Norcina chef and owner Kaitlynn Bauman, along with general manager Angelo De Lorenzi, have opened a companion bar to their restaurant, dedicated to local celebrity and goodest boy, Franklin — an English Labrador retriever who’s a regular at their restaurant.
Say hello to Frankie’s.
Located just five spaces over from Norcina, Frankie’s expands on the restaurant’s offerings with a full cocktail menu and some seafood bites from Bauman, thanks to a new Mugnaini brick oven. It’s a natural pairing; Norcina’s cozy space doesn’t lend itself to pre-dinner drinks or nightcaps when things get busy, and besides that, the restaurant itself only serves beer and wine. “We just think they really play off of each other,” Bauman says. “Everyone says Norcina feels like you’re in the kitchen just because of the pizzas being made right there. So we’re always like, ‘If that’s the kitchen, this is the living room.’”
Frankie’s showcases the fun side of Bauman and De Lorenzi. Case in point: the dapper painting of Franklin dressed in cravat and tailcoat by artist Dan Hampe that’s front and center at the bar. But that bit of silliness doesn’t undercut the fact that Frankie’s is serious about its cocktails. Not only does the bar feature eight drinks that will rotate throughout the year, but they go deep with a dedicated menu for Negronis and martinis, the two cocktails that Bauman and De Lorenzi enjoy the most. “They’re so simple, but by tweaking the ingredients just slightly, you can make very different expressions [of each drink],” he says.
A few of the Negronis on the menu are inspired by a trip to Italy that Bauman and De Lorenzi took, visiting local vermouth and gin producers. The Piemonte Negroni is an example of this, using gin and vermouth made by Elena Spirits, a liquor company by the Currado Vietti family, who previously ran the Vietti winery until 2023. The vermouth, meanwhile, is made with barolo and timorasso grapes, which gives the Negroni a different dimension. “If you make those small adjustments with different terroir, it becomes a totally different drink,” De Lorenzi says. “We’re trying to show people that not all Negronis are created equal.”
Frankie’s
Frankie’s
Continue down the Negroni list, and you’ll see another artisanal, albeit more local, version of the Negroni; Frankie’s Negroni is made with Griffo gin from Petaluma and Faccia Brutto aperitivo, along with a specially-made vermouth from Chris Beyer and his company, Veso, located on Treasure Island. The team also plays around with infused Negronis, such as the Farmer’s Market Negroni, which rotates with the season (currently it’s a lavender-infused gin paired with strawberry-infused Campari, and Cocchi Americano). There’s even a chocolate and espresso-laced Negroni, and a white Negroni made with Ki No Bi green tea gin.
For martinis, expect the menu to expand a bit past the usual offerings (although they’ll have some of the regulars on there, too). The filthy martini is their take on the dirty martini, this one made with Hendrick’s Gin, Veso’s olive vermouth, and a healthy splash of olive brine. Blue is one of two cheese-infused martinis, this one a blue cheese-infused vodka poured with Dolin; the Tableside Caesar is a martini-ized Caesar, made with Frankie’s Parmesan vodka and Veso anchovy vermouth. The Pub Special is an inside joke between Bauman and De Lorenzi, and a tribute to Marin Joe’s Restaurant, which notably served complimentary Ritz crackers with a cheese spread — this martini comes with a Ritz cracker with cheese pipetted on top. For garnishes, guests can choose between a selection of stuffed olives (feta, blue cheese, goat cheese, caviar, anchovy, and pimento are among the options), pickled onion, lemon twist, or “animal-style,” which is one of each. Notably, all martinis come with a sidecar, and the bar offers flights of both martinis and Negronis to sample across the menu.
Beyond those two drink menus, there are more surprises to behold. The bar also serves 50/50s, such as the classic Ferrari made with Campari and Fernet or the Lamborghini with lambusco and Midori. On the opening list of cocktails, Rita’s Moka Pot is their ode to a Milan restaurant and cocktail bar, and it’s a riff on the espresso martini, but made with Whistlepig 10-year rye and espresso, served in the distinctive moka pot. Meanwhile, the namesake cocktail, the Franklin, is a smoked drink made with Rittenhouse rye and amaro. Wines by the glass will be poured from 1.5 liter magnums, “Not just for drama — though we do love it for that,” the menu reads. Rather, they believe the size gives the wine less exposure, allowing it to stay fresher and age better. (Though they have normal-sized wines available by the bottle.)
Frankie’s
For food, a number of bites coming out of the kitchen will hit that gorgeous new brick oven. On the heftier side of the menu, there is a selection of four types of skewers, such as grilled hen of the woods mushrooms with a creamy egg yolk, or squid and scallions served with a “chile-churri and umami glaze.” Sandwiches are another fun section, with a pan con tomate option served on grilled focaccia with preserved tomatoes and boquerones; a lobster roll with preserved lemon aioli; the morti sandie, a “stacked mini mortadella sandwich,” per Bauman, with stracciatella cheese and cornichons; and Bob’s grilled cheese sandwich, an ode to a Norcina regular who always asks for a grilled cheese. There are raw Hog Island oysters with appropriate accoutrements, but the restaurant also offers a baked version with a flavor choice of ’nduja barbecue, Buffalo, or miso nori. Gambas al ajillo starring head-on shrimp is another option, as is a brown butter scallop dish made with lardo and black garlic. It’s “just really good, delicious bites that you want to have when you’re drinking,” Bauman says. “At least that’s what I eat when I’m drinking.”
Altogether, it’s a serious bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously. “Frank is roaming around most nights, it’s upscale, but not stuffy at all,” Bauman says. “Like us, we like to have fun, we want this to be a fun vibe in here. … This is just what we wanted, and why we opened this place. So we’re really excited.”
Frankie’s (3219 Pierce Street, San Francisco) opened on Friday, February 13, and is open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight. Beginning on Monday, March 2, the bar will open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. for breakfast drinks and sandwiches.