About
dolce Zola was founded by the Belfiore Family with the knowledge of generations of true Italian cooking with a focus on bringing many varieties of pasta dishes to West Chester. We pay tribute to many classically acclaimed Italian dishes on our menu, but some of our best dishes are uniquely created by Husband and Wife, Pietro Belfiore and Antonella Gamba.
Execuitve Chef/Owner
Antonella Gamba
Born and raised in Piemonte, Antonella grew up in a small town near Milan called Novara. From a young age, she was surrounded by family members that had their own farms. She would regularly go to the farms after school to help out. This stuck with her and she started spending more and more time in the kitchen with her cousins from all the different farms and would regularly have cook-offs to see who could make the best meals! While her family was not financially rich by any means they had proud roots with the farms they operated in Northern Italy. She experienced firsthand how important it was to respect the farmers and the farming methods.
These farms today have been awarded to be some of the best in Italy. Her family members from Cameri now lead the Gorgonzola cooperative that is used by the best restaurants in Europe. (Unfortunately, it is a small farm and the farm does not have the licensing to be able to ship it to us here) However, it is in our name, dolce Zola, it pays homage to her childhood farm that specialized in sweet gorgonzola. Other family members today still hold on to their small farms and Antonella always stops by when she goes back to visit these farms to advise and learn methods of farming that she then utilizes at dolce Zola. Some of our products (like truffle mushrooms) come directly from these farms that she grew up on!
Our Chefs:
Simone Calonaci
Born and raised in Tuscany, Simone grew up in the heart of Florence, surrounded by rich culinary traditions. As a tactic to keep a young cheeky Simone out of trouble, his Nonna (grandmother) would invite him into the kitchen and ask for a helping hand. It was there he spent hours learning the special recipes passed down from generation to generation. There he developed the passion and patience it takes to be in a kitchen. It was there he understood that serving a beautiful Tuscan dish requires all the senses—touch, smell, sound, sight and taste.
After working at Mario’s for eight years, Simone and partner Elio opened Trattoria la Burrasca. Almost instantly, La Burrasca became a hit for both locals and tourists alike. After that, Simone decided to take on a new challenge—America. He decided to join dolce Zola because he wanted a restaurant that had true Italian authenticity and where he could feel like he was at home with the people.
Alex Haynberg
Alex hails from Staten Island, NY, but raised right here in West Chester. His culinary journey began when his older sister, a server at Antonella’s and Pietro’s first restaurant, i-Pasta, believed that his artistic inclinations would translate well into the realm of cooking. The rest is history. At the age of 16, Alex dove into the world of cooking, undergoing a five-year apprenticeship under the guidance of Antonella Gamba. Now, as the second-in-command in the kitchen, he ensures that all sourced ingredients meet the high standards set by dolce Zola and manages the kitchen on a daily basis. Alex adds his unique touch to creations under the specials page—definitely worth a try!
Food Ethos
We are proud that our restaurant is joining in on the new agricultural standard by partnering with both local farmers and vendors from Italy. This is done to remove the big food industries from our supply chain in order to provide you with both fresh and authentic ingredients. To further our goal on becoming completely sustainable we abide by a strict ingredient procurement standard in which scratch cooking, animal welfare, and sustainable ingredients are our priority. Not only do we use fresh, sustainable ingredients, but we also make everything in-house daily, from our semolina pasta and sauces to our desserts.
Mission
Our mindset, rooted in Italy, is to have an abundance of choices on our menu for a fair price without sacrificing the quality. There are so many pasta varieties in Italy but we often are very limited to what we see on restaurant menus today. We want to be the bridge that connects authentic and creative Italian pasta dishes with the people here in West Chester.
Having the choice of eating a quality meal, sustainably sourced, and at a fair price directly impacts our personal well-being, our community, and the environment.