Frankie Cee's Pizzeria - Little Italy, NYC

We were in Little Italy on the 4th of July weekend and were looking for a place to have dinner. Now, Mulberry Street is just lined with cafes and restaurants, so we didn't really know which one to pick. Most of them had all types of "promotions" going on, with waiters standing outside, trying to lure in customers. We decided to walk away from the popular and touristy part of Mulberry street, in search of something that will not put a huge dent in our wallets.

We found Frankie Cee's Pizzeria right at the edge of Little Italy. Unlike all the other places, there wasn't any smooth talking waiters, trying to lure us inside. All we saw was little checkered tables filled with people and the menu painted on the walls. It looked like a laid back place to have dinner, so we decided to give it a try.

There were all kinds of pasta, pizzas, sandwiches and Italian entrees available at very affordable prices. I later found out that this place used to be called Pizzeria Cee's and it used to be a market. Their pizza was so good and popular, that they decided to expand, put in tables and chairs and make it into a restaurant. The pizza seems to be a crowd favorite, with a steady stream of pizza pies coming out from the kitchen while we were there.

Check out all the condiments on the tables. You know you are in Little Italy when you can find so many herbs, cheeses and oil on your table :P Also, I just love the location our table. We could just sit back, relax and watch the world go by. Sitting there with our drinks, just people watching, makes me feel like we were in Europe and not in the heart of NYC! Must be due to the influx of sidewalk cafes/restaurants in that small area and the smell of fresh pizza, baking in the oven!

They had quite an extensive drinks menu, with all kinds of sodas, sparkling water, fruit juices, wine and beer. Kevin had a Sam Adams (which is part of his dinner set) and I had an Orangina ($2.50). Boy, it's been a while since I had an Orangina....so that was goooood! :D For those of you who have not tried Orangina before, you have to try it. It's sparkling orange juice with pulp! Yummmy yummy stuff!

Kevin ordered their pizza special. You get an extra large slice of pizza (either plain cheese or pepperoni) and a bottle of domestic beer/ glass of wine for $6. Not too bad of a deal actually. Kevin said that the pizza was really good, with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The thin crust was also very yummy.

I ordered the Ham Calzone ($5). This calzone was sooooooo good. I cannot believe the amount of cheese they had in there. I have always said that there is no such thing as "too much cheese" but really, there was just too much cheese in there! In a good way, of course! :P The moment I cut the calzone into half, the cheese just started to ooze out! I bet they just stuffed the whole block of cheese in there..lol! The dough was super yummy and baked just right. Very very nice. Also, I just love the marinara sauce that came with the calzone. Really flavorful with big chunks of tomatoes...definitely not the watery stuff that we usually get from the other pizza places. The calzone was so huge, I couldn't even finish it. Next time, we will just order one to share!

So, what was the total bill for all this food? Only $14.70 (and that's including tax)!!! What a good deal! This is even less than what we would pay if we were to get dinner from McDonalds! The only downside is that they do not accept credit/debit cards. Everything is cash only. They do however have an ATM inside the shop if you didn't bring along enough cash.
Overall, we had a great dinner. Awesome food, really friendly staff, affordable prices and a perfect view of Mulberry Street. What more could a person ask for? I would definitely recommend Frankie Cee's Pizzeria if you are looking for a no frills restaurant in Little Italy that serves awesome and authentic Italian food at really affordable prices.

Frankie Cee's Pizzeria - Little Italy, NYC,
186 Grand St.
New York, NY 10013
Tel: (212) 9252954
Fax: (212) 2269046