Frank Sinatra's Go-To Steak Order (& Other Restaurant Favorites) Might Surprise You
When Frank Sinatra wasn't laying down legendary tracks, acting in films, and being an all-around icon of the 20th century, he was often seen on the town, eating, drinking, and socializing to his heart's content. If Sinatra liked the food at a particular restaurant, he became a regular there — something many of his favorite restaurants cash in on to this day. He had a major soft spot for Italian-American eats, but The Chairman of the Board didn't pigeonhole himself to one cuisine. He also loved a good steak, prepared in one of the fashionable methods of the mid-20th century.
Whether eating something trendy or classic, what Sinatra looked for in food was heartiness and great flavor. If he were around today, Sinatra probably wouldn't be keen on overly manicured plates that posture style over substance. No, he'd be holding court from his favorite booth in a generations-old restaurant, chatting about the good old days with the owner. Then again, some of his go-to places might not be what you'd expect.
In his 82 years, Sinatra frequented a mixture of homestyle eateries and star-studded supper clubs. A native of Hoboken, New Jersey, he had a string of haunts in his home state and New York City. He also loved Chicago, and spent a lot of time in Las Vegas and Southern California during his Rat Pack era. In every city, he found restaurants he liked, with food and company he could count on. These were some of his favorites.
Steak Diane at Melvyn's in Palm Springs
The only steak that could hold a candle to Sinatra's showmanship was Steak Diane — and by hold a candle we mean burst into literal flames. Steak Diane had its heyday in the mid-20th century when Sinatra was already a bonafide star. Sinatra liked to order it at Melvyn's in Palm Springs. Melvyn's is a restaurant inside the Ingleside Estate, a luxe Palm Springs hotel dating back to 1922.
Melvyn's opened in 1975. The tucked away retreat, known for its discretion, became a go-to destination where Hollywood's elite let their hair down — Sinatra included. He didn't just love the taste of Steak Diane, he loved the presentation. Feet from the table, a filet sizzles in a pan of butter and herbs, then ladled with sauce. Traditional Steak Diane sauce contains mushrooms, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Cognac or brandy (Melvyn's uses brandy). Moments before serving, the chef flambées the contents of the pan, sending up an impressive yet brief torrent of flames.
Table 13, a corner booth by the door, was reserved nightly for Sinatra if he decided to drop by for a bite. His steak Diane was paired with Jack Daniels and water on the side. Sinatra enjoyed Melvyn's so much he had his wedding reception there in 1976, when he married his third and final wife, Barbara Blakeley.
(760) 325-2323
200 West Ramon Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92264
New York Strip with Pizzaiola Sauce at Golden Steer Steakhouse in Las Vegas
Sinatra's Vegas years were spent reveling in life's finer indulgences, and a fine steak dinner was very much a part of that experience. One of his go-to haunts in Sin City was the Golden Steer Steakhouse, where he loved to order a New York Strip steak with Pizzaiola Sauce, especially after one of his hallmark performances in one of the casino hotels.
The Golden Steer Steakhouse opened in 1958. By the early 1960s Sinatra and his bacchanalian boys' club, The Rat Pack, were regular fixtures at Both 22. Sinatra always ordered his steak medium rare, and was a fan of Golden Steer's Pizzaiola Sauce — a garlicky, stewed tomato sauce originating from Naples, Italy.
For Sinatra, no steak dinner was ever complete without a side of Jack Daniels. According to Golden Steer employees who served Sinatra back in the day, three fingers of Jack Daniels and two ice cubes was the order. Always one for a little sweetness and excitement, Sinatra was also known to dig into some Bananas Foster for dessert — flambéed tableside.
