StreetLevel: Franny's Cheese Shop Opening Soon
The folks behind Franny’s are in the process of setting up a new shop close to their restaurant called Bklyn Larder. The store, which is on Flatbush near the corner of Bergen, will carry “beautiful cheeses and thoughtfully chosen foodstuffs available to us from around the world, chosen by Sergio Hernandez, as well as prepared…
The folks behind Franny’s are in the process of setting up a new shop close to their restaurant called Bklyn Larder. The store, which is on Flatbush near the corner of Bergen, will carry “beautiful cheeses and thoughtfully chosen foodstuffs available to us from around the world, chosen by Sergio Hernandez, as well as prepared foods in the tradition of the food at franny’s (simple preparation, seasonality and uncompromising quality) packaged to serve at home.”
Bklyn Larder [Official Site] GMAP
I’m done with Franny’s. Too precious, and insanely overpriced for what it is. I’ve had some delicious things here, but…19 bucks for a clam pie that has, like, 4 clams on it? 15 bucks for appetizers?
I was there with a friend a few months ago, and we ordered the special appetizer – some sort of pork belly thing that just happened to be terrible. The piece we got was a solid hunk of fat with a very weird, unpleasant flavor. Told the waitress we were a bit surprised and dismayed by the taste (it was bad!). She whisked it away without a word. Later we were visited by a manager who said, “I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the pork belly… because everyone else is raving about it.” And it shows up on the bill, even though the waitress TOOK IT AWAY.
This, my friends, is what we call ‘tude.
I’ll take Amorina any day. Not the same thing, but delicious, cheap, and no one acting all haughty and virtuous about their artisanal cred.
I think Peperoncino is quite bad actually. And no less expensive than Franny’s.
Talk about a place I’d never go back to.
“Also: sorry, but Aliseo and Peperoncino are not even close to being in the same league as Franny’s IMHO. Apples and Oranges. ”
That may be the case — I’ve never been to Franny’s.
But the staff at Peperoncino are friendly and welcoming, the food is good, it’s fairly easy to get a seat, the prices aren’t bad, and I don’t have to worry about someone telling me to take my kid to “chuck e. cheese”.
If I just want fantastic food, I can cook it myself. When I go out to a restaurant, I expect to have a good time.
Also: sorry, but Aliseo and Peperoncino are not even close to being in the same league as Franny’s IMHO. Apples and Oranges.
Franny’s is a magnet for haters. I think it may have to do with expectations not meeting hype. It is an excellent neighborhood restaurant. I live around the corner and LOVE it. Go there about once a week. Their pastas are to die for, and the anchovy pizza–divine! And I’ve always found the service to be quite friendly. I do agree the wines can be pricey but all in all I am a big fan of the place. To each his own!
Perhaps someone should print this out and post it on Franny’s door, since there seems to be so many people who have issues with the place.
That might be a wake up call…
Peperoncino
I agree with most everyone on this blog. Franny’s has a great rep for the pizza, but that is because NYMag has raved about this place so many damn times. Why? becasue a relative of Francine’s is the food editor… that’s why. So people go based on the reviews. Is it worth the wait and the money? I dont think so. I have been there wwith a large crowd and when it started to get busy, Franny walked by our table every 3seconds to make sure we getting ready to leave. The waitress deposited our check before we asked for it and didnt offer us dessert. That takes balls, and anyone in the restaurant business knows that is the worst thing you could do to a customer. When we finally paid the bill, not even a thank you from Franny herself. $350!! no thank you, “Come back again” smile, something. nada. Many people have similar stories. If you are looking for a friendly staff and great food, try GEIDO the Japanese restaurant on the next block. You want really, really great food, go to Blue Ribbon on Fifth Avenue. Otherwise, stick to Manhattan for good Napolitan brick oven pizza, there are hundreds, less expensive and i am sure they will appreciate you as a customer and say thank you, even for a $3.00 slice.
I go to Aliseo on Vanderbilt around the corner when I want my fine Italian fix. The prices are about the same as Franny’s, but you get a real dinner for that money, not pizza and salad.
If you ask nicely, and they are not busy, they’ll negotiate a wine-pairing deal with you–instead of getting two glasses of red, they’ll parse out that two glasses into several small ones of white, prosecco, red, and dessert wine, changing with the course.
As for attitude–I have always found Aliseo to be laid back and Italian, charming.
Another big plus: unlike Franny’s it’s cozy and you can converse with your dinner companion without yelling. The room at Franny’s is all hard surfaces and echoes–it’s really an unpleasant room to eat in.
Count me among the ones who are “over” Franny’s