The Feast of the Seven Fishes
The Feast of the Seven Fishes
Restaurateur Marc Falsetto celebrates this Italian-American Christmas Eve Tradition
Christmas and Christmas Eve come with many traditions — some passed down for generations and some smaller rituals made up by families over the years. And, like all holidays, most involve food.
In England, there’s a feast with a stuffed goose, Noche Buena is celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries with a roasted pig, and Italian Americans celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
There are no set rules or menus during the Feast of the Seven Fishes — as long as you use seven different kinds of seafood in your meal spread. Why an all-seafood dinner? Two reasons: Much of Italy has a fantastic coastline, rich in bounties of the sea, coupled with the Catholic practice of not eating meat on Fridays or Christmas Eve. The seven (as in seven fishes), some say, signify the seven sacraments in Catholicism.
Regardless of its roots, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is not primarily a religious celebration. Mostly, it’s an evening meant for gathering family and friends over food and drink.
Marc Falsetto, one of the managing partners of Fort Lauderdale’s Anthony’s Runway 84, describes the evening as “a grand meal” that was brought to the U.S. by Italian families. “The tradition originates in Southern Italy, where it was called la Viglia (the Eve).”
Although there aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to what dishes to serve, Falsetto says it’s all about creativity and abundance. “Growing up, my parents would set up a seafood buffet. but I think the Feast of the Seven Fishes is whatever you want it to be. It’s all about family in the Italian culture - drinking wine, a lot of stories, and a lot of laughs. Traditionally, we also go to Midnight Mass, and some families like to open gifts on Christmas Eve.
At Anthony’s Runway 84, guests will be treated to a multi-course Feast of the Seven Fishes. This year it’s the 40th anniversary of the annual dinner which offers multiple courses of food that incorporate many different seafood items, along with some vegetarian offerings — all served family style. The first course includes stuffed Sicilian roasted peppers, bacalao salad, and a cold seafood salad. A second course features hot dishes such as fried calamari, baked clams oreganata, and mussels marinara. A third course includes calamari over linguini, zuppa di pesce fra diavalo, and more. The dinner, by the way, is sold out, with Falsetto saying they sold 500 tickets for the special meal almost immediately after announcing it.
My suggestion if you’re spending the holidays in South Florida is to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes at home — but make sure you reserve dinner at Anthony’s Runway 84 for another evening (it’s my favorite restaurant in Fort Lauderdale hands down).
Falsetto says that wherever you do celebrate Christmas Eve, it’s all about friends and family. “It’s about sharing and enjoying each other’s company and forgetting the craziness of the world for one night. Nothing brings people together like a good meal.”