A Taste of Home: Our Family’s Annual Trip to Sicily

 From Hand-Picked Olives in Marausa to Milwaukee’s Favorite Italian Restaurant

Every summer, my family and I pack our bags in Milwaukee and make our way back to our roots, to Marausa, a small town just outside Trapani in Sicily, Italy. This isn’t just a vacation for us. It’s a tradition. A chance to reconnect with our loved ones, and bring back more family recipes that have shaped who we are and how we cook, in order for our restaurant to be ranked as the #1 Italian Restaurant in Milwaukee. 

Our restaurant, Safina, may be located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but its past remains in Sicily. It’s where our story begins, where the recipes passed down from our grandparents first came to Milwaukee, and where we still go to this day to hand-harvest the olive oil, the secret ingredient that brings our food to life.

Where It All Begins: Our Family Land in Marausa

Tucked away in the countryside of Marausa is a piece of land that’s been in our family for generations. Some of them have been around longer than I’ve been alive, and every time we return, it reminds me of my childhood, where my dad, Giovanni, used to take us to teach us the process of harvesting olive oil. 

When the olives are ready, we roll up our sleeves and get to work, hand-picking each one, just like our grandparents did. No machines, no rushing. It’s all done by hand, and it’s always a family effort. Parents, siblings, cousins, everyone has a role. We laugh, we swap stories, and sometimes we get a little competitive about who can fill their basket the fastest.

It’s a tradition that grounds us. In a world that moves fast, these slow, intentional moments remind us of what matters.

From Our Trees to Your Table

Once we’ve gathered enough olives, we take them to Oleificio Basirico, a top-notch facility just a town over. That’s where the olives are processed before becoming olive oil. The olives are cold-pressed, first press only, and turned into vibrant, golden olive oil. It’s smooth, fresh, and full of flavor. Best of all, it’s IGP-certified (Indicazione Geografica Protetta), meaning it’s officially recognized as coming from this specific part of Sicily.

That certification means a lot to us. It guarantees that every drop of our olive oil is grown, harvested, and processed right here, in the same region where our family’s story began.

When we bring that olive oil back to Milwaukee, it becomes a part of almost every dish we serve at Safina. It’s the olive oil you taste in our tomato-basil bruschetta, in the homemade bread we serve warm at your table, and even drops to enhance the flavor in our grilled meats. It’s a little piece of Sicily, made by us, served to you. 

Family Time in Sicily 

Of course, our yearly vacation to Sicily isn’t just about olives. It’s about family. Every year, we gather around the same long table under the sun, sharing meals that last for hours. We visit relatives, enjoy beautiful hikes, shop at the Trapani markets, cook together, and relive the memories that connect us.

Our kids play where we used to play. They learn how to roll out pasta dough from their grandparents and hear the same family stories we grew up with. There’s something so special about watching them fall in love with Sicily in the same way we did.

These moments are the heart of our summer and inspire everything we bring back home to our restaurant.

Bringing Sicily to Milwaukee, One Pasta Dish at a Time

Back in Milwaukee, we pour that same love into every dish we serve. When you walk into Safina, we want you to feel like you’re part of the family. Like you’re joining us at our dining table, whether it’s for a glass of wine, a plate of Frutta Di Mare, or a simple slice of Tiramisu.

Everything we serve has a story. The olive oil? We picked those olives ourselves. The recipes? Passed down through generations. And the flavors? Inspired by the land and people we love.

Running the #1 Italian restaurant in Milwaukee isn’t just something we’re proud of, it’s a way for us to share our culture, our roots, and our family traditions with the city we now call home.

So when you dine with us, you're not just having a meal. You’re experiencing a piece of our heritage. A story that starts in the olive groves of Marausa and makes its way to your plate, with every meal filled with purpose and love.

From our family to yours, thank you for being a part of our journey. We look forward to serving you soon. Click here to make a reservation or book out our entire venue for your private event. 

Con Amore,
The Safina Family