L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016 L'Italo-Americano Patsy's Secret Recipe? Family, Hospitality and a Touch of Sinatra T here are not many family- o w n e d r e s t a u r a n t s i n urban cities that have been in business for over seventy years. One reason for this is the Food Channel's popularity that has catapulted the careers of many chefs who in return have attached their names to franchis- es. These franchises are sprout- ing up across the country and are constantly redefining what good quality food is as their en vogue g o u r m e t m e n u s a r e w i d e l y sought. As the franchises grow and offer different menus, the profit margins of family-con- trolled restaurants are jeopar- dized and are thus forced to close their restaurant doors per- manently. The legendary Patsy's Italian Family Restaurant, however, located a stone's throw away f r o m C a r n e g i e H a l l , i n N e w York City's theater district, is one of the few surviving estab- lishments that have outlasted its c o m p e t i t i o n . F o r s e v e r a l decades Patsy's restaurant has received glowing reviews from a wide range of customers and has sustained unparalleled success in a business that fails more often than not. So, what is the secret behind the success of this family owned restaurant that has lasted since 1944? In marketing 101, college stu- dents as well as aspiring entre- preneurs are taught; location is paramount to starting any busi- ness. While Patsy's location on f i f t y - s i x s t r e e t b e t w e e n Broadway and Eighth Avenue certainly helps, there have been an overabundance of restaurants in New York City's theater dis- trict that have gone belly-up. I then conclude that the restaurant has maintained a high level of achievement simply because of the Scognamillo family. I real- ize that my discovery is not earth shattering news; the proprietor's management skills will always determine the success or failure of any business, but how does the family continue to operate a successful restaurant for seven- ty-two years? Relying solely on hard work and astute managerial skills is an essential component to leading a popular restaurant, but I also began to ponder the idea that perhaps the restaurant's success i s c o n n e c t e d t o F r a n k Sinatra. Patsy's restaurant was Frank Sinatra's desired place to eat whenever he was in New York City. Moreover, there are infinite stories about Ol' Blue E y e s a n d P a s q u a l e P a t s y Scognamillo, the original owner who opened the restaurant dur- ing World War II. The legacy of the owner and iconic singer remains as cus- tomers approach the end of the bar to see a small bronze statue o f F r a n k S i n a t r a t h a t s t a n d s appropriately next to a specially made bottle, ready for consump- t i o n a n d i n h o n o r o f T h e Chairman of the Board, labeled J a c k D a n i e l ' s S i n a t r a Select. Pasquale eventually bought the building where the restaurant is located, and in doing so he avoided the exorbi- tant rent prices that contribute to the downfall of many business- es. In 1986, Pasquale passed away, leaving his son Joseph (Joe), as the Executive Chef and owner of Patsy's restaurant. The Hollywood connection does not end with Sinatra. As customers enter Patsy's restau- rant, they are overwhelmed with adorned headshots and auto- graphs of famous actors, politi- cians and athletes, some posing with co-owner Joe Scognamillo o r h i s s o n S a l , t h e p r e s e n t Executive Chef and another co- owner. Surely some patrons are a t t r a c t e d t o t h e r e s t a u r a n t because of the nostalgia and association that it has with Frank Sinatra. On the other hand, the s i n g e r i s n o t r e l e v a n t w i t h younger generations who keep coming back too. U n d o u b t e d l y t h e u l t i m a t e success of any restaurant is pri- marily the food. My curiosity, therefore, led me to conduct my own empirical research to wit- ness for myself the elements involved in how this business, which has become its own small franchise (branding their own Patsy's tomato sauce), continues to receive stellar reviews for so many years. I knew, like any e m p i r i c a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n , j u s t going to the restaurant a few t i m e s w a s n o t g o i n g t o b e enough. I needed to try a variety of dishes and observe other staff members including the owner. Using my