Breathe
By Paz Austin
It has been almost 20 years since I took my Tequila Expert certification, that certification set the course of my professional life forever. At that time I was a young entrepreneur with a Mexican candy store in the heart of the San Angel neighborhood in Mexico City. The concept of experience marketing and the booming gastronomic scene resonated in every creative conversation and I thought it was a great idea to generate experiences with our most emblematic distillate and the traditional sweets I already knew well. The project caught the attention of some embassies and the magazine Tequila Apasionado, whose editor was Carlota Montoya at the time and who is one of the people who knows the most about tequila and agave in the country. Having a certification like that was quite beneficial to me and awakened in me the interest to seek other certifications, because I could either be the best in one thing or be an expert in many things that I would like. I decided for the second option and so I set myself the task of looking for certifications that could enrich me on a personal and professional level.
That's how I got to the website of the Associazione VeracePizza Napoletana where I could read everything they offered about courses and specialization with the most amazing pizzaiolos in the world. In a notebook I wrote down the complete information and dreamed of the perfect plan where I would spend a summer in Naples studying and getting certified to prepare authentic Neapolitan pizzas. A very romantic plan that stayed in the notebook. Gastronomic adventures for me have been different and I have learned about many other things that I am passionate about such as wine, beer and spirits.
A few months ago I met a very unique couple, Juli and Eduardo, she dedicated to public relations and he is a Mexican actor originally from Baja California. Both nice and good conversationalists, after a while of rich conversation they shared with me with great pride ¨We have a pizzeria in Mexicali¨. How great was my surprise to discover that they had achieved the dream of spending a summer in Naples getting certified to prepare authentic Neapolitan pizzas, that I jumped out of my chair to claim that this was also my dream.
Eduardo Santacruz did seek to certify himself as a strategy, his restaurant also holds the Ospitalità Italiana Certification, and the recognition of "Eccellenze Italianne". The vision that this couple has for their restaurant, Bianco Storico is to create a space where the passion for the product and the culinary tradition of Italy is the most authentic possible so that diners can live the experience of the Dolce Vita. A few days ago Taste Atlas published new lists among them the best dishes in the world where the Neapolitan Pizza is in second place while Naples is number one among the best cities to live gastronomic experiences in the world. Lists are a powerful marketing weapon nowadays, they are a reference for the consumer, while chefs and restaurateurs strive to create creative concepts and wonderful dishes to achieve recognition. The vision that Juli and Eduardo have and share with their staff in their small but great space is to be recognized by their customers, however I believe that the quality of their pizzas and pastas are more than enough to dare to dream of one day being on the famous lists of THE BEST PIZZA AWARD and 50 TOP PIZZA WORLD, no doubt for me who am a fan of authentic Neapolitan pizza Mexicali is home to one of the best pizzerias in the world.
I have no doubt that this pizzaiolo will succeed, since his strategy is one of the oldest in the history of the culinary art: that of the master and apprentice. Among Eduardo's teachers are Alfredo Folliero, president of the Unione Pizzaiuoli Tradizionali e Ristorati, Don Antonio Starita, president of the centenary pizzerias and the legendary Massimo Quandamatteo, he has also learned the secrets and flavors of Neapolitan street food from the great master Lino Tuttino, a reference of Italian Street Food¨ and the great Maestro Mimmo Vasallo who has mastered the art of gluten-free pizza.
Eduardo and Juli must be taking stock of the year these days, what was achieved and the goals that remained to be accomplished, they will surely make with a glass of wine in hand and an authentic Neapolitan pizza, the plan for 2025 and they will write down in a notebook new dreams to realize, new techniques to learn, new lists to conquer and more diners to enchant. As for me, although I am satisfied with my fantastic 2024, inspired by Bianco Storico's story I will dust off my old forgotten notebook and dream again of summer in Naples and also, why not, of the incredible pizzas in Mexicali.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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