By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — St. Patrick, meet St. Joseph.
While the rest of the city was busy munching on corned beef and cabbage and dressing up in green, Patsy's Italian Restaurant was preparing for a celebration in honor of another saint — St. Joseph, or San Giuseppe.
The famous Midtown eatery, once a favorite of Frank Sinatra and other Rat Pack members, is planning to cook up a Southern Italian storm this Saturday with a host of special dishes in honor of the annual feast, which dates back to the Middle Ages when tradition says a drought struck Sicily and residents prayed to St. Joseph for rain.
The signature item on the special menu is the sweet "Zeppole di San Giuseppe" dessert, described by chef and owner Sal Scognamillo, 49, as similar to a fried cream puff.
First, he mixes a thick, creamy yellow egg batter and then pipes it into circular donuts, which are placed in a deep fryer.
Once the oil stops bubbling, Scognamillo removes the puffs, slices each in half, and pipes on a pile of tangy pastry cream made with lemon and orange. The two halves are then re-joined and topped with a bright red maraschino cherry.
Another of Scognamillo's holiday favorites is pasta con sarde (sardines), a spaghetti dish topped with sautéed onions, grilled sardines, pine nuts and raisins. The dish is then sprinkled with toasted bread crumbs mixed with garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Scognamillo, 49, said his grandfather, Pasquale — or Patsy — first opened the eatery in 1944 and it has been on West 56th street ever since.
"I will never change grandpa's' recipes," he vowed.
The restaurant was one of Frank Sinatra's favorites in the city, introduced to him by bandleader Tommy Dorsey, Scognamillo said.
"I want you to meet this skinny kid from Hoboken, you've got to fatten him up," Dorsey reportedly told the elder Scognamillo when he introduced the two. Sinatra later used his own private entrance so he could sneak up from the street to a second floor dining room unseen.
Scognamillo said that he remembered celebrating St. Joseph's as a kid, just as he celebrated his birthday.
"It’s a way of remembering and celebrating your identity," he said.
But his favorite part? "Getting stuffed," he said, smiling. "Italians don't need a big reason to make a whole lot of food to chow down on."
St. Joseph's day also has a special connection for the chef: Scognamillo's middle name is Joseph, his father's name is Joseph, his 15 year-old son is named Joseph and his mother-in law-is Josephine, too.
