You know what I heard
this originally was,
this, this location?
This was the original
Frankie Spuntino.
Don't worry about
the German guy.
He's gonna be there,
anyway.
This was the entrance.
You come in here.
>> How's my hair?
Makeup!
Hi, I'm Frank Castronovo.
>> And
I'm Frank Falcinelli, and
we're Being Frank
in Sicily.
[MUSIC]
This episode of
Being Frank is Sicily,
the whole island.
>> Normally,
we come to Sicily for
our olive oil harvest.
>> Oh, my god.
>> Nothing's glitzy.
Nothing's shiny.
Everything is like farmy.
>> Work, rest, or play.
This falls under work,
rest, and play.
>> Oh, god.
>> You can get all
of those in one box?
What's
better than
that.
[MUSIC]
>> [LAUGH] Being-
>> Frank.
>> That's awesome.
>> Okay?
>> Perfecto.
>> Ciao, ciao. Gratzie.
>> That was a good one.
[SOUND].
>> Holy shit.
I mean, you can
get some real serious
weather in Sicily, man,
I'm telling you, boy.
>> It's clearing, it's
clearing up out there.
>> Look at this view,
man.
Check this out,
man.
This is Sicily, man.
This is fucking Sicily.
>> So,
right now we're going
to meet Tommaso Asaro.
Tommaso is
third generation
of Asaro family in
the olive oil business.
>> Here we are,
home base.
[MUSIC]
>> Bongiorno, what's up?
How's it going?
Just give me a big hug
instead of two kisses,
you know?
>> I met Fnanks in 2004.
And one day, I told them,
I want to make something
special for you, because
I see that you are doing
different than all
the other restaurants.
Then I say,
okay, let me do a bottle
of olive oil for you, for
your restaurant.
You have, you know,
your special oil.
I put my quality in
with your brand.
Besides the business,
we have a personal
relationship.
Every year now, we
have kind of a commitment
that they have to come in
October, in Sicily
to celebrate the and
see the productions, and
see the farm, and see the
family, spend some time.
>> Let's go.
>> Let's go.
>> I'm starving.
>> Let's go, man.
>> Usually, when we
get off the plane,
it's pretty much overload
straight through.
>> Now,
we're going straight to
the restaurant, whoo!
>> It's freaking
delicious, man.
We're gonna eat
really well.
>> Come on in, guys.
>> Let's do it.
[MUSIC]
>> This year went up
by eight.
This is eighth year man.
>> Yes, and it's our
eighth anniversary.
>> I've been dating
Tomaso for eight years.
It used to be a truck
driver's restaurant.
So, it's where you
could eat good, and you
could eat inexpensively.
You'd go in there, and
they have a wood burning
grill, and they have
a wood burning oven.
>> We got anchovies,
provolone, and
kasamata olives.
That's like
the antipasto, and, and
it's still coming.
>> Are you
fucking kidding me?
A Sicilian joke.
>> Don't ever eat
the appetizers.
The squid ink is so
sweet, man.
>> We all have
black mouths right now.
[LAUGH] A lot of
pasta in Sicily, man.
>> A lot of pasta.
You got to take some
laxatives when you
travel to Sicily.
You get stuffed up, man.
>> [INAUDIBLE] to
tell you that.
>> We're going to
the farm.
>> We're
going to the farm.
>> Going to see our farm.
>> Yes.
>> My farm.
>> Yes.
>> Our farm.
>> Our farm.
>> Gratzi.
>> Salude.
>> Gratzi.
>> I need my sunglasses.
It's nice and sunny now!
>> I'm ready for a nap
under an olive tree.
Oh, check this out.
Welcome to the farm.
[MUSIC]
>> Explain
the significance of
the Frankie's olive oil.
>> It comes only from one
farm, the farm, our farm.
It's organic, and
it's DOP.
It means that this
product, it grows only
in this area, and is
processed in this area.
It's crushed in
this area.
It's bottled in
this area.
>> This is all organic,
too.
You can tell,
because the fruits
are just a little bit not
perfect, you know?
They got some spots, and
insect bites.
>> We
don't put any fertilizer.
We don't do irrigation in
the summer.
>> Check out
these these jammies.
>> There is no
irrigation.
>> This is just natural
olives that they get the
water and the humidity
from the ground.
>> If I
lived on this farm-
>> If you lived
on this farm,
you'd be bored as fuck.
>> [LAUGH].
>> If I lived,
if I lived on this farm,
I would have,
I would have some
other things, besides,
besides the olive trees.
>> Yeah.
>> We are going to
pick some big trees.
Let's walk a little bit.
>> They range, but
we have some 500 year
old trees on our farm.
As a matter of fact,
Tomaso said a couple
of the trees are ours.
They got our names on it.
[LAUGH].
>> [LAUGH] Tomaso,
face it, you don't know
where the biggest olive
tree is, do you?
>> Although by
their federal law,
you can't move them.
You can't kill them.
You, we, I mean, we could
basically look at them,.
>> Yeah yeah we're,
we're renting them.
>> Can you bury me
under the tree?
Underneath the tree,
I want to be buried.
>> Even though I
won't be here, and
you won't be here,
the tree will be here and
it can be for your
daughter, for my son.
They can.
So, you know what?
I
have a tree in your farm.
>> I love it.
>> They always wanna go
to the same place all
the time.
One of those places
are where is a friend of
mine has a restaurant in
the middle of nowhere,
on a farm.
>> Do you know where is?
You go with and you go in
and out, and in and out.
And then, at some point,
you think you.re,
you go off road, and you
think you're off road,
and then that's
only halfway, and
then you go off,
off road.
I mean,
who the fuck would ever,
ever think that there's
an amazing restaurant on
a road like this in the
middle of nowhere, man?
>> This is the only
thing keeping this
restaurant from
getting Michelin Star.
>> There is no sign,
no, no, no lighting,
even the cell phone
doesn't work there.
>> And you come up to
what's his driveway,
which is another,
you know,
really, really
rural road.
When you think
that there's,
there's not a soul
around, and
then straight up the
hill, and you get up, and
you arrive into a big,
like, arena parking area.
>> Ar, fucking, digna.
Ar, fucking, digna.
>> You might be full for
the rest of the trip
after this, man.
And it's packed to
the gills with Sicilians
having a blast on
a Friday night.
[MUSIC]
Partying, weddings,
birthdays.
It's pure, it's natural.
I mean,
it's a restaurant, but
it feels like you're
at somebody's house.
>> There's more
Buenos Aires playing
around in there.
There's fucking
Buenos Aires everywhere.
You gotta duck.
>> Vino y vino.
>> Totee.
>> [LAUGH].
>> Live from Ardigna.
[CROSSTALK] We call
it Ar fucking digna.
.
>> No!
[LAUGH] Ar fucking digna.
>> It's Salvatore, man.
This is his fine
establishment.
>> Here comes
the antepasto,
watch out, guys.
>> Don't OD on this.
We got so
much shit coming, man,
it's ridiculous.
>> The history of
the Ardigna is
a very simple one.
It was born from the love
I have for my wife.
Her dad asked me if I
wanted to open
a restaurant with him.
I came here for
a week on holidays, and
it was stronger than me,
and after a year and
a half, I bought it.
It's been all mine for
15 years now and
I've made it
how I wanted.
>> He redefined
the word antipasto.
Like, his Sicilian
mountain antipasto is
like endless.
>> Prepare for
a food coma.
>> If I stop now,
I might actually leave
without being sick.
I just want one more
piece of tripe.
>> He's using every
part of the animal,
every part of
the vegetable, and
he's combining it
with the culture.
It's ridiculous, and he's
got a smile on his face.
>> If guy opened
in New York,
we'd be out of fucking
business, man.
So, those we're
the appetizers.
Now we're really
ready to get down and
do some eating.
>> Eggplant?
>> Oh god.
>> You gotta get out of
the place before he,
he just keeps
sending food out.
