I’ve never had a bad meal at Frankie’s Spuntino (457 Court Street) the perennial Carroll Gardens favorite that’s about to birth a steakhouse and cocktail lounge. The place has a sweet neighborhood vibe and serves great food at reasonable prices and aside from the staggering waits for tables, I’ve always been happy there. That is until last night.

Craig and I were in for a later dinner and he was craving spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs at Frankie’s are large and plump, and on the sweet side of savory, dotted with raisins and pine nuts, and served in a pool of fresh tomato sauce. They come three to an order for all of $9. Cheap and delish.

But Craig wanted some pasta, too, so we asked for a side of linguini. “Sure,” the waitress said, “It’s $10 for a side of pasta.” We were stunned. “Ten dollars for a side of plain pasta?” “Yes, it’s a big side,” she said, with a grin not unlike one employed by a used car salesman trying to sell a lemon. “We give you a lot of pasta.” “We don’t need a lot of pasta, just a small side will be fine,” we said. “Sorry, we can’t do that,” she replied. “It’s $10 for a side of linguini.”

So basically they wanted to charge us more than the meatballs themselves for a plate of plain pasta (note that it is dried pasta, not house made). We declined the rip off, and ate the meatballs without the pasta, marveling at their nerve. I mean the profit margin on plain pasta is pretty huge as it is, even if you charge $3 or $4. But $10? Is it just me? What do you think? Share Your Two Cents, below!

Andrea Strong