Co-op Fishery squid breaded and fried. Served with house marinara
Fried calamari became a fixture of Italian-American restaurant menus in the 1980s and 1990s, popularized by the expansion of Italian-American cuisine into mainstream American dining. The diavolo variation — adding Calabrian chili oil and serving with spicy arrabbiata — emerged as a bolder interpretation that amplified the heat character of the original. Calamari fritti has deep roots in Italian coastal cooking: in Sicily and Campania, fried squid rings dusted in flour and fried in olive oil have been street food for centuries.
The two keys to crispy calamari: completely dry squid and hot oil. Any moisture on the calamari's surface creates steam during frying, which prevents crisping and makes the coating gummy. Pat aggressively dry, work quickly through the flour, and go straight into 375°F oil. Fry in small batches — overcrowding drops the oil temperature and gives you steamed calamari rather than fried. The Calabrian chili oil goes on at the last second, right before serving.