>> You ever see
that picture of
the bear that ate
the guy, the hiker?
There's a photo of his
sneaker, his sock, and
his leg looks like
that with the bone
standing up.
>> Apparently, that bear
spent most of the time
hanging out
with that dude.
And then,
when it came time to eat,
he was like,
I'm gonna eat my friend.
>> Get in on that, man.
>> No, no, no,
you get it though.
>> So, I think the, the
key is we say the pamasa,
or time for dessert.
Let's get some cannolis,
and get out here, man.
>> Lunch was great,
dinner was great.
We got two great
meals already.
We've only, we've only,
we haven't even been
here for 24 hours.
Right?
[MUSIC]
>> Thank you.
Want, they want to
give you a ride.
Here, look.
>> I'll sit in the back,
man.
How old are you?
>> Ten.
>> Ten?
Okay, just wanna
make sure.
>> The highlight was
discovering that Tomaso's
little son, he said he
was ten, is nine, drives.
>> Drove us around.
>> Drove us
around in a car.
>> [LAUGH].
>> Ten years old.
>> Oh!
Easy on the brakes.
>> [LAUGH].
>> Slow.
Put it in park.
>> He's got it.
>> Park?
Park
>> All right, man.
>> Let's go talk
business, man.
We gotta work on
the olive oil for 2013.
>> To the officina.
>> Numero uno,
doing business with them,
it's you have to do
the business on the,
on a Frankie's way.
>> I told him,
I says, you can't use
this canned, dude.
>> This is olive
oil plagiarism.
>> The way that they
really work is not the
classic American way that
they give you so many
email, just information,
then you have to get it.
>> After this
,we're gonna go
check out the oil, right?
>> Yeah.
>> You're
actually pressing some
of the Frankie's oil?
>> Yeah, we
are pressing right now.
The oil.
>> So we're going to
go taste some, right?
>> Getting ready to
check out our olive
oil production.
>> Oh boy-o, we're
at the front door-o.
>> This is the work
part of the work, rest,
and play.
You can't play
all the time.
The fontoya is
the factory where they do
the press.
>> Fontoya means
cold press machine.
>> That thing is
going 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
>> The whole valley
brings their olives to
that fontoya.
>> I don't know if these
are just fucked up, or
they're organic.
>> We've got the ugliest
damn olives in the whole
frigging land, but they
are the most delicious.
Weeee!
>> All this machinery
is specialized for
olive oil production by
this company, Detoni.
They make good stuff.
>> The best one.
>> The olive press,
it's turning it, and
crushing the olives.
Makes it into a paste,
and
then it gets spun, and
the oil comes out of it,
which we're gonna
see over here.
[MUSIC]
That's olive water.
>> All right,
going for it.
>> Like Italiano.
>> Olio nuovo is all the
olive oil that's pressed
right after it's pressed.
So, the new oil in
direct translation.
>> Everything now
is olio nuovo.
>> This is good oil.
>> This is my oil.
Thank you, brother.
Oh, my god.
That's our oil this year.
Cheers, man.
>> [LAUGH]
Cheers.
This is truly
[CROSSTALK].
>> To health, man.
To health.
Everybody who sees
our olive oil says,
why is it so
bright green?
It's because
it's organic.
It's because it's pressed
four hours from picking,
the same day.
That is why you get that
neon green color, man.
>> Wait,
hold on a second.
How old are you?
>> Ten.
>> You're nine.
He's nine years old.
[LAUGH] He's not ten.
>> Ten.
>> He's
>> Yeah, I know.
[SOUND].
>> Nine year old,
nine years old.
[MUSIC]
>> In my family it's
very formal, that we have
a big dinner with friends
and family and customer.
>> We happen to
be playing and
working right now.
We're not doing
a lot of resting.
I've got Jack Nicholson
in The Shining.
Here he is.
And we're gonna
be cooking at
Tomaso Assara's house,
at the Asara Mansion.
>> I need a little,
little sticks
to get started.
That's perfect.
You know, this is my
Boy Scout training.
>> Give me a little
olive oil.
Give me a little
splashy-splash.
>> Here we go, now we're
getting somewhere.
>> Once we get
the ignish.
>> Only Sicilians light
a fire with olive oil.
>> Oh my god,
there it goes.
>> Ashes to ashes,
dust to dust,
olive oil to olive
branch is a must.
We're cooking with
olive oil in Sicily.
>> Part of
being Frank is,
you wind up
cooking dinner.
So, right now,
I'm just making
a little marinade for
the, all
the grilled stuff.
So, some basil, some
citrus, some hot pepper.
>> It's the way we do it.
You know, it's family.
Like, we, we see
the people every year.
They look forward
to seeing us.
Everybody's in
the kitchen,
everybody's pitching in,
everybody's having fun.
It's the way I
grew up cooking,
it's the way he
grew up cooking.
>> Yeah.
>> And
it was like, you know, we
just, like, fit together.
It was just like that.
>> Mama, how do you
make the pesto?
>> You put olive
oil inside.
>> You put garlic.
>> You blend it, and then
you add the tomatoes.
>> Yes, yes.
>> We call it the top and
easy pesto.
>> It needs
a little more salt.
>> Salt!
>> [MUSIC]
These are cooking
up perfecto.
Hallmarks of
Sicilian cooking-
>> Great, great products.
>> There's certain things
that are indigenous, and
you can't, you can
recreate them, but
it's not,
it's not the same.
You know, they make great
Pinot Noir in California,
but it's not burgundy.
You know, and
they make great cheese
in upstate New York, but
it's not, you know
>> Get ready for
the applause.
>> [APPLAUSE].
>> Speech, speech,
speech, speech!
>> I want to say
thank you for
your hospitality, Sicily
and the Asaro family, and
thank you for
the fine olive oil.
We love it.
>> Yeah!
>> Yeah!
[APPLAUSE].
>> We love you.
Now, in Italiano.
[MUSIC]
>> We were in
Palermo side,
which is the west
side of the island.
And now we're on the east
side of the island.
>> We love this city,
Katanya.
You know,
one of our best friends,
Regata Riccardo Sciuto
[LAUGH].
>> Regata [LAUGH].
>> What have you got?
>> What's up,
>> [LAUGH].
>> We're eating at
a place where they make,
we're eating at a place
where they make this.
[LAUGH].
>> That was good.
>> I mean, it is
definitely pleasurable,
but we come to, we come
to do business, as well.
You know,
we have our Setti Anni
Peppers over here.
So, we have to come and
visit them.
>> Want some shells?
>> No.
>> You sure?
Walking on the beach.
[LAUGH].
>> Why don't you tell us
what it's like scheduling
things with Sicilians?
>> Sort of like
catching a wildcat in
a back alley, man.
>> [LAUGH] We have,
we have detours.
Like, we'll be at home,
and we'll be going to,
like, here, and
we'll wind up there.
These guys take it
to another level.
>> Their heart is always
in the right place, and
their intentions are
always trying to like,
please you, and
to make it better than
what you expected.
But sometimes,
better what you,
than what you expected is
taking you off track, so.
>> We stopped
off in Bronte,
which is outside of
Catania, for a rice ball.
>> Don't worry,
we're just
gonna get a rice ball.
>> You know, meat, peas,
little bit of
tomato inside.
The Bronte is where
the pistachios are grown.
We open it up, and
what comes outside is
green pistachio cream.
And we're like,
look at that shit man,!
>> We got our
minds blown.
>> I wanna learn
how to make this.
I got to make this shit,
man.
>> We knew it got
in the middle, but
we didn't know if
they froze it and
made a ball out of it,
which a lot of chefs do.
They pipe it in, which
a lot chefs do with stuff
like that, or Harry
Potter it in, you know?
That's a technique that
a lot of chefs use.
>> We fucking bamboozled
our way in there, man.
And we got to the,
can you show us how to
make these rice balls?
And Nunzio was like,
of course.
>> Let's do it!
>> Yes!
>> So,
first he shows us how to
make the technique.
