Our Mission…
Zafferano Catering brings delicious, handmade Italian dishes to deliver the most genuine flavors from many of the country’s marvelous regions. Our specialty is superior quality and care, with each of our dishes made from scratch and prepared specifically for each order. Our business is exclusively catering and private chef dinners, giving the utmost attention to your special event needs. Whether you are looking to cater a corporate lunch, a beautiful wedding, an intimate dinner at your home – or anything in between – Chef Max Farina and his team will go above and beyond to ensure you and your guests enjoy the most phenomenal menu and overall experience.
Chef Max Farina
Born and raised in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, Chef Max Farina landed to San Diego, California in 2011 bringing with him a love and passion for the traditional flavors of his homeland. As a young man he learned to respect the preparation of Italian food and the love of those traditions which went into each meal being prepared. From this love a chef was born.
Today, Chef Farina would like to share his passion with the people of San Diego, introducing his new catering company, Zafferano.The journey began years ago, where Chef Farina worked in a small pizzeria perfecting the craft of the “white art” learning the chemical nuances of creating the perfect flour mixtures and levitation processes to build the basis of the best wood-fired Neapolitan style pizza known in the region.
Once Chef Farina felt he had mastered this process, he knew in his heart his journey had just begun. He entered into the acclaimed culinary school ALMA, located in Parma, Italy, learning the theoretical and practical traditions of haute cuisine. While there, Chef Max worked under Two Michelin Star Chefs.
When he worked with Claudio Sadler from Milan, he learned the modern cooking techniques and artistic plating. According to Chef Max, “Chef Sadler was a Maestro to me.” He was my mentor.
Later in his culinary education, Chef Farina moved on to work at the Park Hyatt in Milan alongside Chef Andrea Aprea, another Two Star Michelin Chef, who was trained by the world renowned Chef Heston Blumenthal of London. This is where Chef Farina learned even finer techniques and the emotional characteristics of haute cuisine.After moving to the beautiful San Diego, Chef Farina worked at BICE Ristorante in the Gaslamp District as a Sous Chef for Chef Mario Cassineri. During his time at BICE, Chef Max learned enjoyed all San Diego has to offer, learning American culture, more cuisine passions and perfecting his own craft.Today, years later, Chef Farina has established his own personal project, collecting together all of his passion, love and knowledge of food to create one of the best catering companies San Diego has to offer. Zafferano serves only the most exquisite and authentic Italian food, using the finest ingredients in San Diego and its surrounding areas.