'Frank loved the classics of good Italian food - he preferred a good veal Milanese with a little salad on the side, while veal parmigiana and spaghetti with clams were also his go-to dishes,' Schoenegger notes. 'His guests were always interesting, and among them one night was Sinatra,' recalls the chef, who soon found himself preparing Frank's favorites at the legendary singer's own dinner parties.įast-forward three decades, and many of those same dishes are incredibly popular at Encore’s Sinatra. While serving as executive chef of San Domenico, an Italian restaurant on New York’s Central Park South, Schoenegger regularly cooked for Luciano Pavarotti, who resided in the adjacent building.

Theo Schoenegger is a talented, Michelin-rated chef, but here’s the ultimate reason he's the perfect person to oversee the kitchen at Sinatra: He cooked for Ol' Blue Eyes himself.