>> Son of a bitch.
>> See that technique?
>> Dude, he does
the crucible technique.
>> It's not so simple.
>> But when you know it.
>> Until you know it,
man.
>> And then after the,
showing us the technique,
which was like half
of the Da Vinci Code.
>> like, oh,
how about the filling?
>> [LAUGH].
>> Yo, can we make
the cream with you,
from the top?
>> Now that I have
your can I have your
>> When he woke up
this morning, he was not
expecting to do this.
>> He started putting
it together, and
lo and behold.
>> So easy, man.
>> So, ham, onions,
pistachio, bechamel.
>> I love doing onion
with a serrated fucking
bread knife on
a slippery metal table.
>> That's what you call
improvisation, man.
>> If I don't cut my
fucking finger off here.
Another important thing
to note about doing
pastry is, you, normally
it's an exact science.
Nunzio's figured out
how to do it by eye.
He's just like, a cup of
this, a pinch of that.
>> He's done it
a thousand times.
>> See?
>> Hit it, baby!
Flambe.
Flambe.
>> Sometimes,
the Frankies'
detours work out.
>> Just put it all
in there, baby.
Jean Niall.
>> Okay.
>> You are so fine.
[LAUGH].
>> We just got five
new menu items.
If you,
we didn't came back here,
we would have
been guessing for
another 20 years.
>> All right.
>> That was sick.
Delicious!
>> That was it,
we found it, man.
Next place,
Setiani Peppers.
>> The Setiani
pepper trip is,
is not an annual trip.
I mean, you think it's
hard to get to Sardinia?
This place is, is-
>> It makes Ardini
look like cutting wet
toilet paper.
>> That goes for
any, any great location,
any great spot.
You know, like,
you have to persevere.
You have to really wanna,
you know, go the extra
mile, and find these
great locations,
because if it's
easy to get to,
anybody can
just get there.
>> We're gonna
get here and
like, David Chang's
gonna be here, like hey,
what's up?
>> No.
>> I just bought
all these peppers.
I'm thinking that You
don't wanna look out
the window, but
it looks like the edge of
the road, sheer drop, and
then it's just
beautiful mountain.
>> Lush.
>> You're at the back
side of Mount Edna.
>> Does he have
to go fast?
Take it easy man.
It's like, when I ski
down the mountain,
you do the same thing.
[MUSIC]
>> For somebody that
doesn't like driving in
the back seat of a car,
I'm still percolating.
But it, it's worth it.
>> [MUSIC]
>> Here we are.
Pintagro, he does all
the pickle products,
finances by himself.
>> I got enough food here
for the rest of my life.
>> Hey [LAUGH].
>> For the rest of my
life, I could eat and
be healthy.
He doesn't use any
preservatives.
[FOREIGN].
>> [FOREIGN].
>> [FOREIGN] Nothing,
nothing, nothing.
>> He's a small
operation, like,
the kind of thing that
most Italians did at
home, most farmers
did at home.
They would always
harvest their peppers.
They would take
their tomatoes,
they would harvest them.
And then they would
jar everything up,
like, grandma style.
And basically,
this guy has got, like,
a large scale grandma
jarring operation.
They do a setiani pepper,
truly remarkable product.
So, what he does is he
pickles his pepper one
year, and
then the following
year gals split it.
>> And then they stuff
them with anchovies.
They stuff them
with sardines.
>> And store it in
sunflower oil that they
press on the farm.
Nobody carries this shit,
man.
Nobody even
knows about it.
>> It's definitely one of
those, you know, there's
a lot of little treasured
spots around the world,
and around Italy, and
around everywhere.
It's like, you know,
Benton's bacon, Benton's,
you know, Allen Benton
does a great product.
This is like Allen
Benton's Sicilian style.
>> There's
a few people in
this world that come
into this world, and
they create, and they
make an amazing thing.
This guy is one of them.
>> Look,
I've got goosebumps!
>> The goose pimple for
what he's say.
>> Me too!
>> [LAUGH].
>> Me too.
