This Classic Italian Dish Was One Of Frank Sinatra's Go-To Orders

Frank Sinatra's talent as a musician and entertainer shaped him into one of the most widely recognized icons of 20th century American culture. Having recorded over 1,400 songs during his lifetime, Ol' Blue Eyes was regularly traveling and performing throughout his 50 year career. When he was in New York City and wanted some down-time, Sinatra often made his way to Patsy's Italian Restaurant, a staple eatery in the Big Apple, and his favorite by far. In fact, the restaurant, which has been open since 1944, claims it was Sinatra who made the eatery so famous. One dish he never passed up there was the veal Milanese, fried extra crispy. 

Sinatra loved Patsy's and its veal Milanese so much that he begged founder Pasquale "Patsy" Scognamillo to open a second location in Florida (the crooner spent a lot of time in Miami Beach) but his requests were fruitless. Still, Sinatra managed to get his favorite dishes flown from the restaurant to whichever city he was performing in at any given time, signifying the strong relationship between himself and Patsy's Restaurant. Patsy Scognamillo's grandson, Sal, who now runs the kitchen, published a cookbook with some of the restaurant's recipes (including the veal Milanese) in 2002 and it was Nancy Sinatra, Frank's daughter, who wrote the foreword, noting how much her father loved the restaurant.

Frank Sinatra's favorite dish, veal Milanese, was prepared by dredging thinly-pounded veal cutlets into flour, then beaten egg, and finally a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (the real deal Parm), oregano, parsley, and olive oil. The cutlets were then fried until crisp, browned, and served with lemon wedges. The freshly squeezed lemon juice sprinkled onto the warm veal is meant to add some acidity to the savory meat and is a nice foil to the rich, greasy dish. Sinatra rounded out his meal with an arugula salad and clams Posillipo, which are made with aromatics and tomatoes. We don't know if he ordered dessert, but of course, he may have just had his favorite cake (which you can now get at your local grocery store) brought to his hotel room.

Veal Milanese is based on a dish called cotoletta alla Milanese, a specialty from the Italian city of Milan. It's basically prepared in the same way that Patsy's prepared the version Sinatra loved so much, although some versions use bone-in veal chops as opposed to veal cutlets. If you can't find veal or want to opt for something more budget-friendly (or less controversial), consider chicken Milanese, which substitutes thinly pounded chicken breast in for veal cutlet. Steak Milanese is another option and will give you a more robust flavor than milder veal. A good cut to use for this version is top round or sirloin steaks.