Baby, it's cold outside so you know what that means...

....carbs, carbs, and more carbs! As most of you know, I can't turn down a carbohydrate (or chocolate, for that matter) and when the temperature drops, the noodle soups and penne alla vodka turn up. It also doesn't help that my boyfriend only eats (and hence shares with me)foodstuffs that end in parmigiana or bolognese.

So, during a recent chilly night, we ventured to Lil Frankie's, the most casual of the three Frank restaurants. Decked in vintage "heirlooms" and catering to a variety of pastavores (from LES hipsters to UES yuppies), the aroma of heavily seasoned marinara sauce immediately hit me square in the face.

First, we started off with mussels marinara that was served with the most incredible peasant bread I've ever tasted. The airy, thick slices sopped up every ounce of marinara deliciousness and the mussels were hearty and plump. Definitely a great way to prep the tastebuds for what was to come.

We then shared a thin-crust margherita pizza that was probably the most forgettable dish of the night. In my mind, it was merely a barrier to the main event: hearty gnocchi and mezzi rigatoni with baby meatballs. (Don't worry, there were three of us. Ew, that's still an exorbitant amount of food.)

Now, I know I JUST posted about the most delicious gnocchi at Da Silvano but Lil Frankie's gnocchi were a terrific poor man's version of the Da Silvano classic. The thick, blood red sauce coated each little pillow perfectly and the freshly grated parmigiano cheese was evident yet not overpowering. The mezzi rig was probably the weakest pasta dish since I prefer meatballs that don't look like turds. Once I got past the appearance, they were pretty tasty but probably would have soaked up better flavor as a meat sauce instead of mini-meatballs.

Considering the low price-point, cool atmosphere, and abundance of cold weather Italian comfort food, I will definitely be returning to this little gem.