Frankie is a former restaurateur turned author. He has released two novels, both part of the Antonio Cortese Mysteries series. The novels are of the mystery-detective genre, set in Italy. His first novel, Deception in Siena, was released in late 2021. The second novel, Missing in Firenze, in April 2022. More information about his books can be found on his author website www.frankcurtiss.com. Both titles are available through Amazon.com, or you can order autographed copies through the website. A third novel will be released in late 2022.

Frankie and his wife Rhonda owned a lively little Italian restaurant, Frankie’s Pizza and Pasta, in Redmond, Washington from 1993 to 2016.

Frankie says about himself “On a sunny June day in 1972, just after graduating from High School, God smiled on me. A cute little blond named Rhonda walked into the McDonald’s where I was working in Huntington Beach, California looking for a job. She got hired and a week later I asked her out on a date (fraternizing with the help — a big no-no!). She agreed, and the rest as they say, is history. I fell head over heels, and that December we got married at the fully mature age of 19.

The two of us attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, where I majored in photography; before getting swept up in my McDonald’s career, and Rhonda and I starting a young family. For a time, I managed the McDonald’s franchise in HB and then one on Coast Highway in Newport Beach.

Rhonda and I got the bug to escape the rat race of Orange County. In 1979 we visited friends in Woodinville, Washington. We liked it so much we packed up our Volkswagen bus, our two kids, and all our earthly possessions and headed north. We bought a house in Woodinville where we lived for 23 years and added two more children to our famiglia.

Rhonda did a stint as a full-time mom, while I continued my McDonald’s career, working directly for the corporation now. The career went well. I eventually moved into mid-management. McDonald’s was a good career and an excellent teacher, but I never considered myself a company guy. My creative, entrepreneurial spirit was just waiting to bust out. For several years I honed my concept and, in 1993, Rhonda and I took a big leap of faith and opened Frankie’s.

Neither Rhonda nor I had formal training as chefs. But we both love to cook and applied ourselves to learning the craft of Italian cooking. Rhonda and I have made three trips to Italy, immersing ourselves in the culture and food. But mostly, I’ve spent long hours in the kitchen, learning how to prepare traditional Italian dishes as well as creating my own original dishes from scratch. The best part has been enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Today our family includes a wonderful granddaughter, Teddy, who is the joy of our lives and my frequent helper in the kitchen. We have been blessed!”