(702) 384-4470
308 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102
Italian classics at Patsy's Restaurant in Manhattan
Sinatra's enthusiasm for dining out is well documented, but the restaurant he favored above the rest was Patsy's in Midtown Manhattan. Why? Because it tasted like home. Patsy's Restaurant, owned by the Scognamillo family, has been a close-knit family operation from the beginning. Even to this day, there have only been three chefs to oversee the restaurant kitchen. Patsy's family-oriented nature drew Sinatra into becoming a repeat customer — as did the food. Veal Milanese, pounded extra thin and fried extra crispy, was one of Sinatra's go-tos. He also loved the stuffed artichokes, fusilli with anchovies and garlic, and Sausages Pizzaiola with peppers and meatballs.
Patsy's was such a haunt of Sinatra's that he was given his own private entrance to his favorite table, tucked away in the back of the dining room. Sinatra's loyal patronage led other high profile celebs to Patsy's. Cary Grant, Rosemary Clooney, Liza Minnelli, and Goldie Hawn among Patsy's numerous fabulous fans. Patsy's owners considered Sinatra family. One year, sometime in the 1950s, a down-in-the-dumps Sinatra asked to reserve a table for the following night, not realizing it was Thanksgiving. Patsy's was supposed to be closed, but opened up just to make sure Sinatra didn't spend the holiday alone.
(212) 247-3491
236 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
Barbecue Ribs at Twin Anchors Restaurant and Tavern in Chicago
Chicago was Sinatra's kind of town and Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern was his kind of place. It opened in 1932, and is one of Chicago's oldest restaurants today. Twin Anchors is renowned for its slow-cooked barbecue ribs, and the fact that Sinatra loved them.
Sinatra was a Twin Anchors patron on and off beginning in the 1950s. He always sat in the same booth and ordered ribs with mild barbecue sauce and a side of coleslaw. An old school spot with great food were two of Sinatra's most sought-after qualities in a restaurant and Twin Anchors possessed both in spades — it also helped that the establishment was more than willing to cater to Sinatra's requests.
Whenever Sinatra and his pals wanted to dine at Twin Anchors, a call was placed to the restaurant in advance. The restaurant got his favorite booth ready, a boothside telephone had been installed so Sinatra could make calls — unlike the other restaurant guests when Ol' Blue Eyes was in the house. Sinatra's bodyguard would stand beside the public phone, ensuring no one could spread word of his presence at the restaurant. For those lucky enough to already be there when Sinatra stepped in, he made time to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans ... after he finished eating.
Twin Anchors Restaurant and Tavern
(312) 266-1616
1655 N Sedgwick St, Chicago, IL 60614
Veal Milanese with Rigatoni Pomodoro at La Dolce Vita in Los Angeles
La Dolce Vita has been a longstanding ode to New York City's Italian red sauce joints since it opened in 1966. And it's no wonder — Sinatra used his pull in the music and film industries to invest in the restaurant's opening. La Dolce Vita delivered on the potential Sinatra saw in the venture. He was a regular guest at the Beverly Hills eatery, which served classic Italian fare like Rigatoni Pomodoro and one of Sinatra's all-time faves, Veal Milanese.
Sinatra preferred to eat in La Dolce Vita's lounge area with a group of friends. Sinatra was a meat lover, but didn't shy away from a salad if it was done right. He was known to eat his Veal Milanese and pasta with La Dolce Vita's arugula salad topped with shaved Parmesan. While the menu's changed since Sinatra was a regular, the restaurant remains a Beverly Hills institution. La Dolce Vita was closed for three years in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but reopened in the spring of 2023.
(310) 278-1845
9785 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Pepper and Egg Sub from White House Subs in Atlantic City, New Jersey
No matter how famous he became, Sinatra was always a Jersey boy at heart. And like many Jersey folks, Sinatra had a go-to sub shop in Atlantic City. He favored White House Subs, now regarded as a landmark Atlantic City eatery. Sinatra held a particular fondness for the Pepper and Egg sub, a White House signature which he would often send his security guards to order on his behalf. White House Subs' original location on Arctic Avenue opened in 1946 and is still going strong today.
