Frank Papa’s Ristorante
Growing up in St. Louis, Italian Restaurants are plentiful, with a wide variety and range of pricing but a lot of the same dishes. So when friends and family kept talking about Frank Papas, we figured it was just another Italian restaurant to put on our list. However when our friends decided to celebrate their anniversary there, and invited us to join, we were excited to see what all the fuss was about. And honestly, a lot of fuss could be made about this wonderful gem.
Frank Papa’s started 27 years ago in a brick building on Brentwood Boulevard where it still is today. The inside is warm and cozy without feeling stuffy. We had an early reservation, and we were glad that we did. We ended up staying for almost 2 hours and people just kept coming and coming. We were so happy to see this with restaurants just now opening back up and they are obviously doing well.
We started with some cocktails and a bottle of Italian Pino Noir which was very good. The waiter went through the specials and although they sounded fabulous, we all kind of settled on pasta. For me, I tend to order what a restaurant is known for, i.e. Italian/pasta, Steakhouse/steak, seafood /fish - you get my drift. (I have to note here that everyone says when you go here get the specials as they are always fantastic.). Anyway 4 of the 5 of us ordered pasta - Ziti Alla Carbonara, Tri Colored Tortellini Florentine, Linguettine Con Pesce, and Cannelloni. One of the group really just wanted salmon, which was not on the menu, however he asked our waiter if it was available and wanted it cooked a specific way. The waiter checked with the chef who said he did have some and could make it as he wished.
Although I only tried my dish, the Cannelloni, everyone was extremely happy with theirs as our table became very quiet while we all indulged. The salmon was prepared exactly as requested and our friend was very happy with his meal. As far as my Cannelloni - this is a dish I tend to order quite a bit at Italian restaurants. It is fairly consistent, I know the size of the serving, and its easy to bring some home afterwards. I honestly have to say this was the best I have ever had. The noodle was more of a crepe, thin and delicate but strong enough to hold the smooth filling of chicken, beef veal and spinach. This was topped with their marinara and bechamel sauce, which was flavorful and completed the dish. On the menu it says that it is a homemade specialty - and that it was!!! (although I still brought half home for lunch the next day)
We were having such a great time we had another round of drinks and ordered 2 of their desserts. The first was a tiramisu which is made in house and you could tell. Light, flavorful and fresh. This was wonderful. The crown jewel though was their Chocolate Ravioli. Phyllo dough, chocolate mousse, strawberries….the picture below tells at all. This is definitely something to try when you go there.
Frank Papas should be on your try list and would strongly recommend reservations. They also have catering and rooms for private parties as well. A shout out to our waiter, who was so informative, patient, never overbearing, and very knowledgeable. We are so glad our friends invited us to share their special day with them.
