The Italian Veal Dish That Was One Of Frank Sinatra's Favorites

Frank Sinatra turning his head and smiling

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As someone whose life and career were synonymous with his heritage, Frank Sinatra’s love for Italian cuisine comes as little surprise to fans of the singer. Alongside Sinatra’s appetizer of choice, stuffed artichokes, the Italian-American icon was known to enjoy a nice plate of veal for his entree. More specifically, Sinatra’s favorite veal-centric dish was none other than veal Milanese, an authentic Italian meal that the New Jersey-born singer simply couldn’t live without.

While there are different variations and takes on veal Milanese, the dish at its most simple sees chops of veal get breaded thoroughly using flour, fine breadcrumbs, and a mixture of eggs, cheese, and parsley to get the job done. From there, many recipes then cover the crunchy meat in a salad made up of arugula lettuce, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, and lemon juice to make the meal complete. For Sinatra, the ideal veal Milanese featured the delicate meat being pounded extra thin, giving it an even more pronounced crispiness as a result.

Frank Sinatra’s favorite restaurant for veal Milanese

A plate of veal Milanese with lemons and parmesan cheese on it and greens beside it

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Despite not being particularly complex compared to other staple Italian dishes, veal Milanese is rarely made at home and has instead traditionally been a meal to order when dining in at an Italian restaurant. For Frank Sinatra, who was known to love countless unique foods and drinks, veal Milanese truly became his favorite dish when he discovered Patsy’s Italian Restaurant’s rendition of the classic dish.

Patsy’s Italian Restaurant is an establishment located on West 56th Street in the heart of Manhattan and has been a staple of the area since it first opened in 1944. It quickly became a favorite of Sinatra’s throughout the ’40s, and in the decades since has become known as the go-to eatery of both Sinatra and his family, who still visit the restaurant today, over 25 years after the music legend passed away. And, while veal Milanese is a dish that is considered a restaurant staple, you can now make your own variation of the exact recipe that Sinatra adored without needing to pay Patsy’s a visit in person.