WORCESTER – I Love Frankie’s, Worcester’s Best Pizza may no longer be Worcester’s best kept secret, and for good reason.
Owner Frank Abbatecola has seemingly mastered the hand-tossed New York-style 24-inch pizza.
The small pizza shop on Vernon Hill — at the corner of Dorchester St. and Providence St. — has barely had a moment to breathe since opening its doors in January. I Love Frankie’s offers various salads, calzones, pastas, hot sandwiches, wings, garlic knots, and desserts.
Abbatecola owned a similar shop in Denver, where he also delivered the pizzas he made. He moved back to the Worcester area last year to be closer to his daughter, Lily.
Since opening I Love Frankie’s, Worcester’s Best Pizza, the shop has made a name for itself — not only on Vernon Hill, but throughout the city.
“I brought what I was doing in Denver up here. It hasn’t changed. Some items aren’t available here yet, but will be soon. The regular cheese pizza (plain or with toppings) is a customer favorite,” Abbatecola said. “Our signature pizza is our traditional margarita.”
Besides ordering their classic cheese pizza, if you want something a little bolder, I Love Frankie’s has everything BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Pizza, to Baked Ziti Pizza.
In the initial weeks after opening, Abbatecola and his crew made it through an onslaught of pizza orders and learned how to handle hundreds of orders in a single day. And that experience isn’t stopping Abbatecola’s future plans. He hopes to expand his business and the menu.
“I always overshoot no matter what in life. I hope to expand to at least three or four more pizza shops. I aim high. Some surprise dishes that I want to eventually have on the menu are a vodka sauce pasta dish and a gourmet Philly cheesesteak,” Abbatecola said.
While making pizza in his new home of Worcester, Abbatecola is overwhelmed with the amount of support and kindness.
“I feel like I’ve been here the whole time. I love interacting with Worcester. Everyone is so wonderful. It’s a great experience. This is a blessing and I’m very humble, I appreciate everyone supporting us. I feel grateful to be a part of the community,” Abbatecola said.
I Love Frankie’s, Worcester’s Best Pizza is located 90 Providence St. To place an order online, click here or place an order by phone at 508-753-5353.
Images courtesy: I Love Frankie’s, Worcester’s Best Pizza
