Behind the counter of the Old Fashion Cafe, in the SoHo neighborhood, lies the story of a family that brought its idea of hospitality from Puglia to New York. Antonello Iacca grew up among the tables of the Old Fashion in Taranto, the bar his parents and his uncle opened in 1998, and today, together with his brothers, he has recreated that spirit in Manhattan. We met him to hear what the Italian-style aperitivo means to him.
The story of the Old Fashion Cafe begins in Taranto in 1998, with the bar your parents and your uncle opened. What did growing up behind that counter leave you with, and what part of that family story did you bring to New York?
Growing up behind that counter taught me that a bar isn’t just a place where drinks are served, but a place where relationships are built. I watched my parents and my uncle know every customer by name, remember their tastes and always make them feel at home. It’s this philosophy that I brought with me to New York, the Italian hospitality made of attention, warmth and authenticity. And, for me, the finest achievement was being able to bring my brothers to America and share this dream with them. The Old Fashion Cafe isn’t just a business project, it’s a family project. Seeing them by my side every day and building together something that comes from our roots is the greatest satisfaction I could have wished for.
It’s said that your family helped create the modern culture of the Italian cocktail. What do you mean by the Italian-style aperitivo, and how did you bring it inside the Old Fashion Cafe?
For us the Italian-style aperitivo is first of all a moment of sharing. The cocktail is important, but it’s only one part of the experience. It’s the essence of the sweet idleness, the dolce far niente, taking a break, setting aside your commitments and living in the moment. This is the philosophy we brought to the Old Fashion Cafe. We want every guest to feel as if they were in an Italian piazza, with a good drink, something to share and the right company. More than serving cocktails, we try to bring a way of life to the table, the authentic spirit of the Italian aperitivo.
You arrived in New York in 2016 and worked behind other counters before opening your own place. What did you learn in those years, and what made you say “now is the time to open my own place”?
The most important experience was without a doubt the one behind the counter at Ulivo, a place where Italian identity isn’t just a concept, but is lived every day. There I understood how Americans see Italy and how much they appreciate two values that for us come naturally, hospitality and quality. After those years I felt the time had come to take a step further. With the Old Fashion Cafe I wanted to bring across the ocean not only our idea of the aperitivo, but above all the sense of family that has always defined the Old Fashion in Taranto, in Puglia. I wanted to create a place where people wouldn’t simply come to have a cocktail, but would feel welcomed as guests in our home.
You’re considered one of the great aperitivo experts in New York. Is there a cocktail on your menu, perhaps tied to your Italian memories, that you’re especially fond of and that tells the soul of the place?
Definitely the Negroni Sbiancato. It’s the cocktail that most represents our philosophy, and it was included among the hundred most important aperitifs in the world, a recognition that makes us very proud. For me it stands for class, elegance and balance, it draws inspiration from the great Italian tradition but interprets it in a contemporary way. It’s a drink that perfectly tells the soul of the Old Fashion Cafe, the respect for our roots, the attention to quality and the desire to offer an experience that stays in the memory. In the end that’s what we try to do every day, to bring a piece of Italy to New York, one aperitivo at a time.
Looking ahead, what do you want the Old Fashion Cafe to become for New York and for the Italians who live here?
I’d like it to become a point of reference. A place where Italians can feel a little at home and where Americans can have an authentic experience of our culture. Our goal is to keep making Italian hospitality known through good drinking, good food and an atmosphere that makes you want to come back. The United States is a country that rewards those who know how to innovate without forgetting their roots, and I believe it’s precisely from the meeting between Italian tradition and an international vision that the best ideas can be born.
