Introducing Fari Trattoria

Published July 3, 2024

Article & photos by Susan Knight York

It’s down to the wire with 9 days to go until Fari; the passion of brothers, Toño Aranda Lav and Andrés Aranda Lavalle, who happen to own some of the best restaurants in SMA: Tostévere, Bocaciega, Bocalab and La Choperia; recently celebrating a 10 year anniversary. They also own Mister Emilio, helping small food producers get access to better markets.

Chef Davide Giribaldi of Cien Fuegos is the head chef behind the project. An Italian growing up in Imperia Liguria county, he worked in 4 and 5 star hotels in a number of places in Italy and Switzerland to learn the principles of classic, Italian cuisine. Chef Davide Tacca, one of his Masters, inspired him so much that he began to travel in Europe, working in Italian restaurants in Norway, Finland, France and London. At age 26, he returned to Italy to work for Michelin star chef, Maurilio Garola at La Ciau del Tornavento in the middle of the famous Piemontese langa; a place of great wines and rich, gastronomic culture. A year later, he tackled Mexico in Playa del Carmen, where he worked at the Glass Bar/Di Vino restaurant. He moved to SMA and was one of the primary chefs at MiVida and after 8 years, he opened Cien Fuegos, focusing on Neapolitan pizzas.

Early on in his career, he was trained at pizzeria Mastu rafe, where his teacher, Ciro Gentile, took his pizza dough to a whole new level. At Fari, where Davide is doing a prefermentation, he’s taking an additional step; a step taken by a chef who is on the hunt for pizza perfection and that pretty much describes this chef to a T. The Fari team has been taste testing for well over a year and the pizza dough is now at a whole different level again; healthier and much more digestible. You’ll notice a huge difference in the taste of the pizza and that’s what will set Fari apart.

I got a look at the menu yesterday and I know you’re going to love it. Every Italian dish I hoped would be on the menu is, including some extras like the Italian street food dish, Pizza Frita; served in different variations. There’s interesting Antipasto, fresh made Pastas and delicious salads, including roasted vegetables with fresh Mozzarella and Pesto. There are plenty of other dishes on the menu for Vegetarians and Vegans as well.

Fari recently previewed their pizzas at San Miguel y Sus Sabores food festival a few weeks back and it was one of the favorites of the show. There are 9 pizzas on the menu, including 4 Blanca. The 6 main courses include a mouth watering, Argentinean beef steak you’ll not find any place else in SMA. Prepare for a seafood feast with beefy scallops and other fish, mussels and pulpo direct from the waters off Ensenada. This team is experienced in selecting suppliers for the highest-quality ingredients.

Meet Fari’s new chef, Yesica Rivas, who comes from Bocaciega. She joins the ranks as another front-and- center female chef in SMA and will head up the team at Fari with the support of chefs Davide Giribaldi and Jose Bazan, the chef at Bocaciega.

For me, it’s two months and counting. I’m traveling but I’ll be there on September 1, 2024, eating my way through the menu. It’s been a goal of mine from the very beginning; 18 months in the making, mas o menos.

Studying a menu tells a story and we loved what this one had to say. We’re predicting that Fari’s going to be one of your favorite restaurants in SMA so mark your calendars for opening day, Thursday, July 11, 2024.

Buen Provecho!
Fari
Salida a Celaya #5
Colonia San Antonio, San Miguel de Allende 37750
Chef: Yesica Rivas
Daily: 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM