I've been cooking ever since I can remember. For me, food is all about family.
My mom always said, "I like to eat, so I learned to cook."
I spent most of my childhood sitting on the countertop watching my mom and grandmother cook. Hours of peeling, dicing, sauteing, roasting, and baking, it takes a lot of work to feed a big family.
We would have these huge family gatherings all the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents, and our random friends that were adopted into the family would show up, and it was always about the food. In my family, we never went out to eat; there were too many of us, and we already had the best food around.
As I grew older, I immersed myself in family recipes, cookbooks, and cooking shows. When I was a senior in high school, I entered a culinary competition for the Art Institute of San Diego, ended up winning and that's when my professional career began.
I worked two jobs while in school, trying to soak up all the culinary wisdom I could. I worked at Prego Ristorante, Island Prime and C level Lounge, Marriott Hotels, Hospitality Inc, Compass Group, and most recently Wild Thyme Catering.
Six years ago, I found another passion even greater than my passion for food, my daughter Claire.
I decided I needed to create something new and different, a space where I could highlight my family heritage. Bella Bella Mozzarella is exactly that, plus it just sounds fun to say. It is a concept that features dishes with simple, fresh, local ingredients to create classic dishes in a modern way.
The flavors are respectful to the original recipes, but with a modern twist.
My goal is to create a menu for everyone: from a quiet date night to a large family meal, we have you covered.
