REVIEW: Frizzante... Italian for "Mediocre Italian Food"

So, Fraud recently hit up Frizzante, the new Italian Bistro & Bar that opened in South Harlem on the corner of Frederick Douglass and 117th. (I should mention that when reviewing restaurants going forward, Fraud will hit the spot up at least twice before opining and do my darndest, paper allowing, to hit it up thrice times. Fraud always tries to hit it thrice times, baby...)


Frizzante's vanilla-wood decor is inviting and warm and a nice contrast to the (too often) detestable and poorly lit "Grown & Sexy" vibe of the 'hood's other higher-end dining spots. (You ain't got to fear Strobelight Honeys in this joint. It got that good light.) The restaurant goes for, and largely pulls off, a casual family dining experience, like a slightly upscale, less corporatized Olive Garden. In fact, both times I went it was littered with families, kids in tow--albeit, well-behaved ones (unlike these).

Fraud had high hopes for Frizzante. Like almost Obama high... Okay, more like Charlie Rangel high. I thought I was getting over, largely due to the fact that ALL the entrees are priced between $9-$15 (with most hovering around $11)! You read that right. But, as experience and the wisdom of the ages tell us: You tend to get what you pay for...


Started off both excursions with the mussels appetizer (Sorry y'all, Fraud has a thing for mussels. Promise to mix it up next time.). It's hard to screw up mussels and Frizzante avoids calamity by eschewing adventurism and its attendant risks, keeping it simple with a white wine and garlic sauce. Good enough. But... the pasta offerings were, well, pretty bland. The rigatoni in lamb ragu elicited a yawn as did both the cod special and the fusilli; the pasta noodles were also a tad tough, leaving Fraud assured not too much time was wasted (or spent) in their preparation. Fraud finished his meal thinking he could've made equal fare on his own... if he had the time. (But he don't.) For dessert, there was a chocolate ball full of chocolate, for lack of a better or less descriptive description, and a lemon cheesecake, both of which were probably pulled from a box in the freezer and dropped on me and the Ms.'s plates. In other words, no need to leave room.

Overall, a valuable and nice addition to the neighborhood if for no other reason than it's pretty cheap. The service is good and fast, the food more than edible (skip dessert though), and on both occasions Fraud was served by a seemingly authentic Italian-American, apparently to make up for the less than authentic food. A nice touch. Dude was accommodating too. On my second trip he allowed Fraud and the Ms. to bring in a bottle of wine despite the fact the restaurant had by then made good on its liquor license. He recommends you do the same i.e. walk in and sheepishly claim you didn't know the BYOB policy had lapsed. To the management of Frizzante: Bring back BYOB and just charge a corking fee. It'll only add to the homey vibe and certainly ain't detracting from the restaurant's thrifty positioning. I'm tellin' you...

Lastly, for the fellas, Fraud recommends Frizzante for gals more than a jump-off but less than a wifey. The spot should especially impress youngins new to the city that have yet to venture downtown to the more delicious and expensive establishments. You can get out of there for less than $40 reasonably assured you'll be "compensated" later. Confucius (and Fraud) say: Get 'em while they naive.

Final verdict: ONE THUMB UP, does down. Does as in deer, son. You get what you pay for at Frizzante, but that's not so much a bad thing. My dude.

Frizzante
2168 Frederick Douglass Boulevard at the corner of 117th
212.866.0526