From Florida to Calabria to bring American cuisine to Italy, the story of an American couple

Mixing Italian cuisine with American cuisine is not an easy task, especially if you choose to propose this fusion of flavors right on the Peninsula, specifically in Calabria. In a country rich in traditions like Italy, it is strange to think that such a particular restaurant is welcomed positively, especially far from big cities, accustomed to multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism. Nevertheless, Shannon Sciarretta And Filipe de Silva they succeeded, inaugurating towards the end of 2023 the The Fig a place that combines the flavors of the stars and stripes with the tricolor ones in a small hill town of just a thousand inhabitants, Holy Sunday Of Talao, a few kilometers from Scalea, a well-known tourist destination. Thus, a couple from Florida has enlivened the palates of even the most traditional Calabrians, conquering the entire community.

The proposals of The Fig

Overlooking the main square, American classics such as lobster rolls with mayonnaise, Reuben sandwiches, chicken wings, tacos and burritos are served on the tables. But also ricotta tortelli with pea sauce and maple syrup, pan-seared salmon, with homemade fig puree, covered with toasted pistachios. In addition to food, we also experiment with drinks, cocktails composed of Silano amaro and Kentucky bourbon, or the Margarita Calabrian, with a spicy aftertaste, the offer is wide on all fronts. The menu offers both vegetarian and meat and fish dishes, while on Mondays and Tuesdays the traditional taco evening which is so popular in the United States has been imported, and there is also no shortage of hearty breakfasts loved overseas with pancakes seasoned with maple syrup and accompanied by strictly American coffee. Other customs have taken hold in the Cedar Coast, such as the celebration of Thanksgiving or of day dthe San Patricianwhen the restaurant offers special dishes.

Tacos at The Fig

The story of the couple

Shannon Sciarretta, originally from Florida, and Filipe de Silva, from Rio Vermelho in Brazil, wanted to raise their 3-year-old daughter in a small Italian town. Furthermore, Sciarretta had wanted to reconnect with his Italian roots for some time; her grandfather, in fact, was originally from a fishing town north of Naples and she had already gone to the Peninsula to attend university in Rome. “We fell in love with Calabria and in particular with Santa Domenica Talao but also with its community“, Sciarretta told the microphones of CNN. “We wanted to shake the palates of Italians. The locals supported us in introducing a cuisine they had never tried before“. The American family has integrated with the citizens, who have successfully welcomed the new adventure in catering.