Lorenzo Santini was born in Florence and came to Mexico to showcase the greatness of Italian gastronomy, opening in 2003, the restaurant Belfiore Ristorante & Pizza located at Presidente Masaryk 514 in Polanco.
The restaurant has remained loyal to its diners and chef Martin Ventura has kept the same menu, recipes and quality of food through two decades. Unfortunately, Santini became ill and passed away but he left a great ambassador in charge.
His couple, Paulina Carasa, decided to get to know the business in depth, the essential seasonings and the way the food is prepared, the purchase of ingredients, quality control and she became so passionate about it that she also learned how to manage the restaurant, thoroughly check the quality of the wines and propose a perfect pairing with the dishes served there.
As the years ran, Carasa went on a tour of different vineyards in Italy and for two years she learned about the production of the wines, their philosophy, their artisanal techniques, but also experimented with new recipes that she tasted in the different regions of Italy. This was how she came up with the new ideas and wanted to present to diners at Belfiore, but being customers so used to the usual menu, they didn’t accept the changes.
So Belforno, Focacceria Ristorante & Vino was born, located in Alfonso Reyes 108 in Hipódromo Condesa, where she could present a menu with a different personality to Belfiore, of course, always respecting the gastronomic bases of the founder, but creating dishes that had caught Paulina’s attention during her time in Italy. There she realised that Italians have their classic culinary bases but are very creative and experiment with flavours to create superb dishes. Restaurant with an authentically Italian essence
In an exclusive interview for Sports & Llifestyle, the entrepreneur Paulina Carasa tells us about her experiences, qualities and expectations to offer her customers an authentically Italian regional gastronomy.
When asked about her favourite place in Italy she said: “When I travel to Italy, I move around the food, I see where to eat and from there what is close to me, I visit it,” Paulina commented amused, “I have many regions that I love, but I think my favourite is Liguria because they eat a lot of fish, being on the coast.”
“The food has its own stamp in each region, just like in Mexico, each region has its own print.... Piemonte has its charm, Tuscany, Capri, Napoli, in the south they use a lot of 'nduja, which is like a chilli paste and the people in Mexico hardly know it, also in the south they thicken things with breadcrumbs,” she paused and continued saying “the cuisine of Piemonte is more calorific because it’s colder, they have truffle, risottos; in Emilia Romagna they highlight bolognese and ragù, while in Rome, pasta is very famous.”
One thing to note is that the wine list is entirely Italian. The wines are carefully selected by the distributor who looks for artisanal houses with small productions. “When a diner asks us for wines from other countries, we ask them what are the main characteristics they are looking for in their wine and we suggest an Italian option, then the customer is fascinated by the wine and when they come back, they ask for it again,” she said proudly.
Definitely this restaurant offers the best quality, and you can appreciate it in all gastronomy, but without a doubt Belfiore’s signature dish is the lamb fondue which is made with assiago and pecorino. Another dish they recommend trying in both restaurants is the parmesan and assiago flan which is like a mousse, and which was only going to be on the menu for a short period of time and was so successful that it stayed on the menu.
Belfiore & Belforno have been recognized by Italy with the title of Ospitalità Italiana which is awarded only to those restaurants that meet all the requirements of an authentic Italian table, this recognition is given by Italian Embassy in Mexico and Italian Chamber of Commerce.
So be sure to try the exquisite Italian gastronomy either in Polanco or in Condesa, where in addition to a first-class gastronomy, you will find a luxurious service.
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