Fratello's Restaurant

Greetings!

I hope you all had a most Happy & Safe New Year, but now it is January and back to business we go. And, news update, it is a pretty cold way to start the year. But we cannot let the cold temps and wind and snow and ice and lousy drivers get us down! No, mes amis, it is time to go on the offensive, to not let some crummy weather get you down and depressed and house bound! Why not proclaim your independence from these cold weather temps and head out for some good food and wine! Like, just saying, at Fratello’s, when this very weekend, cold weather and all, we will be preparing Boneless Beef Short Ribs, North Atlantic Flounder and a “mystery” Lobster pasta dish for your enjoyment. By the way, this “mystery” pasta is a mystery to me as well, but I have faith. We’d love to see ya’!

On the wine front, I am adding two new wines to our feature board, joining the Cabernet from Joel Gott. the Montepulciano from Italy and the Locations “E”, which by the way is not endangered anymore. They are a Priorat from Bodegas Mas Altas from Spain and a Pinot Noir from California, Highway 101. The Priorat comes from just west of Barcelona and is a blend of mostly Garnacha with some Carignan and gives one a good idea of this wine, which is one of the main wines from Spain. Garnacha, or grenache, is a very food friendly wine that will work well with our menu. The Pinot Noir comes from the Central Coast region of California and offers soft tannins and bright acidity, rendering it a very good wine either with food or on its own. Give them a try.

We hope you are well, and warm, and urge you to take care these cold days. We also would love top see you. Thanks for all your support in 2014, and let us all make 2015 a better year yet!

Ciao

======================================================Copyright © 2015 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

Greetings!

I hope Santa was good to you all. More importantly, I hope you all enjoyed a peaceful and wonderful Christmas. I imagine that for many of you the holidays have been rather hectic with all the festivities and guests, so may I suggest that you give yourselves a break this weekend and join us for dinner. We are featuring Black Grouper, Swordfish and Certified Angus Beef Center Cut Strip Steak. Let us cook for you, we’d love to see ya’!

Last week I mentioned several new wines added to our program, including the new Chianti Classico Riserva from San Felice and the Paso Robles blend from Three Saints, called 67. Both of these wines have been very well received, so consider trying them your next visit. I have added a new Malbec from Mendoza to our feature board,Altos Las Hormigas, which is a very good Malbec from perhaps the region best known for this grape. Deeply colored, medium to full bodied, this wine works well with our menu. I should also warn you that our supply of the red blend from Spain that we have featured for a long time, Locations “E”, is on very short supply, and I am told that there is no more until another container arrives from Spain. We are not out, but it is getting close, so consider this when you come in.

This email is my last one for this year, and I want to thank you for all the support and kindness that you have shown us again this year, as you have for so many more years in the past. We consider ourselves very fortunate as we reflect on this past year, which as with all years have had their ups and downs, but we remain optimistic as the New Year approaches. Thank you again for all your support, and let us approach 2015 with great hope, confidence and optimism, and together make it a most remarkable and wonderful year. Thank you again, and Happy New Years to all.

Ciao

P.S. We are currently sold out for our New Year’s Eve seatings, and I am starting to contact all of you who have signed up to confirm your reservations. But everyone is welcome to join us next week and the 31st to toast the New Year in properly. Take care, and a most Happy and safe New Year to you all.

======================================================Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

Greetings!

Well, it is almost here, the big day is fast upon us. I imagine Santa is giving a pep talk to his helpers about now, and the reindeer are gearing up for the big journey. And I imagine you all have been busy preparing in your own way for the days of celebration and joy ahead. If you have the time, we would love to see you this weekend, and we have some tasty specials to entice you (we hope!). Our specials include “Prime” Rib Eye Steak from the mainland, Mahi-mahi from the Pacific and Haddock from the Atlantic, so geographically we see to have most the bases covered. Of course, should your tastes run to Shrimp or Veal or Clams or Mussels or Eggplant or Pasta or Chicken or Calamari or…. we will have that as well. We’d love to see ya’!

I have added some wines to our wine list, plus I have some in stock that probably will not make it to the list because of supply but are available now. These include an excellent and highly rated Bordeaux style blend from the Paso Robles area of California by 3 Saints, called “67”, at $32/bottle, plus a new to us Cabernet/Shiraz blend from Australia, Bin 8 by Penfolds, also at $32/bottle. I am adding a new Chianti Classico Riserva to our list, Il Grigio da San Felice, which is also highly rated and a bargain at $29/bottle. We have a few bottles of a Nero D’Avola/Syrah blend from Firriato at $34/bottle, which comes from Sicily, and we still have some of the amazing new Chianti designation, Gran Selezione, also from San Felice, at $60/bottle. Not inexpensive perhaps, but I have tasted wines from Brunello priced much higher which are not as good as this Chianti. Lastly, I tasted the Cabernet/Syrah blend from Ferrari-Carano from Sonoma County, Prevail, with dinner the other
night, and I highly recommend this wine. It is an inky, lush, fruit forward medium to full bodied red, simply delicious. Just a thought. Hey, there is always Christmas Ale!!