five senses, I made s e v e r a l v i s i t s t o w i t n e s s f o r myself Patsy's continued suc- cess. First, whenever I am there I always order the pasta con lenticchie; it tastes so much like my parents' lentil soup. Patsy's r e s t a u r a n t h a s a N e a p o l i t a n menu and its dishes are truly delicious and bring me back to when I was a kid, unlike any other restaurant. "Any pasta dish here is delicious" remarked a customer in response to a ques- tion by one of his friends who wanted to know if he had any recommendations. I also over- heard another customer com- ment, "The mussels taste just like those in the best Belgian restaurants in Europe." The other part that I noticed is the Scognamillo family runs the restaurant like a well-oiled machine. Joe Scognamillo is a c o r p u l e n t , e i g h t y - f o u r y e a r s y o u n g b e s p e c t a c l e d m a n o f about five-feet five and wears well-tailored suits (usually dark navy blue) where the white col- lared shirt protrudes just enough at the cuff of the suit jacket to r e v e a l e m b l a z o n e d cufflinks. The octogenarian has thinning grey-hair parted from t h e s i d e , a n d a p p e a r s o n Saturdays with his wife Rose, who stands in a small walk-in closet that serves as a check- r o o m a n d a p l a c e w h e r e s h e carefully examines every receipt before opening the cash register for change. When Rose or her husband are not there, other family mem- bers have pivotal roles. One family member is Frank DiCola, Joe's nephew, (and a co-owner too) who is the maître d'hotel and its sommelier. He has dark- hair, slender and tall, with a gen- tle smile, and an aura of confi- dence but Frank's presence is minimal compared to Joe's quiet b u t f i r m d e m e a n o r . O n Saturdays when the pre/post the- ater crowd enters, if Joe (who is retired from the kitchen) is help- ing to seat customers at a table, Frank is there to direct the next arrivals. Each family member knows exactly his or her role and p e r f o r m s i t w i t h n e a r perfection. Although Joe and his wife Rose are very focused on their positions in the restaurant, both are very approachable. The first t i m e I s p o k e t o J o e a n d explained I was interested in writing a story; he stopped to chat with me whenever he was free from directing customers to t a b l e s . O n e t i m e h e t o l d m e something and then gave me a very stern look and said, "What I j u s t t o l d y o u i s o f f t h e record." In the same conversa- tion, he told me his dad was an immigrant like my own father, and he was born and raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side like I, while he dropped out of Seward Park High School, the s a m e s c h o o l t h a t m y m o t h e r attended. Another major ingredient to P a t s y ' s s u c c e s s i s S a l Scognamillo, the only son of Joe a n d R o s e ; t h e y a l s o h a v e a daughter, who is a lawyer. Sal is only the third chef in Patsy's his- tory and each time I am there (as I'm sure he always does) Sal exits the kitchen and stops by e v e r y t a b l e t o a s k , " H o w i s everything?" Sal, like his par- ents, is very congenial and is much taller, with less hair and heavier than his father. In his customary chef's jacket, Sal works the tables like a politician, sometimes shaking hands, laugh- i n g o r p o s i n g f o r selfies. Afterwards the chef goes back to the kitchen to com- municate with his kitchen staff and like an assembly-line the dishes for each table start to appear. Sal is married with two sons. One of his sons whom I met is also learning the business while he attends college just like his dad, a graduate of St. John's University. It appears that the next generation of Scognamillos appears to be getting ready to learn how to manage an already successful business. If I had to give him advice, I would say f r o m m y o b s e r v a t i o n s , g o o d food is a must but knowing your role in the restaurant, and greet- ing customers with that old fash- ion Italian hospitality is equally imperative along with remem- bering stories about Sinatra. A few years ago, I entered Patsy's Italian restaurant for the very first time and today I find myself coming back repeatedly like everyone else. ALFONSO GUERRIERO JR. NEW YORK ITALIAN COMMUNITY Sal Scognamillo Executive Chef at Patsy's Italian Family Restaurant. Photo: Jeff Gurwin

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