>> I wanted to
make this product,
because I was
a photographer.
>> During weddings
I walked around and
saw what they were
feeding people and
I could see that it
was all garbage.
>> Yeah.
>> One question.
When are you coming
to New York?
>> [LAUGH] I'm
scared of flying.
>> He's scared of flying.
>> [FOREIGN].
>> All the great ones
are scared to fly, man.
>> Take the boat,
like our grandparents.
>> [FOREIGN].
>> It worked.
>> You never not get
food in Sicily, man.
You're not even like
in the door yet.
They're hitting
you with music.
They're hitting you
with antipasta.
>> It's one of the best
places on Earth, man.
>> It started that we got
there, and we just had
the most euphoric
experience coming in.
They had a big
buffet out,
the wine was pouring.
I mean,
I was high as a kite.
And then Frank is like,
yo, come here.
He's like,
you gotta do this thing.
>> This is a mom and
pop operation.
They have no
certification.
They don't have
anything labeled.
They're focused on the
quality of the product.
And we spotted that
seven years ago, and
we're bringing,
bringing the product in.
>> The peppers arrived
in New York, and
there was no
label on the jar.
It was ridiculous.
So, the peppers
got stopped.
We paid for peppers, and
the Shuntos paid for
the peppers, and
Tomaso put money on for
the peppers, but the
peppers are in limbo, and
we needed to
square that up.
We were received,
we were hugs,
kisses, we love
each other, and
then sit down, and
all of a sudden,
this dude comes in who
I don't fucking know.
>> And then all of
a sudden he's like-
>> I was like,
who the fuck is this?
>> Scusi, and
he likes goes off on us.
>> [FOREIGN].
>> [FOREIGN].
>> Wait a minute.
What's going a minute?
>> Things are really
heating up here.
>> I don't understand
a word they're saying.
>> I had already
put all the,
you know, the negotiation
points in,
between Tomaso, and
Ricardo, and Salvatore.
And then it was like,
okay, go,
because the whole thing
was in Italian, and
my Italian is,
like, viente.
>> Especially they
speaking Sicilian, so.
>> And he was sleeping.
[LAUGH] He's like,
wake me up
when they come to a con,
a conclusion.
>> When you get to
a good point, man,
wake me up, man.
You know, so, we
straightened it all out.
>> What's up, man?
>> So, just in clo,
just in closing,
happy that we cleared
up the problem.
Frank and my, Frank and
myself look forward to
doing business
in the future.
>> Yeah, yeah.
[FOREIGN].
>> I don't know
where he came from,
but I love him.
[LAUGH].
>> [FOREIGN].
>> [FOREIGN].
>> Muhammad Ali, yeah.
Out of nowhere over here.
>> [FOREIGN].
[LAUGH].
>> Did you see that?
>> I, all of a sudden,
I was like, he was all,
hey,
>> I was like,
anyway, we took care of
what we needed to, and
we had fun doing it.
[MUSIC]
It was an epic Being
Frank experience, because
we're not negligent of
any phase of our life.
>> Bash it,
bash it, bash it!
>> We got work,
rest, play, and,
you know,
everybody benefits.
>> You!
Me!
You!
>> Veni, vidi, vici!
Munchies.
I love this Frank thing
you have going on here.
Tomaso, and the Saro
brothers and sons, and
everybody in the family
that's over,
love them all.
They're amazing people.
>> Just sprinkle my
ashes here when I die.
[MUSIC]
Welcome to Mexico City.
>> Hey.
>> It's America's Ate
Convention where all
the chefs from around the
world come and convene.
>> Good afternoon,
everybody, and
thank Rico Vera for
having us.
>> Is this fucking
America's hidden
camera show?
>> We're gonna do
Frankie's A pujol.
>> Dim the lights,
different kind of music,
more Grateful Dead
inspired, and
we put an apple
on the table.
>> [LAUGH]
>> Is it more bean or
more egg?
>> Beans.
>> A lot of,
a lot of beans.
>> This is Being Frank,
amigos, in Mexico City.
