Earlier this year, we partnered with the very talented ladies of Stitch Design, located here in Charleston, on a branding project for FIG. Stitch helped us reimagine new menus, business cards, stationery, drink stirrers, butter overlays and gift cards. They did an incredible job of keeping our current vibe while incorporating new design elements that really stand out and make an impression.
In their "Summer Escapes" feature, Vogue comes to Charleston to explore the best food, shopping and exploring, stopping by FIG for the roasted suckling pig, which is on the menu now served with beets, rapini and whole grain mustard.
Mike Lata, what are your favorite summer ingredients?
by JBF Editors
2009 JBF Award winner Mike Lata is the chef of the celebrated FIG (Food Is Good) restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. We recently asked him about his favorite summertime foods.
South Carolina wild roe shrimp “The local shrimp season usually kicks off around Memorial Day, and the first shrimp of the year are plump, fatty, and-oh-so tender white shrimp laden with sweet roe.”
Heirloom tomatoes “We don’t use tomatoes out of season, so when the first tomatoes arrive, we can’t help but flood the menu with them.”
Succotash—in every incarnation “It’s tough to narrow the list of summer ingredients down, but I get to cover a few bases with succotash: butter beans, corn, sweet and hot peppers.”
Boiled green (fresh-dug) peanuts “Being a damn Yankee, I was probably 25 years old before I had a boiled peanut, but the first time I had a fresh-dug, boiled green peanut, I decided there was no better way to 
eat peanuts.”
Peaches “I’m sure I’m in good company regarding these luscious, fleshy jewels of the South.”
This spring, we spent a day shooting a segment for the Food Network's show, "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." Our friend Alex Guarnaschelli ("Alex's Day Off," Exec. Chef of Butter Restaurant in NYC) gave kudos to FIG for having her favorite steak dish, our Painted Hills Hanger Steak with Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms, Salade Verte and Sauce Agrodulce. We spent the day preparing the dish, being interviewed and eating for the camera and we had a blast. A huge thanks to Alex for the shout out! Stay tuned for info on when the show will air on the Food Network. In the meantime, we still have a killer steak entree so come taste for yourself!
Check out Saveur.com's "Wish You Were Here" series--they visit FIG and feast on a winter citrus salad, slow-cooked pork trotters, and have a nightcap at the bar!
What a trip! We've just returned from rainy NYC, where we attended the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Gala on Monday, May 4. Our very own Mike Lata was nominated for the 3rd year in-a-row for "Best Chef in the Southeast," and brings home the WIN! Third time's the charm!