Next week as always we are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but we are here for you on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The year is fast approaching its end, and I am compelled to reflect on our good fortune all these years in Avon Lake. The years have had their ups and downs, for all of us, and this year was no exception (remember the “Polar Vortex”?). But as I write this, today marks the completion of 22 years that we have been in business, and with many of the same staff all these years. My brother and I are truly fortunate and grateful for the work and help this staff has shown and continues to show us, and for the support and kindness you, our public, have shown us all all these years. We would obviously not be here without this support, and we are very grateful. It is indeed a special time of year, full with joy and promise, and we hope the wonderful spirit of this Holiday Season finds you at peace and well. Thank you all!

Ciao

======================================================Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

 

Greetings!

So far, so good. I mean, just look outside - as I write this, the sun is smiling, it really isn’t that cold - as we all know, it definitely could be worse. I imagine you might be busy getting ready for the big day, shopping and wrapping and card writing and cooking and…Well, if you are not too worn out, might I suggest something else that you can do that might be fun plus load your belly with some good food and wine. Why not join us at Fratello’s this weekend, when we will be featuring Black Bass, Swordfish and our version of Surf-n-Turf, which this weekend will be a Prime Baseball Top Sirloin coupled with Jumbo Sea Scallops. This time of year is hectic enough, so why not let us do the cooking and serving and cleaning-up for you, we’d love to see ya’!

I have added to our wine feature board an Italian red from Sicily, Etna Rossa by Firriato. This wine comes from the slopes of Mt. Etna, whose volcanic soil enriches the vines grown on its slopes. It is a medium bodied wine with good fruit and structure, and will work well with our menu. I also hope to receive another Italian red to add to the board this weekend which comes from Tuscany, specifically the Montepulciano area, which is primarily Sangiovese grapes. Another good wine to enjoy with our menu. Also, I am adding two excellent Chiantis to our program, both from the vineyards of San Felice, and both of which have received excellent ratings from the wine press. The Gran Selezione
Chianti Classico I mentioned to you last week, and this wine is nothing short of amazing, although the supply is very limited. The Chianti Classico Riserva, priced at just about half the price of the Gran Selezione, is also excellent, plus a very good value. Sangiovese, the backbone of Chianti, is among the major grape varietals of Italy and is extremely food friendly. I urge you to try it.

Our New Year’s Eve planning continues, and we still have some availability, especially at the 9:30 seating. Call for a reservation.

Thanks as always for your continued support and friendship. We hope you are well, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao

======================================================Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

Greetings!

It sure has been kind of a yo-yo this season, weather wise, non? We should be used to this by now, living here, but to go from the 60’s (which by the way sure felt great for December!) to the low 30’s within hours was a bit much, and made it seem all the more cold. All I ask is a little consistency please! Which, by the way, is what we strive to do here at Fratello’s, at least in terms of what we can control (hopefully). Like with service and most importantly the food. Take this weekend, when we will be preparing as specials “Pilot” Rack of Lamb, fresh Lemon Sole and Barramundi Fish, which I am told hails from New Zealand. And with our “regular” Fratello offerings - you know, Veal & Shrimp & Eggplant & Chicken & Pasta & Calamari & Clams & Mussels….- I am confident we can offer you a “consistent” good meal this weekend. We’d love to see ya’!

For careful readers of our local newspaper - and I know there is at least one of you out there - The Reckless Love red wine blend on our feature board was recommended as a best buy. This Cabernet/Syrah blend is sourced from Napa/Paso Robles respectively, and is a fruit forward,structured yet well balanced, medium to full bodied wine, good on its own or with our menu. Our supply is limited, so urge you to try it. I have also added to our wine program by the bottle a very good Chianti from Italy from San Felice, a well respected winery. This Chianti is in the very first class of a new designation in Chianti surpassing the “riserva” designation, called Gran Selezione. This wine is mostly Sangiovese along with other varietals which are unique to Italy, and is simply a gorgeous wine. More like a “Super Tuscan” and drinking better than many Brunellos I have tried, this wine is exceptional. Not inexpensive, yet at $60/bottle surpasses many wines which are more costly. I urge you to
try it on your next visit while we have supply, you have to trust me when I say it is worth it. By the way, Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate agrees with me apparently, as he awarded this wine a 94 rating.

