Chef Lazaro Story

Our family's history in the kitchen begins in Palermo, Italy, where my great-grandmother brought culinary secrets across the ocean. That passion for food was passed down from generation to generation, and my grandmother, in turn, passed the legacy on to my mother, who, with her dedication and sacrifice, taught my siblings and me the true value of cooking.

My brother arrived in New Jersey in 1996, and I arrived in 2000, after having studied cooking in Guatemala. It was there that I learned the essence of what my grandparents had taught me, and with that training, I completed my studies in Hoboken, New Jersey. For 20 years, I worked at Princeton University, where I honed my skills and discovered the importance of sharing food as a form of connection.

Now, my brother and I have embarked on a new chapter: opening our own restaurant, MamaFanty Italian Kitchen, named after our mother. This tribute to their sacrifice and love of cooking is our way of continuing the family tradition. In every dish we serve, we celebrate not only the art of cooking, but also the history of our family, passed down from generation to generation.

Lazaro Carranza