Loyal customers of Il Barilotto Enoteca in Fishkill were bereft when the Italian restaurant—which had a successful 19-year run on Main Street—closed its doors in March 2020. But when one door closes, another opens: Within 10 months, owner Scott Rosenberg launched Il Figlio Enoteca (“the son” in Italian), a new incarnation a half-mile down the road. Featuring the same Italian flavors within a bigger, more comfortable space, Il Figlio promises to surpass the popularity of its predecessor.
“Il Barilotto had no parking, and we couldn’t take reservations because we had no big space for parties,” explains the CIA-trained Rosenberg. “All those things that made it charming and quaint didn’t work for everyone. So what did we do? Build a place with the biggest parking lot in Fishkill, a two-story restaurant with a mezzanine big enough for a 70-person party.”
New customers may be surprised to find a fine Italian dining establishment in the Main Street Plaza strip mall. But once they enter, all trepidation simply vanishes. “It’s a little bit of a mind trick, because people can’t believe we’re doing this in a strip mall,” Rosenberg says. “You walk in, having no idea it’s going to be two floors.”
Leather banquettes sidle along two walls and sit in an L in the middle of the main space. A 33-foot quartz bar seats 15 people along an opposite wall, backed with mirrors and textured tile in a light teal. A steel-and-glass staircase leads to the mezzanine that floats above the bar. Designer Ford Skoglund envisioned the interior and brought it to life.
“While I was beginning construction on Il Figlio, a contractor who was a finish carpenter said, ‘You need guidance,’” Rosenberg says. “He suggested I look at Ford Skoglund’s Instagram. When I did, I was impressed.’” Skoglund has designed 37 restaurants in the US and the UK.
“We sat at a picnic table on the concrete floor at the future Il Figlio, and planned it all out,” Rosenberg continues. “If I had one person to thank for making this not only functional, but beautiful, it’s Skoglund. Your eyes are having dinner here before you’re having any food.”
If the decor entices customers, it’s the food that keeps them coming back. Intent on respecting the memory of Il Barilotto without simply replicating it, Rosenberg translated some favorites—grilled Spanish octopus still appears among the antipasti—and introduced new flavors. “I call my menu ‘Hudson Valley Italian,’” he says. “It’s food we want to eat, and proteins we don’t want to cook at home, like duck breast.”
Fresh pastas are on the menu, too: pappardelle ($26) is served with a short-rib ragu; gnocchi (also $26) is bathed in a four-hour duck bolognese. Along with the duck breast, entrees include a red-wine-braised lamb shank ($44) and a grilled 16-ounce veal chop ($49). Every week, the specials change. “When the farmer’s markets are active, we try to visit and come away with great stuff,” Rosenberg notes. “We are lucky we’re in the Hudson Valley—we’re in the hotbed of everything cool.”
Il Figlio is a fine-dining experience that’s relatable enough for regulars, too. After living in sweatpants during Covid, people want to “dress up, go out, and be sophisticated,” according to Rosenberg. “We have a curated cocktail list and a well-thought-out wine list, and an eclectic menu.” But Il Figlio is not an “anniversary-only” restaurant, insists Rosenberg, who adds that the restaurant has a solid slate of customers who eat there every week or two.
“It took three years, but the restaurant is running on all six cylinders,” he says. “Not only am I succeeding, but my staff is succeeding, too. I love to hear when a staff member is buying a house or a new car, or paying for college. That makes me happy.”
In a departure from Il Barilotto’s all-day offerings, it’s dinner-only at Il Figlio, except for lunch on Saturdays. “It’s a weird formula that somehow works,” says Rosenberg. “The wait staff no longer works 50 hours a week; they work 35, and make more money at it. They’re making a living, and when you do that, everything falls into place.”
With the pandemic in the rearview, Rosenberg’s back on track with more plans. Next door to Il Figlio, a yoga studio recently closed its doors. Somewhere around February 2024, Rosenberg plans to open La Sorella (Italian for “sister”)—a breakfast/lunch spot that will be more casual than Il Figlio. Customers will order at the counter and either eat there or take it to go. “At La Sorella, you can bring your laptop and catch up on work while you’re having lunch,” Rosenberg says. “It will serve a different purpose but an exciting one.”
Skoglund is onboard to design La Sorella, too, and Rosenberg is eagerly anticipating its grand opening: “This is my second rodeo, and I’m having fun with it.”
Il Figlio is open Monday through Thursday, 5-9pm; Friday & Saturday, 5-10pm; lunch Saturdays, 12-2:30pm; and closed on Sunday.
Il Figlio Enoteca
992 Main Street, Fishkill
(845) 836-3015