Thanks to all of you who have signed up for our New Year’s Eve dinner, and while we have room for the 9:30 seating, the 7:30 seating is limited to two parties of six and we are on a waiting list for the 5:30 seating. Remember that I personally call each reservation to confirm that they are coming, and cancellations are not all that rare, so I have to use my overfill list often. Call and we will see if we can fit you in.

Thanks as always for your continued support and friendship. We hope you are well, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao

======================================================Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

 

Greetings!

We hope you all enjoyed a most enjoyable, delicious and Happy Thanksgiving, and a safe one for those of you who had to journey home last night after the feast. I suspect your tummies and refrigerators are full, you might be somewhat exhausted from the festivities of yesterday, and might be wondering what are you going to do today. Well, I say, it is time for Italian! (Some surprise!) As in food, and no, I am not talking about tetrazzini, as good as that can be. No, mes amis, I refer to such luscious offerings as Certified Angus Beef Flank Steak, Wild Stripped Bass and fresh Halibut from the Atlantic, all of which will be featured this very evening at Fratello’s. And items such as Parmigiana of the Veal, Chicken and Eggplant variety, Fratello such as the Veal and Shrimp and Chicken and Artichoke variety, Saltimbocca as with Veal, Rollotini as with Chicken or Eggplant, Calamari, Clams & Mussels, Pasta……If it fits in your schedule, we’d love to see ya’! Give your kitchen a
break, use ours.

As for wine, we continue to offer the Cabernet/Syrah blend from California, Reckless Love, on our feature board, where it joins such tenured members of the feature board club as the Cabernet from Joel Gott, the Spanish red blend made by a guy from California, “E”, and the very tasty after all these months Sangiovese blend from Ferrari-Carano, Siena. We have offered these wines for some time now by the bottle or by the glass, but I keep them because they are that good and continue to be very well received. But I do have other wines waiting in the wings, including some Pinot Noir from California, a Garnacha from Spain, and a wine from Argentina. Last week I mentioned the red blend from California, Machete, which is also made by the guy behind “E”, Dave Phinney. This wine earned a 93 and top 100 rating by the Wine Spectator in their most recent edition, and I am told that the supply is now sold out. Our supply is okay for now, but I urge you to consider this wine. Not
inexpensive, but a very good wine, as are all the wines that Mr. Phinney makes. Just a thought.

As always I want to thank you for your continued support. Remember to consider joining us this New Year’s Eve for our 5:30, 7:30 or 9:30 seatings. Call, do not email, for a reservation.

Lastly, in the spirit of the times, I want to say how thankful we at Fratello’s are for many, many things. We are very thankful for your support which has maintained us for 22 years this coming December, and we are thankful for the health which has enabled us to shoulder on all these 22 years. And I personally am very thankful for the staff that we have to make all this happen, many of whom have been with us many, many years. Some since the beginning! And we are very thankful for the relationships we have been able to develop with many of you, who have become friends as well as clients. Thank you all.

We hope you are warm and well, and look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao

======================================================Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

Greetings!

Quite a week we have had, non? And it looks like we may not be totally out of the woods yet, although Sunday does look promising temperature wise. But we all know the routine, and are aware that it could have been worse, like Buffalo (with all fondness and due respect to my friends from Buffalo), and “Polar Vortex” it was not, although it kind of felt like it. But carry on we must, as we are this weekend with some very good features. I will share with you that we are told that the weather back east has impacted the fresh fish offerings this weekend, but we still managed to get some #1 Grade Yellow Fin Tuna and Arctic Char for you to enjoy, as well as Certified Angus Beef New York Strip Steak. It looks like a warming trend is on its way, so maybe you can head out and join us, we’d love to see you!

On the wine front, the excellent Pinot Noir from Oregon from Hawks View has taken a hiatus from our feature board, although do not be surprised if it returns again. But as I have said before - many times - there is a lot of excellent juice out there, and I have other wines for you to enjoy. I am adding today an interesting red blend from California, Reckless Love, that combines in equal proportions Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa with Syrah from Paso Robles. The winemakers take a light hearted approach to their craft, as evidenced by what they share on their bottle, but they have made a well balanced wine with abundant fruit, adequate structure, decent tannins and nice finish. It is a fun wine that works well this time of year. I also want to remind you of the two excellent wines in our program that were very well rated by Wine Spectator recently. The Pinot Gris from Maysara from Oregon is called “lively, expressive and appealing” by the Spectator, which is all true, and you may
recall that I am a big fan of the entire Maysara line up, including two Pinot Noir that we also offer. Machete is a Petit Sirah blend from Orin Swift, and is another in the amazing list of wines from Dave Phinney that we have available. This wine offers fruit, body and structure as does Reckless Love, but with more depth. It is an allocated wine and will not be available very long, although I have managed to get a good supply for now, so I urge you to try it. Not inexpensive, but very good.

