F&F Restaurant and Bar
Pizza restaurant · Carroll Gardens ·
Sophisticated bar with deep wine list & craft cocktails
Sophisticated bar with deep wine list & craft cocktails
"F&F is from the same people behind two other spots on this list (F&F Pizzeria and Frankies), but it’s a little more grown-up than its predecessors. The tables are well spaced out, it’s never too loud (but it's also never too quiet), and the wine flows just enough but not too much. Bring your parents who always ask for the music to be turned down just a little, and share a few personal pies, the ultra-lemony scampi, and a slice of burnt cheesecake for dessert." - neha talreja, bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman
"For a spritz with less chance of lines, head to F&F Restaurant. During the summer, the elegant Italian restaurant has outdoor seating on a quiet corner in Carroll Gardens, and they open at 4pm. (The perfect time to log off and fake a dentist appointment.) If you get peckish (drunk), stay for dinner and order an impeccably charred clam pie." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, bryan kim, sonal shah
"After five years, owners Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli shuttered Franks Wine Bar, kept the wine selection and transitioned the space to an expansion of F&F Pizzeria. The former takeout only spot now has a dining room, too. The sit-down menu includes a handful of pies, pastas, big salads to share, calzones, carpaccio, and a Sicilian chicken. Note dine-in is Wednesday to Sunday." - Robert Sietsema
"F&F Restaurant in Carroll Gardens is from the team behind Frankies 457, an Italian spot with brick walls that trap in all the birthday songs. F&F is different. Here, the tables are spaced out, the wine flows at a restrained pace, and even that iPad kid in the corner is well-behaved. Bring family members who always ask for the music to be turned down, and share a few nicely charred pizzas." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"A long wooden table, with nothing but a giant jar of Castelvetrano olives and a couple of cake stands, sits in the middle of the dining room at F&F Restaurant. In a world of tiny two-tops and expensive rents, this might seem like wasted space—something you'd expect at a flashy spot like Carbone. Here, it's just a simple spot to rest your eyes and contemplate the burnt cheesecake. This is Carroll Gardens, not the West Village. At F&F, the tables are well spaced out, the music is neither too loud nor too quiet, and the wine flows at a relaxed pace. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute The two Franks behind adjacent Frankie’s (457) first used this well-like dining room for their steaks-and-spaetzle restaurant Prime Meats, then their wine bar Franks. With F&F, they've cracked the code. As an elegant but laid-back place to eat personal pies by candlelight, this is the most useful version of this corner spot so far. Thanks to a menu that leans heavily on pizza—including some hits from nearby F&F Pizzeria—eating here never feels too stuffy. The bubbly-crusted personal pies may come piled with maitake, or melted leeks and glistening fried guanciale—but each one leaves a dusting of pizza char across your paper-covered table. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute Order a few pizzas, but don't stop there. There's also a calzone slick with olive oil and filled with wild boar, and braised beef with gnocchi the size of jumbo marshmallows, which well-mannered kids spear up between iPad games. The shrimp scampi isn't the kind you'd find clinging to angel hair at a country club. It has a velvety sauce that would be too lemony if it weren’t so buttery, and too buttery if it weren’t so lemony, and as a result, is perfect. Finally, there's that cheesecake, which takes a trip to the pizza oven to tan to a dark, caramel brown before hitting the center table. Always share a slice—whether you're dining with your favorite couple, or family members who always ask for the music be turned down just a little. Food Rundown Arancini The arancini are a nice place to start. They’re filled with veal bolognese, and the exterior is thin and crisp, like the top layer of creme brulee. photo credit: Kate Previte Big Green Salad You’re going to eat lots of cheese, lots of dough, and possibly lots of meat here, and so you’ll need a salad too. As promised, it’s a big pile of tender lettuces and pale pink radicchio with a tart dressing that balances out all the meat and cheese. photo credit: Kate Previte Calzone Stuffed With Wild Boar And Ricotta The pizza dough here is excellent, and ordering a calzone means you get to eat as much of it as possible. It’s covered in black bubbles of char and oozing with ricotta and shreds of wild boar. You should never have to choose between this and a pizza. Get both. photo credit: Kate Previte Clam Pie The clam pie is a fan-favorite at their slice shop, and for good reason—it tastes like under-the-sea garlic bread. It’s more butter than seafood, but always worth an order, even if it’s also available down the block. photo credit: Kate Previte Coppa Marscapone & Grilled Cipollini Pie A coppa and cipollini onion pizza with a heavy drizzle of orange blossom honey goes a little too far into hawaiian pizza territory for us, but we respect the innovation. Guanciale & Leek Pie If you love a pizza with onion or garlic, this is the white pie for you. Here, the allium of choice is leek, and the chunks of guanciale provide some nice pops of salt. photo credit: Kate Previte Scampi With Polenta We’ve never met a shrimp we didn’t like at F&F. Sometimes over pasta, sometimes over polenta, the tender knobs of shrimp are not to be missed. They achieve a perfect balance of butter and lemon. photo credit: Kate Previte Brasato Of Beef With Gnocchi The Franks know how to slow-cook meat. Here, fall-apart braised beef is surrounded by a few marshmallow-sized gnocchi with a mochi-like chew. If any version of this is available, order it." - Willa Moore
