Sinatra's beloved Patsy's restaurant is opening its first location outside New York at the A.C. Hilton
The original N.Y.C. location
For years, Frank Sinatra begged the owner of his favorite restaurant, Patsy's on West 56 Street in New York City, to open up a second location in Vegas or Palm Springs, where he spent so much of his time in his final years. He could have added Atlantic City to that list.
Now, finally, there will be a Patsy's outside of Manhattan, at the Atlantic City Hilton, which, in an earlier incarnation as the Golden Nugget, was where Sinatra performed many times.
Sinatra wasn't the only celebrity who frequented Patsy's. Tony Bennett has been dining there for 50 years (his favorite dish is their Chilean Sea Bass). Other Patsy's regulars include Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Madonna, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand, Robert De Niro, Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Jennifer Lopez, Jerry Seinfeld, James Gandofini and David Letterman.
Patsy's at the Hilton is scheduled to open in mid June. Sal Scognamillo, executive chef of Patsy's and the grandson of the original owner, Pasquale Scognamillo, is supervising the creation of the new Patsy's at the former location of Caruso's. The executive chef is Frank Mulino.
It was 30-year Patsy's customer Nicholas Ribis, owner, vice chairman and partner of Resorts International, LLC (parent company to Resorts and the Hilton), who suggested the expansion to Atlantic City.
Says Ribis, "Anyone who knows New York City and authentic Italian cuisine knows that Patsy's is where it begins and ends. We're honored that the Atlantic City Hilton will be the only other Patsy's location in the world."
"I feel really comfortable about this decision," explains Sal Scognamillo. "This will be our little baby and we want someone to take care of it the right way. It's a big undertaking -- you know Italian people don't trust anybody -- but I don't have any reason not to trust these people. They're wonderful. If there weren't so many lawyers in the world, I think this could have been done on a handshake deal."
Tony Rodio, president of the Hilton, says, "Walking through the kitchen at Patsy's reminds me of waking up when I was 12-years-old on Sunday morning and my grandmother's got the garlic simmering in oil and the meatballs in the gravy.
"In today's world all we hear about are the celebrity chefs, and Sal is certainly a celebrity, but when I think of celebrity chefs, I think of pampered prima donnas, high maintenance individuals -- but a more down-to-earth person you won't find [than Sal]."
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| Patsy's owners with Tony Bennett and Nancy Sinatra. |
The Hilton put out a lunchtime spread of some of Pasty's favorites in April to announce the restaurant's opening. These included some incredible, tender meatballs (made only with veal, explains Scognamillo), the restaurant's hot and cold anti-pasta (the melt-in-your-mouth eggplant Rollatine was delicious), and Rigatoni Sorrentino. Other Patsy's favorites include Lobster Fra Diavolo, veal chop Siciliano, their signature chopped salad, tortellini Bolognese and penne ala vodka. The desserts included mini cannolis and creamy Tiramisu.
Scognamillo is all about family and he feels confident that the Hilton branch of Patsy's will continue that family feel. He will be training the chefs and other staff, most of them former employees at Caruso's, at his restaurant for a nine-day boot camp. He will continue that supervision and training the first week in Atlantic City.
"Nothing gives me greater pleasure than carrying on the legacy of my grandparents, Pasquale 'Patsy' and Concetta Scognamillo. People ask me what makes Patsy's special. It's still the same family since 1944. The recipes are the same. I never had any formal training as a chef. My dad Joe taught me and his father taught him.
"Atlantic City is the perfect fit for us. It's only two hours away. It's very important for us to have Patsy's here. Not just a name, not just the idea."
Backed by the big-band tracks of a 40-piece orchestra, Tomasello, who’s all of 19, is singing the songs of Frank Sinatra. What’s more, he’s channeling the music of Ol’ Blue Eyes on the same Atlantic City casino stage where Sinatra performed more than 30 years ago.
Chef Sal says: "Everyone will be getting a cookbook and a jar of Pasty’s sauce as part of the admission to the event. You have the food, you have the singing, and you have the dancing. It will be a wonderful night.”
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