What happens when Antonio and Mario Cerra, former owners of Da Antonio, take over the space that once housed Sichuan Palace? If you said another Italian restaurant, you’re only partially right. The father (Antonio) and son (Mario) team have created Padre Figlio, an Italian steakhouse of exceptional quality. The menu offers Piemontese beef and such exotic fare as rack of Canadian wild boar in limoncello reduction and also pays tribute to the family’s Neapolitan roots.
Earlier this week Gothamist had a chance to preview Padre Figlio’s food at its opening party. The Victorian-themed room was packed with well-wishers, food industry types and a table of folks involved with Fashion Week. Talk about your family business: Antonio and Mario were both working the buffet line.
Our favorites among the antipasti patiently dished out by Antonio were the tuna carpaccio and the crostini topped with a schmear of creamy ricotta di buffala. But to be honest we were saving our appetite for the beef, as in bovina Piemontese, a specific breed of grass-fed cattle from Northwest Italy. And we’re glad we did, since figlio Mario was serving up skirt steak and New York strip. Gothamist was somewhat disappointed that there was no rib eye or wild game on offer. Oh, who are we kidding, both of the cuts we sampled put us in grass-fed beef heaven.
When Antonio bragged about the smallish Neapolitan meatballs we thought, "How good can a meatball get?" In the case of Padre Figlio’s, the answer is beyond good. He wouldn’t disclose the exact recipe, but Antonio did tell us that the fluffy morsels of meaty goodness are mainly composed of ground Plume de Veau veal and, of course, more of that Piemontese beef.
Padre Figlio, 310 East 44 St., 212-286-4310
