FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa. – A popular restaurant in Lehigh County will celebrate legendary crooner Frank Sinatra with some of his favorite dishes and drinks, along with complimentary cannoli and wine, on what would have been the entertainer’s 110th birthday.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta, a full-service Italian restaurant at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill, will host a Frank Sinatra tribute dinner from 4-10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, chef and owner Giacomo Sgroi said.
Sgroi is a big Sinatra fan and wanted to celebrate the iconic singer and actor, who passed away in 1998 at age 82, with some of the entertainer’s favorite appetizers, entrees, desserts and cocktails.
“We’re going to celebrate his birthday in a big way!” Sgroi told 69 News.
“All adults will get a complimentary glass of wine to cheers his birthday, and all customers will get a free mini cannoli at the end of their meal. Of course, we’ll have Frank Sinatra music playing all day.”
The Frank Sinatra tribute dinner menu will feature a variety of a la carte options, including appetizers ($14-$18) such as clams Posillipo (littleneck clams served in a spicy marinara sauce with white wine, light anchovy paste and fresh herbs), stuffed artichoke (artichoke stuffed with breadcrumbs, pecorino Romano, light garlic and black olives served in a vegetable broth with potatoes and pearl onions) and clams casino (clams stuffed with breadcrumbs, diced pancetta, peppers, roasted garlic and onions in a fresh herb white wine cream sauce).
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
Soup and salad options will include chicken and rice soup (chicken broth, chicken breast, carrots, celery and rice) and an arugula salad (arugula, basil, almonds and raisins tossed in olive oil and white balsamic vinaigrette).
For entrees, starting at $28, customers will be able to choose from selections such as lobster fra diavolo, veal chop Milanese and “Sunday Sauce” (San Marzano tomato sauce slowly cooked with sausage, served with meatballs and fresh tagliatelle pasta).
There’s also a unique dish, dubbed “If He Was Still Alive,” that Sgroi created in tribute to Sinatra.
The house-made porchetta dish features pork tenderloin stuffed with roasted garlic, loose sausage meat, broccoli rabe and Asian pears before then being wrapped with pancetta. It’s served with long hots, potatoes, mixed peppers and onions in a white balsamic reduction.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
“The menu features a lot of Sinatra’s favorite dishes, and I did a lot of research on them, but there’s one dish that I’m calling ‘If He Was Still Alive,’ Sgroi explained.
“It’s a dish that if he was still living and came to my restaurant, I would’ve cooked for him.”
The menu also will feature one of Sinatra’s favorite desserts, lemon Italian cream cake, and Sinatra-themed cocktails such as “Nectar of the Gods” (Jack Daniel’s, splash of water, three ice cubes), “Fly Me to the Moon” martini (Beefeater gin, dry vermouth, 1 dash bitters and lemon twist) and “The New York, New York” (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, dash of cherry juice and Amarena cherries).
Sgroi operates Tinto with his wife, Victoria.
Prior to opening the restaurant earlier this year, the Sgrois, along with Giacomo’s father, Phillip Sgroi, opened Nonna Sulina’s – another full-service dining establishing offering “traditional Sicilian cuisine with an inventive twist” – in March 2020 on Bath Pike in Hanover Township, Northampton County.
Nonna Sulina’s sustained extensive fire damage in July 2024, forcing the family to shift gears with their new full-service establishment in Fountain Hill.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
Tinto features multiple dining rooms, a second-floor private party room and an outdoor deck and patio.
Hours are 4-10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 1-9 p.m. Sundays.
For reservations, call 610-419-0080.