The Seafood Dish Frank Sinatra Would Always Order 2 Helpings Of At Patsy's

Hollywood singer, Frank Sinatra, looks quizically into a press camera shortly after a conference with the Rome press where he denied reports that he had been booed and cat-called off the stage of a Naples theater.

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While perhaps best known for his acclaimed work as a singer and Oscar-winning actor, Frank Sinatra was also a big foodie. In fact, his interest in food went beyond just eating in the best restaurants — he also had an inherent skill in the kitchen. The Italian-American artist’s classic spaghetti and meatballs recipe even lives on in celebrity cookbooks. However, considering the pressures of his career and fame, it’s not surprising that Sinatra mostly opted to eat out. For instance, he would get his steak fix from The Golden Steer, the oldest operating steakhouse in Las Vegas, which was also frequented by another famous singer, Elvis Presley. However, when Sinatra was in New York, he always loved returning to his roots and blessing his palate with food from Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.

One seafood dish at Patsy’s was the “My Way” crooner’s favorite. As a post on Patsy’s Facebook page noted, “Clams Posillipo was one of Frank’s favorite dishes at Pasty’s. He would often have two servings.” Sinatra was such a beloved patron of the restaurant that the owners and chefs made some modifications to this recipe just to match his preference. Apparently, he wasn’t a fan of garlic — the vegetable itself, not its taste. So, the chefs at Patsy’s had to find a way to incorporate the flavor of garlic into the dish without leaving pieces of the aromatic bulb in the mix.

How to prepare Frank’s Clams Posillipo

Clams in tomato sauce, served with bread and crushed pepper.

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Patsy’s standard Clams Posillipo recipe uses a generous amount of garlic — six cloves, to be exact. But since Frank Sinatra didn’t like biting into garlic pieces while enjoying his favorite dish, the Italian restaurant made some adjustments to cater to his taste. While their version for the singer (now known as “Frank’s Clams Posillipo”) still used six halved garlic cloves, the actual cloves were only present at the start of food prep. After sautéing the sliced garlic very lightly in oil, the restaurant’s chefs would discard the cloves before moving on to the next step. In doing so, the garlic flavor would remain in the dish. “He enjoyed the flavor of garlic as long as it was used with a light touch and was not visible in the completed dish,” Patsy’s noted in the same Facebook post.

Aside from Clams Posillipo, Sinatra’s dining experience at Patsy’s wouldn’t be complete without another go-to main, the classic Italian dish veal Milanese, which he preferred fried extra-crispy. This was also served with his favorite appetizer arugula salad dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and fresh basil. When not in the mood for salad, Sinatra’s other default appetizer at Patsy’s was stuffed artichokes. Much like his modified Clams Posillipo, the chefs at the establishment also prepared his artichokes in a way that he wouldn’t end up with garlic bits in his mouth with every bite.