The bustle of diners has returned to a newly renovated space at 159 New York Avenue, as a new restaurant with an Italian dinner menu has emerged featuring a daily brunch that’s available seven days a week.
The former home of Tropicana Restaurant has been completely transformed into a new venture dubbed The Franklin, which saw a gut renovation of the space that lasted several months. They officially soft opened on Tuesday, trumpeting their arrival with a post on their newly created Facebook page.
The Franklin is a BYOB experience that serves a brunch menu every single day starting bright and early at 7 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. The menu features a plethora of eggs benedict varieties, ranging from the more traditional Florentine or lobster cake to a more unique chorizo and guacamole or truffle mushroom and grilled polenta.
Other brunch items on the menu include steak and eggs, several choices of omelets including a build-your-own option, and Brioche French toast. A few salad and sandwich options like a breaded chicken mole sandwich or the Franklin Burger featuring burrata, chorizo, and guacamole are included for those looking for something on the lunch side of brunch.
The Franklin shuts down for two hours and then re-opens for dinner at 5 p.m. Their evening menu is a bit more Italian-flavored and includes starters like an antipasto platter, truffle potato balls, and crabcakes. A section devoted exclusively to pasta and risotto includes dishes like lamb sugo pappardelle, orecchiette and sausage, and trofie carbonara with lump crab, pancetta, and peas.
Entrees on The Franklin’s menu include a grilled hanger steak, seared scallops, or a pan-seared branzino. The mains at dinner are a bit pricier than the restaurant’s brunch options, running in the $20-$30 range. Desserts including bananas foster, semifreddo, and a berry tart round out the menu.
The Franklin serves dinner through 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and closes at 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant is in the process of launching their website and can be followed on Instagram at the handle @thefranklinjc.
