Having quietly appeared on Washington Street towards the end of last semester, Frankie and Ava’s Italian Eatery deserves more attention than it has received. Perhaps it’s because the Eatery is yet another Italian restaurant/deli/pizzeria, and people just don’t really care; but here’s why you, my lovely reader, should: their food is decent and inexpensive.
Yes, I know I’ve broken my “no Washington Street rule” yet again, but technically Frankie and Ava’s is new, so no real issue there. Despite being Italian, this takeout, delivery, and dine-in place located between Second and Third Street seem to fill a niche that was not really filled before.
Walking in, the seating is rather sparse, but the whole minimalist thing definitely works to create the nice, yet casual atmosphere of a café. That ambiance manages to mix with the deli look of the menu, consisting primarily of sandwiches listed on boards on the wall and pizzas and other various items on display on the counter. Somehow, it all manages to work.
My partner and I decided on the buffalo chicken balls (super Italian, right?), Zecki wrap, and signature pizza. Whether dining in or doing takeout, all orders are placed at the register. A short while later our food was ready.
First, the pizza: with soppressata, long hot peppers, provolone, and homemade mozzarella, each bite had the bold, but not overpowering, heat of the peppers and the spicy and saltiness of the soppressata complemented by the creamy taste of the provolone and mozzarella. Disappointingly, the pizza was a tad bit oily and the crust was crispy but lacking in flavor. Perhaps we are spoiled with all of the brick oven pizza joints in Hoboken to the point where I can’t properly appreciate a pizza without that distinct charcoal flavor, so the lack thereof didn’t place them at the top of my favorite pizza places list. However, $10 for a pizza with gourmet toppings to feed two people is nothing to discount.
My partner happens to have a love of all things buffalo chicken, so of course we had to try the fried balls of pulled chicken. Surprisingly, they were actually good super filling but good. Crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside, they kept their shape and were not overly oily. My partner agreed, stating they were a great new take on the buffalo chicken concept.
The wrap, complete with chicken cutlet, prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted peppers, arugula, and balsamic, was good but not amazing. The cutlet was pounded thin but wasn’t overly tender and the mozzarella was not as creamy as it could have been. Perhaps it could have used a tad bit more balsamic to tie everything together. But again, for $8.50 the size and quality are nothing to scoff at.
Now you, the reader, may be asking yourself why I said you should know about this place. Again, the answer is simple: the prices are great for this high quality of food. Do takeout or delivery if you’re on the go, or dine-in if you’re looking for a casual yet nice date spot. I know that I will certainly be heading back.
