as the Italian restaurant Frank Sinatra made famous, though it counts numerous celebrities among its fans, including Liza Minelli, Tony Bennett, and Robert DeNiro, among others.

Sadly, Sinatra's favorite veal Milanese dish no longer appears on the regular menu at Patsy's. However, the restaurant has been known to revive the dish on December 12 during commemorative meals to celebrate the late singer's birthday, along with other Sinatra favorites such as the arugula salad, stuffed artichokes, clams posillipo, and lemon ricotta torte. You can also find the recipe for Frank's veal cutlets Milanese on their website, as well as in "Patsy's Cookbook", so you can make the dish for yourself at home. If you want to go full Frank, perhaps accompany the meal with some Jack Daniels served 3-2-1, with three rocks, two fingers of whiskey, and a splash of water, or a Rusty Nail as the singer himself might have.