Il Figlio Enoteca
A Holiday Glow Up at Il Figlio Enoteca
Photograph by Sabrina Eberhard
By Lambeth Hochwald
You can’t help but feel festive during the holiday season when you dine at Il Figlio Enoteca, a sophisticated Italian eatery in Fishkill. You can feel the magic the moment you enter the stylish space. There, a massive floor-to-high-ceiling Christmas tree bedecked in strung cranberries and bright red ornaments is perched by the host stand, and oversized mirrors glimmer, surrounded by sparkly garlands.
“It’s classic Christmas here,” said owner Scott Rosenberg of the five-year-old restaurant, which is located in the former Grand Union Plaza—and now looks like a strip of shops you’d find in a ski resort town. “The space feels simple, elegant and fun.”
Cocktails are a big draw here, with such creative concoctions as the Ornament, made of pomegranate juice, pomegranate liqueur, ginger, and vodka, served in—of course!—a glass ornament accented by pomegranate seeds and a rosemary sprig. It’s all placed atop a brandy snifter before it’s presented tableside.
Wine lovers can also order special sips.
“We always feature a special wine, such as an Amarone or Brunello di Montalcino, that you can’t usually have by the glass,” Rosenberg said. “The idea is that you come in, you treat others, and you treat yourself; that’s what the holidays are all about.”
An extra treat: The menu features flavorful white truffles served two ways.
“We traditionally do handmade egg tagliolini pasta tossed with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano and topped tableside with shavings of fresh white truffle,” he said. “We also do a fried egg on toasted peasant bread with shaved white truffle, roasted mushrooms, and caviar.”
For Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a modern take on the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a huge draw. This translates to a selection of seafood specials including crispy baccala fritters with lemon aioli, steamed clams, and spicy lobster pasta, dishes Rosenberg was known for at Il Barilotto, his first Fishkill restaurant, located a quarter mile down the road.
“This has become a tradition,” says Rosenberg, who dreams up all the specials and works with his team of line cooks. “We have families that reserve tables as soon as we open up our reservations.”
Large parties can also book a table at La Sorella, the casual café next door to Il Figlio that Rosenberg opened a year ago. “That space has a really romantic feel, coupled with the food of Il Figlio,” he said, adding that the space can accommodate up to 80 guests for a sit-down dinner and 110 for a cocktail party. “The holidays are the perfect time to gather friends and family together, and this space is the perfect place.”Il Figlio Enoteca, 992 Main St., Fishkill —figlioenoteca.com
