i live in buffalo,ny. and got just the right fig for you.
i dont know the name of it but it grows as a bush. black figs about med. size fruit. every year you can cut it down and it grows back the next year even when the ground freezes. but i noticed i get more and better fruit if i dont cut it but wrap it. then everfall cut off last years branches only and leave this years for the follwing season and so on and so on.
if you want a piece email me.

>>> But it MUST be pretty and it can't be too big or
>>> too fast-growing. Any suggestions?
First to come to mind is the Petite Negra (from EL) which
is touted as a dwarf version (of VdB). Howverer, I do not
see much growth difference in my 2 POTTED specimens.
I think VdB is the better of the two. ALL fig trees respond
very to hard pruning when in ground, meaning you can
virtually grow any good fig in your place, assuming you
shears happy.
George (NJ).