Over the years, White House Subs has served some of the most famous faces in the world, including Johnny Carson, Muhammad Ali, Oprah Winfrey, and The Rolling Stones. Photos of White House's many celebrity guests taken on visits to the shop line the walls. Also on the wall is a glass case containing a pink hand towel Sinatra used during his final Atlantic City performance at the Sands Hotel and Casino in 1994. The kitschy artifact was provided by a stage tech who worked at the show.
(609) 345-8599
2301 Arctic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Jarred cherry peppers and Sambuca at 21 Club in Manhattan
Sinatra was a man who knew how to have a good time, which made him a welcome regular at 21 Club in Manhattan. In its decades-long heyday, 21 Club was a who's who of the celebrity world, where you were required to dress up before you could get down. Sinatra was a foodie alright, but he didn't really hang out at 21 Club for the food. No, Sinatra (who happened to be very comfortable in a suit and tie), ascended on 21 with some seriously high-profile companions — including Ms. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was quite the N.Y.C. socialite in the 60s and 70s.
Though he was known as a lifelong Jack and Daniels man, 21 Club's exclusive vibe made Sinatra gravitate toward Sambuca Originale. At the time, the Italian anise-flavored liqueur wasn't easy to come by in New York liquor stores — a fact 21's staff was well aware of. The establishment was reputed to cater to the quirky predilections of its superstar guests, which is why they ordered in Sambuca from New Jersey. It was also why a supermarket jar of cherry peppers was religiously kept in the fridge. For reasons we aren't meant to understand, Sinatra liked to complement his Club 21 Sambuca sessions with a few lashings of pickled red peppers — heartburn be damned.
Pollo Vesuvio at Piero's in Las Vegas
Italian food in Las Vegas was a win-win for Sinatra, who by many historic accounts, brought tourism to Sin City through his frequent live performances there and general affinity for Sunset Strip's nightlife. Piero's, which is located just outside of the Sunset Strip, was a place where Sinatra could unwind and enjoy a nice meal. The restaurant was called Villa d'Este when Sinatra first dined there, back when it was mostly known as a mobster hangout. Sinatra's Italian mob ties were something he was never able to fully shake during his lifetime, but underworld crime aside, he loved popping into Piero's to order the Pollo Vesuvio.
Named for the volcano near Naples, Italy, Pollo Vesuvio is a hearty dish of chicken, garlic, oregano, and wine, with chicken skin crisped in the oven. The dish gained momentum in 20th-century America by way of Chicago, but Sinatra's hankerings for it were best documented at Piero's. In 1982, while performing at Caesars Palace, Sinatra let out a little belch onstage. He quickly explained that his dinner at Villa d'Este was to blame, the place that served some of the best Italian food in town.
His admission packed the restaurant for weeks. Piero's remains a venerable Vegas eatery, but it's a little different from how Sinatra knew it. As of 2024, the restaurant no longer keeps Pollo Vesuvio on its menu.
(702) 369-2305
355 Convention Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Combination Plate No. 1 at Las Casuelas in Palm Springs
Sinatra's move to Palm Springs in the late 1940s brought a swagger to the before-then sleepy Southern California hideaway. He had a similar effect on Las Vegas, where steakhouses and Italian eateries fortified their staying power. In Palm Springs, however, Sinatra embraced the culture rather than shifting it. One of the truest examples of this lies within one of his top restaurant destinations in the area, Las Casuelas.
Owners Mary and Florencio "Del" Delgado founded Las Casuelas in Palm Springs' downtown Palm Springs in 1958, becoming the first proprietors of a Spanish colonial hacienda restaurant in the United States. From the start, the Delgados fashioned Las Casuelas as an ode to their homeland of Mexico. Everything from the architecture to the food was authentic. Sinatra was happy to brush off his prominent Italian persuasions for some tried and true Mexican.
The Delgados eventually expanded their restaurant into multiple locations. Over the years, Sinatra stuck to the original Las Casuelas and the Las Casuelas Nuevas in Rancho Mirage. What did he order? Florencio Delgado says Sinatra's favorite was Combination Plate No. 1, which includes a single taco, enchilada, and tostada.
