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When you think of Frank Sinatra, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For the vast majority of people, it’s his timeless voice and catalogue of classic songs; for others, it’s him as the symbol of mid-century America. For us, however, it’s his love of food. Ol’ Blue Eyes was almost as famous for his admiration of timeless Italian dishes and classy martinis as he was for his smooth vocals. Throughout the years, he graced plenty of restaurants across the country, both in the cities he lived in and those where he worked. Sometimes, it feels like he ate at every other eatery in America: His portrait adorns countless walls across the land, and restaurateurs still speak proudly of the day he walked in.
However, there’s a difference between Sinatra eating at a restaurant once and being a repeat customer — and the latter is what we’re interested in. The joints that Sinatra called his favorites, and the ones that he returned to repeatedly, have gone down in legend as some of the finest in the country, and fans still flock to them to try the dishes that the crooner ate. Some, as you might expect, are in places like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, where Sinatra spent a lot of time. Others, though, are tucked away in unassuming places you might not expect.
Patsy’s Italian Restaurant, New York
Several Italian restaurants in New York claim to have been the go-to for Sinatra, but none of them are as convincing as Patsy’s. This esteemed eatery has been serving folks in Midtown Manhattan since 1944. To this day, it’s a family-run joint that’s been in the same building for over 70 years. When Sinatra frequented Patsy’s, it was established, but nowhere near the famous name that it is now. There’s little doubt that the singer’s love of the restaurant put it on the map, and it remains a favorite of his family, too.
Legend has it that Sinatra would come into the restaurant when he was at his lowest ebb career-wise, and the hospitality that Patsy’s and its staff showed him is something he never forgot. On one occasion, Patsy’s opened just for him on Thanksgiving, something Sinatra didn’t realize until much later due to the subtlety with which the staff handled the occasion. When he was dining at Patsy’s, he’d frequently order the veal Milanese, a dish his great-grandchildren still eat when they go there. It remains a go-to for Sinatra fans and casual diners alike.
patsys.com
(212) 247-3491
236 W 56th Street, New York, NY 10019
Melvyn’s, Palm Springs
Sinatra’s relationship with Palm Springs runs deep. The crooner made the desert city his primary residence from 1948 to 1957, living in a midcentury pile on East Alejo Road before moving to a larger compound he owned for decades. It’s fair to say he spent a lot of time there, and from the 1970s onwards, there was one key place he liked to eat: Melvyn’s. Melvyn’s is the on-site restaurant for Ingleside Inn, and when it opened in 1975, its proprietor, Mel Haber, was keen to show Sinatra what the place could do. Once he walked in, it was love at first bite. He even held his pre-wedding dinner there in 1976, a clear sign of his admiration for the place.
Although Haber died in 2016, Melvyn’s is still going strong and remains a symbol of old Hollywood. It’s not just associated with Sinatra, but the rest of the Rat Pack, too. As with so many restaurants that hosted the famous singer, it now proudly boasts the table he most often ate at: table 13. While sitting there, he’d order the steak Diane and wash it down with a glug of Jack Daniel’s, one of his favorite drinks.
inglesideestate.com/melvyns
(760) 325 2323
200 W Ramon Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Matteo’s, Los Angeles
If you want to experience a piece of old Hollywood glamor, then Matteo’s is the place to go. Sinatra didn’t just enjoy eating at this restaurant, located west of Century City in Los Angeles — he also helped to open it. He collaborated with his childhood friend, Matty “Matteo” Jordan, to open the eatery in 1963 (incredibly, Jordan was also delivered by Sinatra’s midwife mother; talk about a bond!). A Hoboken boy, Jordan, understood the star power Sinatra would bring to the restaurant, and pretty soon it became a destination for residents and visitors to L.A. to experience a touch of the high life.
When Sinatra would eat at Matteo’s, he would order a dish that might otherwise escape notice: Chicken Beckerman. This hearty order consisted of half a baked chicken, which was encircled by onions and potatoes, and adorned liberally with parsley. He’d park up at table eight, his favorite place to sit, and relax with his actor buddies. Matteo’s is currently temporarily closed, but given its Hollywood lineage, we’d imagine that it’ll be back in some form before long. Legends never truly die, after all.
instagram.com/matteos_restaurant
310-475-4521
2321 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064, United States
Leo’s Grandezvous, Hoboken
Sinatra may epitomize old-world charm and mystique, but he was a man who never quite forgot where he came from. A Hoboken native, Sinatra may not have always felt positively about his hometown, but he was always keyed in on the happenings in the New Jersey city. When he was on the rise and singing around the city, he’d also take time to try out its cuisine. One of his favorite spots was Leo’s Grandevous, an Italian restaurant that has been serving the good folk of Hoboken since 1939, remaining a family-run establishment to this very second.
Sinatra would eat at Leo’s Grandezvous when he was just starting, and the restaurant became a hangout spot for him and his band. Once Sinatra moved away from the city and headed to Hollywood, he’d only visit Hoboken infrequently — but Leo’s never quite forgot how much of an impact the singer had on the restaurant. His death was a huge shock to the Leo’s ecosystem, with the owners remembering him fondly; the eatery continues to honor his memory.
leosgrandevous.com
(201) 659-9467
200 Grand Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Dear John’s, Culver City
Sinatra didn’t just love eating at good restaurants — he also loved to make them happen. He was as prone to helping his friends open their own eateries as he was to try out a brand new place, and in 1962, that inclination struck yet again, when he convinced friend Johnny Harlowe to open his own joint. Harlowe was an actor who had appeared in films with stars like Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe, but he eventually decided he wanted to host the famous instead of working with them. Harlowe hatched a plan to open his restaurant near the MGM lot in Culver City, and Dear John’s was born.
