Growing up in Italy, the Laragione family spent many Christmas Eve’s enjoying a traditional Italian meal. Unlike American traditions of ham and turkey on Christmas Eve, in Southern Italy where the Laragione’s are from, Christmas Eve meal consists of seafood with no meat served during the celebration. This year, Franco Laragione is bringing that tradition to Mama Maria’s Restaurant with a Seven Fishes Dinner.

“The entire menu is based on the traditions in Southern Italy that we grew up with,” Laragione said. “During this meal, there is no meat and no pasta. Instead, we create dishes with shrimp, clams, calamari and fish.” The Seven Fishes dinner at Mama Maria’s on Christmas Eve will be a four-course meal, beginning with a soup course of lobster bisque. The second course will be fritto misto consisting of calamari, shrimp, clams, scallops as well as baccala, an Italian fish dish that is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve.