In New York City’s restaurant culture, the Pellegrino family name is synonymous with some of the finest, most succulent Italian cuisine in town. Their reputation as an authority in the bistro business comes from the family’s legendary East Harlem attraction, Rao’s. Owned and operated by Frank Pellegrino Sr. Rao’s has become an institution among aficionados of fine dining. The apple certainly doesn’t fall far from the tree and Frank Sr.’s son, Frank Jr., is now the proud owner and proprietor of one of midtown Manhattan’s latest dining hot spots, Baldoria.
Maintaining the family’s reputation of attracting an impressive crowd, this relatively new dining locale, which opened in June 1st of this year, has already attracted notable personalities to its tables, such as Woody Allen, Mike Piazza, the cats of HBO’s The Sopranos, and Patrick Stewart.
The menu at Baldoria can best be described, according to owner, Pellegrino Jr. as, “an eclectic mix from various regions of Italy, but the majority of the menu is Southern Italian.” According to Frank Jr., who created the menu, the entrées will not alter much. Variation will appear in the way of seasonal specials that he says, “will add to the mix.”
The restaurant’s décor is “turn of the century” – early American. The name, Baldoria, means “festivity” in Italian and it accurately describes the atmosphere that infuses the place. Frank Jr. and his fiancée, Carla, drafted the design of the restaurant to reflect its welcoming and relaxed ambiance. “It is a place to enjoy yourself, hang out, enjoy your friends. It is a place to enjoy yourself, hang out, enjoy your friends. It is a place where your shoulders can come down instead of going up when you walk in,” says Frank Jr. Another indication of the stress-free frame of Baldoria espouses is the restaurant’s policy on dogs. When asked if pets were permitted on the premises, Frank Jr. candidly replies, “as long as they are not monster pets and are somewhat contained.” Dogs have been ever-present in Frank Pellegrino Jr’s life for as far back as his memories take him. He fondly recalls the canine patrol team of Giacco and his cohort Rip at his father’s restaurant, Rao’s, when he was just six years old.
The Pellegrino family’s most recent canine comrade was a Boston Bull Terrier named Leona, an inheritance from Frank’s uncle, Johnny. Reminescent of his childhood companion, Scruffy, also a Boston Bull Terrier, Leona fit right in. Following the footsteps of her predecessors, Leona instantly became the resident Pellegrino “spaghetti-house” hound. And when luck was with her, the beneficiary of a savory T-bone steak.
When Leona wasn’t at the restaurant making her rounds, she was enjoying the comforts of home. According to Frank Jr., “she used to have a really pretty bed, but she lost interest in it and acquired an affinity for comforters.” It’s rumored that Leona took to stealing the comforter from the master bedroom and would drag it to the kitchen for the day – quite a feat for such a small dog. After a few of these episodes, the Pellegrino’s thought best to get Leona her own soft, fussy comforter. The kitchen is also equipped with a 35” TV and VCR for when Leona wanted to catch that mid-afternoon soap or rainy day flick.
Retired from the city life, Leona is now taking it easy on Long Island with Frank’s cousin. She is sorely missed and is visited often by the Pellegrino family. Desperate to pick up a new dog, the family is entertaining the idea of gatting a miniature Maltese because of Carla’s fondness for the breed and his daughter’s adoration for dogs.
Frank Jr. admits that the family, due to their love of all animals, has considered getting a cat, but living in an apartment in New York limits the number of animals one can accommodate and the idea remains under consideration for now.
Never idle, this restaurant serves over three hundred meals a night. It’s growing popularity will soon put it atop New York’s restaurant connoisseurs’ “most-wanted” list alongside the ever-popular Rao’s. Pet friendly as well as people friendly, Baldoria provides the ultimate in home-style dining.
By Luisa Nuñez
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