(760) 325-3213
368 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Chicken Chow Mein at Jilly's in Manhattan
Always one to help out a friend, Sinatra was a regular at Jilly's in Midtown Manhattan because his longtime bodyguard and pal Jilly Rizzo owned the place. Sinatra liked to eat at Jilly's but for him it was mostly a drinking spot — and you better believe the Jack Daniels was flowing for the Chairman of the Board.
Unlike Sinatra's most lauded hangouts, Jilly's served an interpretive rendition of Chinese-American fare. When he was hungry, the Chicken Chow Mein hit the spot. Jilly's was above all, a social place for the crooner, who was known to roll up to dinner with over 20 guests in tow. Interspersed with the Cantonese inspired eats on Jilly's menu were "the groovy-est steaks for the hungry-est swingers" and a cocktail list advertised as "Tranquilizers."
Jilly's had a good run. It opened in the 1950s and closed in the early 1980s. The original location isn't totally out of commission though. Today it operates as the Russian Samovar, which was established in 1986.
Italian Wedding Soup at Camille's Roman Garden in Providence, Rhode Island
The restaurant scene in New York and New Jersey blipped higher on Sinatra's food radar, yet that doesn't mean he turned a cold shoulder toward New England. The region is home to many authentic Italian American restaurants, and Sinatra found a winner in Camille's Roman Garden of Providence, Rhode Island. The restaurant just goes by Camille's these days, but the revered establishment gives true meaning to old school — its origins date back to 1914, one year before Sinatra's birth.
When Sinatra dined there, he made a beeline for the classics. A savory bowl of Italian Wedding Soup was among the items he ordered, an innocent act he would have to explain some more about later. His pre-concert meal at Camille's was partly to blame for his subsequent burping onstage (something the crooner answered for more than once). Upon excusing himself, Sinatra gave Camille's quite the endorsement. He stated that his belch was a happy result from the wonderful food he had eaten there.
(401) 751-4812
71 Bradford St, Providence, RI 02903
Chicken and Waffles at Wells Supper Club in Harlem
In music and in life, Sinatra was one to take a cue from his friends. That's exactly how he became a frequent flier at Wells Supper Club in Harlem, a historic restaurant that popularized chicken and waffles. The energy of Harlem's jazz scene was indomitable in the 1940s and 1950s, and Sinatra was very much a part of it on account of his personal and professional relationships with icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole.
It was Cole who introduced Sinatra to Wells, where late night eats were in high demand among the city's jazzy set. The wee a.m. hours were a core inspiration behind chicken and waffles origins, as the dish is part breakfast part dinner. Anne and Henry Wells founded their supper club in the 1930s, with a mind to bring Southern Creole sensibilities to the city that never sleeps. Sinatra was a fan, and was known to dine there before its eventual closing in 1982.
Banana Cream Pie at Chef Vola's in Atlantic City, New Jersey
After 82 years of sucking the marrow out of life, Sinatra was buried with the essential accessories he carried along the way: a bottle of Jack Daniels, a pack of Camels, and a Zippo lighter. If he'd truly had it "his way," 'Ol Blue Eyes might also have been laid to rest with a slice of banana cream pie from Chef Vola's in Atlantic City. These days, eating at Chef Vola's requires a reservation placed months in advance. Naturally, Sinatra didn't have to deal with such trivial formalities.
Established in 1921, Chef Vola's was a speakeasy slash boarding house that evolved into a legitimate Italian-American restaurant. Hefty portions of veal Parmesan and other classics are a well-worn calling card at Chef Vola's, which won a James Beard Award in the "American Classics" category in 2011. Sinatra on the other hand, who probably ate his weight in breaded veal many times over, was more enamored with Chef's Vola's dessert. Current co-owner Louise Esposito is well aware of the Sinatran lure behind the banana cream pie, but don't count on the recipe going public. Like many illustrious Italian haunts, Chef Vola's keeps all of its recipes a family secret.
(609) 345-2022
111 S Albion Pl, Atlantic City, NJ 08401