As you might expect from somebody who had taken a leading role in getting Dear John’s to open, Sinatra would spend a lot of time at the restaurant. As you might imagine, it became a hotspot for folks wanting a touch of Hollywood. Nowadays, Dear John’s is a fairly exclusive affair and only opens during limited hours. If you want to try its food and experience the Rat Pack glamor, you’ll have to go on Tuesdays through Saturdays between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
dearjohnsbar.com
310-881-9288
11208 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Golden Steer Steakhouse, Las Vegas
RYO Alexandre/Shutterstock
It’s no secret that Sinatra spent a lot of time in Vegas: After all, he’s one of the entertainers who’s synonymous with the city, thanks to the decades that he spent singing for countless visitors there. All of that entertaining saw him working up a serious appetite, though, and he needed a place to eat and unwind after his gigs. That place was the Golden Steer Steakhouse, where he was a regular. He could most commonly be found there during the 1950s and 1960s and was frequently accompanied by the rest of the Rat Pack.
When he was at the Golden Steer Steakhouse, Sinatra would often order the clams casino, a breadcrumb-topped, white wine-infused dish that served as a hearty appetizer. He’d follow this up with either a perfectly cooked New York strip steak or the steak pizzaiola, and then finish it all off with a portion of bananas Foster. To drink, it wouldn’t be uncommon to find him consuming a Jack Daniel’s or a glass of red wine. As for where he liked to sit, Sinatra could often be found at table 22, surrounded by his nearest and dearest. That booth is still commemorated to this day.
goldensteer.com
(702) 384-4470
308 W Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89102
Musso & Frank Grill, Los Angeles
Alex Millauer/Shutterstock
Want to feel like a star? Head to Musso & Frank’s. Officially known as Musso & Frank Grill, this Los Angeles institution has been a part of the fabric of Tinseltown for over a century, and is so well-established in the city that it even existed before the Hollywood sign was put up. Virtually every famous face in the country has passed through its doors, from Marilyn Monroe and Steven Spielberg to Taylor Swift (who recently dropped its name in one of her songs). So, it’s little surprise that Sinatra would also eat at the restaurant.
However, Sinatra wasn’t just a one-time visitor to the eatery: He’d go there so often that he had a booth named after him. This booth, incidentally, is one that’s now enjoyed by other celebrities. Word has it that John Travolta likes to sit in the same place that the Chairman of the Board once did. Sinatra’s wife, Barbara, was also a regular at Musso & Frank’s, where she’d be served by the equally legendary waiter Sergio Gonzalez.
mussoandfrank.com
323-467-7788
6667 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern, Chicago
There are a few cities that are commonly associated with Sinatra (like Hoboken, Las Vegas, and, of course, New York, New York), but Chicago isn’t usually one of them. However, Sinatra had a longstanding relationship with the Windy City, which was one of the places instrumental to his early career. That relationship extended to its food scene, particularly to Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern. Sinatra first started to frequent the Twin Anchors in the late ’50s after being introduced to it by his agent, and whenever he was in town, he’d routinely head in with groups of friends. The restaurant would shut down to accommodate the crooner and his large party, no doubt on the promise of a healthy tip from the wealthy singer.
There was one menu item that Sinatra liked above all else at the Twin Anchors: The ribs. Its slabs of meat are what the restaurant is known for, and Sinatra was such a fan that he’d have them shipped to his concert venues. His entourage would then cook the ribs backstage, so he could enjoy them fresh. Legend has it that Sinatra eventually stopped going to the Twin Anchors in the ’80s, but by then his relationship with the restaurant was set in stone.
twinanchorsribs.com
(312) 266-1616
1655 N Sedgwick St, Chicago, IL 60614
Piero’s Italian Cuisine, Las Vegas
As you might expect from the city that hosted Sinatra regularly, the singer’s image is everywhere in Las Vegas, and his picture is in a lot of restaurants around town. Few of them, though, can claim the same kind of relationship as Piero’s. This Italian restaurant, located right in the heart of the city, was such a favorite of Sinatra’s that he wouldn’t just visit when he was performing in Vegas. He would even fly his plane directly from Palm Springs to Piero’s, so he could eat there when he was between gigs. Talk about a love affair.
So, what was the dish that Sinatra was willing to travel hundreds of miles for? The linguine and clams. This simple, but highly effective dish is flavored with white wine and garlic and comes swimming in a broth, and it’s remained a fan favorite to this day. Piero’s has avoided changing the recipe since Sinatra ate there; if you ask us, that’s a smart move. Why mess with something that’s working so well?
pieroscuisine.com
702-369-2305
355 Convention Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89109
The Purple Room Supper Club, Palm Springs
As a longtime Palm Springs resident, Sinatra likely had good knowledge of the restaurants and bars dotted around the city. One place he knew very well, though, was The Purple Room Supper Club. This restaurant was also a bar and venue — or, as Sinatra apparently called it, a “saloon.” As such, he was just as likely to perform there as he was to eat and drink in its large dining hall. When he did, the bourbon would flow freely.
It wasn’t just Sinatra that would regularly attend The Purple Room Supper Club, either. The joint was also a favorite of the rest of the Rat Pack, and as such, oozed ’60s glamor. The Supper Club has also been long associated with one of Sinatra’s most significant life moments: Apparently, it’s where he proposed to Barbara Marx, who would later become Barbara Sinatra. No wonder he held it fondly in his heart.
purpleroompalmsprings.com
760-322-4422
1900 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Dining and Cooking