what does al fico mean?

The word fico (pronounced FEE-koh) means both fig and fig tree.

And al (pronounced AHL) means at the.

In Italian, the expression al fico means at the fig tree, as in the expression I’ll meet you at the fig tree.

Many, many years ago, when Italian salumi and cheese makers wanted to sell their wares to travelers and passers by, they would set up a stand along the road. Wanting to keep their foods fresh and cool, they would seek the shade of a tree.

And what better tree than the fig tree, with its dense branches and broad leaves, to provide the ideal shelter for the roadside salumi and cheese stand?

Somewhere along the way, a fig dropped to the ground and found itself accompanied by a slice of crumbly sheep’s milk cheese. And thus one of humankind’s greatest discoveries was made: ripe figs and cheese.

In the years that came to pass, a few of those salumi and cheese vendors were struck with a brilliant idea: instead of setting up roadside shops, why don’t we open a restaurant along the road? That way, people can stop and enjoy an entire meal as they rest from their travels.

And thus, the Italian trattoria (TRAHT-toh-REE-ah) was born — in the shade of a fig tree (or perhaps a pear tree or an olive tree).

Today in Italy, you still find scores of restaurants called trattoria al fico, osteria all’ulivo (tavern at the olive tree), ristorante al pero (restaurant at the pear tree), a homage to the way things were in a slower time and a slower age.

Here at Al Fico, Austin, there’s nothing more satisfying to us that a plate of crumbly cow’s and sheep’s milk cheeses paired with freshly picked seasonal figs. That’s why we decided to call our restaurant Al Fico.

Buon appetito!