BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Step inside the new Dalfonso's Italian Imports in the heart of Buffalo's Five Points neighborhood and get swept away in a celebration of food, and family.
"I want you to feel comfortable like you are walking into a place that has been here for 50 years," said Jeffrey Dalfonso, the owner and operator, "I guess the inspiration really was my family's recipes,"
Dalfonso's Italian Imports opened earlier this week at 455 Rhode Island Street. Dalfonso, a long-time Buffalo chef, says the idea to create an Italian market came after he decided to step away from the restaurant industry during COVID-19. Dalfonso wanted a change of pace while still embracing his love of food.
"Post Covid I think people realized how important family is," said Dalfonso, "In my family, other than the people, the most important thing was the food we ate and shared as a family. We have younger generations coming up and we need to pass it down to them. That's what we are doing here."
Dalfonso believes Dalfonso's Italian Imports has found a perfect blend of his heritage and culinary background, and travels through Italy.
"Just seeing the little stores, how unique and well-curated they were. It just made me long for that when would come back home. I couldn't find it here,"
So inside Dalfonso's, you'll find specialty items often hard to find in big box stores, making it a perfect stop for a gift or that special ingredient for a family meal.
"Things like San Marzano tomatoes, and imported Buffalo milk mozzarella," said Dalfonso," We make our pickled eggplant, which is our family recipe. Mortadella, salamis, we have our own vinegar and high-quality olive oil."
Customers can also grab an espresso while they browse, or treat themselves to one of Dalfonso's handcrafted Italian sandwiches.
"We'll have two sandwiches every week, we'll have a meat and a veg," said Dalfonso, "my hope is that the sandwich you have this week, you will never have again."
The addition of Dalfonso's Italian Imports only adds to the momentum of the evolving Five Points neighborhood.
"We are thrilled about that," said Paula Paradise, who has been a working partner at Paradise Wines only steps away from Dalfonso's for close to 10 years, "Now we have a shop where we can buy maybe gourmet pasta, specialty olive oils, or some tinned fish, It will be a very nice mix for people who are visiting and can just walk around."
"It's nice to be part of a busy neighborhood," said Dalfonso, "It's nice to be a part of shops that are curated with unique items."
