First Impression: Franklin Café Tavola Calda

franklin-cafe-by-tribeca-citizen2I had dinner at Franklin Café Tavola Calda last night—it’s the new restaurant at West Broadway and Franklin—and I have a few things to add to the profile I wrote about it. First, there’s no liquor license yet, which I should have asked about beforehand; the good news is that Maslow 6 is across the street and open till 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Second, there was a sense of fun about Franklin Café that was impossible to gauge from an empty restaurant. When the manager, Luca, came by to ask how we were doing, I mentioned—for my own sanity—that the same Latin-lounge version of Coldplay’s “Clocks” was about to play for the third time. So he switched it to “That’s Amore,” the staff gave all of the hanging light fixtures a push—creating a zany, funhouse effect—the pizzaiolo demonstrated tricks with dough, and everybody in the restaurant clapped along. Finally, and most importantly, the thin-crust pizza was delicious.

 

1 Comment

  1. We had dinner there last night also and really enjoyed it. Definitely a fun place and very unique for Tribeca. Food was excellent except for a marscapone-less tiramisu that Luca quickly apologized for and took off our bill. We’ll definitely be back.