As always I want to thank you for your continued support. Remember to consider joining us this New Year’s Eve for our 5:30, 7:30 or 9:30 seatings. Call (440) 871-3054, do not email, for a reservation. We hope you are warm and well, and look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao

======================================================

Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

Greetings!

Well, it had to happen sometime. The white stuff fell from the sky today, and it looks like more may be on its way. Not shovel grade, thankfully, at least on our part of town, but come it will. But no need for despair, you can still join us at Fratello’s, enjoy a fine meal and wine in our dining room and pretend it is whatever season you want it to be. (Remember I said pretend, because once one heads outside reality hits again!) We will be featuring this weekend Golden Corvina Fish from Costa Rica, Sturgeon Fish and Buffalo, as in Bison, Short Ribs. I cannot do much with the weather, but we can offer you a decent meal. We’d love to see you!

On the wine front, I was pleased to read in the most recent Wine Spectator magazine that Maysara Winery from Oregon was awarded a best buy for their Pinot Gris. You might recall that I have lauding the wines of Maysara recently in these pages, not only their Pinot Gris but also their Pinot Noir, all of which we have available on our wine list. Actually we have two Pinot Noir from Maysara available, although the Pinot Noir Cyrus is not yet on our list. Another wine that Wine Spectator liked, and also available but not yet on our list, is a Petit Sirah blend from Orin Swift from California, Machete. The winemaker at Orin Swift is Dave Phinney, whose wines include Abstract, Palermo, Papillon and Locations E, and who was responsible for Prisoner and Saldo, all of which we have on our list. All of his wines display ample fruit yet are well balanced and work well with our menu. Machete is a blend of Petit Sirah, Syrah and Grenache, and is a medium bodied wine with sufficient
structure to be interesting. Spectator recommends these wines, and I agree. Give them a try. Plus Machete continues Dave Phinney’s inclination toward very interesting wine labels on his wines, and I dare say may be his most audacious labels to date. All on a good wine. Interesting.

Thank you for your continued support. Remember to consider joining us this New Year’s Eve for our 5:30, 7:30 or 9:30 seatings. Call, do not email, for a reservation. We hope you are warm and well, ad look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao

======================================================

Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain

Greetings!

Okay, I get it, outside is not exactly the weather we want to have, or for that matter what we have been enjoying (cheers for us!) recently. But in terms that we all can appreciate and relate to (unfortunately), it could be worse. Which, also unfortunately, is kind of what I am hearing that we will face in the near future. But do not despair, there is much one can do to turn that frown upside down, so to speak. Like, just saying, maybe head out to a nice little Italian restaurant for some tasty food and wine. Like, say, Fratello’s, where we will be featuring Chilean Sea Bass, Jumbo Sea Scallops and Prestige (not just any!) Pork Chops. I cannot change what may happen outside, but we can deliver good food and wine. We’d love to see ya’!

Winewise, as I told you last week, I added the Sangiovese/Merlot blend from Italy, “Oltre”, to our feature board and it has been very well received, so much so that I added to our supply this week. This is a medium bodied wine that works well with out menu, but also does well on its own. Off menu I have an inexpensive Cabernet/Shiraz blend from Penfolds from Australia that I liked, which again is both good for our menu and also on its own. I want to remind you again of the wines from White Oak from Sonoma and Napa, including a Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah that we offer, which are all very well made and good values considering the quality. Lastly, I remain a big fan of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from Maysara from Oregon, also on our list. These wines are very well made by this family run vineyard, and I urge you to try them. I think all the wines on our list and in our wine program are decent wines, otherwise I would not offer them to you, but I am especially
pleased when not only are wines very good but when I have some sort of connection to them, which is the case with both White Oak and Maysara. Well made wines, good values, made by decent people, you cannot go wrong.

Lastly, I want to mention again our plans for New Years’ Eve, as we are now accepting reservations for all size parties for seatings at 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30. Again, call us, do not email. We always have a good time, and we’d love to have you join us.

Thanks for your continued support. We hope you are well and adjusted to our weather and time changes, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao

=================================================Copyright © 2014 Fratello’s, All rights reserved.

Reservations accepted for parties of 5 or more.

(440) 871-3054
(440) 933-3380 in Lorain