A Calabrian village of 1,000 souls and a family from the U.S. introducing its inhabitants to street food made in the USA, including sandwiches, tacos and pancakes, here's what The Fig has to offer.
The story
In a remote corner of Calabria, in the small hill village of Santa Domenica Talao, lies a restaurant that is revolutionizing the local food scene. Shannon Sciarretta, originally from Florida, and Filipe da Silva, a Brazilian from Rio Vermelho, left the United States to open The Fig, a restaurant that brings a dash of American flavor to the heart of authentic Italy. With a population of just 1,000, Santa Domenica Talao is a place where time seems to stand still, with culinary traditions being passed down from generation to generation.
Here the couple, CNN reports, decided to move to Calabria in search of a quieter existence and a better quality of life to raise their three-year-old daughter, Erminia. “We wanted our daughter to grow up in a small Italian town, immersed in history and the slower-paced, healthy lifestyle it offers," Shannon says. Although the move was a challenge, their goal was to integrate into the community and introduce cuisine that the locals had never tried before.
The menu at The Fig is an homage to American classics, with dishes such as Cape Cod-style lobster rolls, Reuben sandwiches, chicken wings, tacos, and burritos. Ingredients such as maple syrup and barbecue sauce, previously unknown to villagers, have found their way into Calabrian kitchens, surprising and delighting local diners . Monday and Tuesday taco nights have become a fixture, attracting both Italians and Americans.
The restaurant's success is undeniable -“it was interesting to explain to Italians what a street taco is and how to eat it with their hands,” Filipe says. Their culinary creativity has led to dishes such as peach and whiskey chicken on mashed potatoes and pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and fried onion rings, which have won over even the most traditional palates. The idea of opening a restaurant in Italy stemmed from Shannon's passion for Italian cuisine and her experience living in an Italian-American family. After attending college in Rome in 2009, Shannon had fallen in love with the Italian dolce vita, but missed the diversity of American cuisine. “I love Italian cuisine, but I missed the flavors of Mexican, Filipino, Thai, and Indian cuisine that I had known in the United States,” she says.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated their decision to relocate, aided by the out-of-control housing market in the United States. They now live in a four-bedroom rural cottage surrounded by olive trees and vineyards, an arrangement that costs less than half as much as a similar house in Florida or Cape Cod. Here, they grow their own produce, including jalapeno and cilantro, used in the restaurant's dishes. The Fig is not just a restaurant, but a gathering place for the community. "Everyone here takes care of each other. If one person is not well, the whole town rallies to help each other,” Shannon says. The couple has organized events such as Thanksgiving and St. Patrick's Day weekend, serving traditional American dishes and creating a cultural bridge between their roots and their new home.
Shannon and Filipe's culinary adventure shows how food can combine different cultures and create new traditions. “We didn't know if they would accept us, but we are cooking the foods we love and are offering a new version of local products," Shannon explains. Their story is an example of how passion and courage can lead to new opportunities and a more fulfilling life, showing that sometimes, to find happiness, you just have to follow your heart and ... good taste!
