Turns out it's never too late to right a wrong.
At least when it comes to Figlio, the Uptown grand dame that closed in 2009 after a remarkable 25-year run. Parasole Restaurant Holdings pulled the plug on its flagship in favor of a gimmicky reboot called Il Gatto, which sputtered out after two years. The prime Lake-and-Hennepin real estate is now occupied by the appropriately named Primebar, which opened last week.
Phil Roberts, the Parasole kingpin responsible for Figlio's demise, doesn't sugarcoat the situation. "Closing Figlio was the biggest fucking mistake I've ever made in my life," he said. "I had no idea of the reservoir of affection and brand equity that came from serving a thousand people a day for 25 years."
That intense loyalty and name recognition weren't lost on Kam Talebi, the savvy CEO of Kaskaid Hospitality, operator of world-dominating Crave. Which is why Talebi is reviving the storied Figlio name in the Shops at West End space currently occupied by his Sopranos Italian Kitchen (5331 W. 16th St., St. Louis Park, www.sopranosmn.com). "We're privileged to bring an iconic brand back to life," said Talebi.
Diners with long memories will remember that Figlio (the Italian word for "son") was a groundbreaker. It was the first Twin Cities restaurant to feature a wood-burning pizza oven, and the first to offer fried calamari. Figlio also had a kind of ingrained mojo that appealed to an enviably wide demographic, drawing an all-ages and all-incomes crowd from lunch to late-night. For many, the restaurant and bar was the site of their first after-midnight dining experience, first cocktail, first date "or first divorce," said Roberts with a laugh. "We want to bring back all of that nostalgia," said Talebi.
Sopranos chef J.P. Samuelson will work with Parasole's crew to revive beloved Figlio dishes, including the tortellini Baronessa stuffed with cheese, prosciutto and peas and smothered in a cream sauce, a dish so popular that that it headlined the "Can't Get Over Figlio?" section of Il Gatto's menu.
But don't expect a Figlio museum. "We're going to leverage that history, definitely," said Talebi. "But we're also going to look to J.P. for inspiration with the northern Italian and Mediterranean-inspired food that he does so well."
Prices will hover in the $8 to $12 range at lunch and $10 to $24 at dinner. Like its Uptown predecessor, Figlio 2.0 will also focus on a major happy hour. Talebi is promising a decor overhaul, emphasizing a more open-plan dining room and a retooled circular bar that will mimic the Calhoun Square original. The kitchen is getting a few tweaks, too, including the addition of a wood-burning pizza oven and a chef's table.
