The owner of the Fig & Olive, Jackie, grew up in a traditional Portuguese home where food was such an important part of her culture. Sitting around the table sharing food and wine with friends and family, there is no experience more enjoyable. Food is nostalgic and such an important part of all our lives and so many of us have wonderful, warm memories of love and laughter that were shared around our family tables. Most of us can relate to that and each of us has our own food "stories" to share or hold dear in our treasured recipe collections a favorite recipe that they claim their Mother or Grandmother made the "best".

The fig & olive got it's original start in a small family style bistro on the Lakeshore in Burlington 24 years ago. The bistro was called Java Fava and then later when Jackie took over from her retired parents, Fava In The Middle and eventually the fig & olive, a gourmet catering company. Originally conceived as a dessert and coffee bar, a popular trend in the nineties, it wasn't long before Java Favaʼs menu expanded and the cultural influences of the owners showed up in the food they were serving. The delicious, homestyle cooking and the owner's friendly, gregarious attitudes made customers feel at home and to the owners, their customers became their extended family. In time “Fava” (the affectionate moniker given by regular customers) got their own large and loyal following.

One of the reasons for it's popularity besides the rustic, simple, European influenced cooking was a Portuguese Peasant style bread which the owner nicknamed "stone" bread. The nickname although created in whimsy came from the owners own Portuguese heritage where it is rumored the bread was once made on the stones of the volcanic hot springs and steam holes of one of the Azorean islands. Although not itʼs real culinary name, the nickname became a necessity as it was not only too hard to pronounce for Non-Portuguese speaking patrons but to playfully protect the familyʼs “secret” recipe. With the name came a story. The same story was told over and over again and the customers never tired of it often asking for the “secret” recipe. The process in making “stone" bread is a not an easy one. As anyone who enjoys making their own bread can understand, it can be laborious but the taste is so unique that unless you were brought up in a home where it was made traditionally, it's hard to come by which is another reason for it's popularity. You won't find “stone“ bread in many traditional Portuguese bakeries. And of course as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, an imitation "stone” bread or two have shown up on the restaurant menus of former employees although none have been able to recreate the warm, rustic sweetness and denseness of the family's own recipe.

Some of our speciality sandwiches are made on “stone” bread specifically but it can be requested for any of your signature sandwich selections for a small increase in price. Just let us know in the special instructions section of your online order. Keep in mind it is on special order and we require 3 days notice to ensure you get the freshest product available. Although we do often have it on hand, we run out of it quickly. We also offer other fresh European inspired breads for our speciality sandwiches like ciabatta, focaccia, baguettes and assorted flatbreads.

Hope you enjoy all our speciality breads especially the “stone” bread...just donʼt ask for the family recipe:)