Vanessa perfected making sophisticated sandwiches for her father's lunch while finishing her college degree in Caracas, Venezuela. She went directly to culinary school, learning traditional French methods and oenology.
When the school's president saw her final project was very traditional and not like what she made in class, he stopped her and told her to start over.
"That's when I understood that you gotta do what comes from your heart."
Firefly, an Italian-American bistro with a Latin touch, opened in May 2018: "To me, everyone has their own light, like the fireflies."
This holy trinity has been with me since I got to the United States. It's been in my life since forever.
My grandma was the one who taught me how to pray. I started having the same faith as she had. Even when she died, she had cancer, she was always keeping a little image, a little card on her breast all the time. From there, I started believing in the holy trinity. And praying always, and asking for favors.
The strength that I feel when I pray to the holy trinity is just amazing. I feel like that prayer protects me and my family from anything. It's just beautiful.
My daughter, seven years old, she learn it from my mother. When she's praying, it's like heaven for me.
I made a promise [to the holy trinity] if you help me with this, if you protect all my way there, you're going to be in all my life forever.
I keep it close to the register so it keeps an eye on everybody.
HOLY TRINITY
BOUGHT 10 YEARS AGO
IN VENEZUELA