Figlio: The cat is out of the bag

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Figlio: The cat is out of the bag

Posted by: under Restaurant news Updated: September 24, 2009 - 6:33 PM

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Figlio is history, but its "Hello, Kitty" replacement isn't far behind.

By Rick Nelson

Uptowners are growing accustomed to a new reality: A Figlio-free Calhoun Square.

The Hennepin-and-Lake anchor closed its doors Saturday night after an impressive 25-year run, but owner Parasole Restaurant Holdings isn't wasting any time. The restaurant's interior (which, sadly, was not preserved to live again as a 1980's period room for the Minnesota Historical Society) has already been demolished to make way for Figlio's replacement: Il Gatto.

The name (Italian for "the cat") has been a semi-secret for weeks, although it shouldn't come as a surprise to any Uptowners with a pulse, as Parasole has been dropping all kinds of witty previews-of-coming-attractions over the past few weeks. The "Cat Ciao" t-shirts, worn by Figlio staffers, were a particular favorite of mine, although when I heard the name for the first time, all I could think of was this scene from Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" (hold out until about 2:45, and wait for the musical punctuation following Grace Kelly's declaration; that's the sound that flashed through my brain).

"We've teased folks about to the limit, but people are getting close to figuring it out," said Parasole guru Phil Roberts.

It's all good, clean fun; besides, it got your attention, right? Personally, I love how Roberts has a sense of humor, a rarity in the often too-serious restaurant world. As he said to me a few weeks ago, "We're not doing the Lord's work here, we're just running restaurants."

Il Gatto it is. Look for a mostly-Italian menu and a November-ish opening.

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