Walk into Belfiore Italian on 38th Avenue, and you step into a time capsule. For 67 years, this shop has served as a cultural touchstone in Wheat Ridge; its walls steeped in the traditions of Italian-American heritage. Nothing symbolizes this history quite like the stark white, porcelain-enameled steel Deli Case, original from 1964. Gino Scarafiotti, the shop’s current owner and fourth proprietor, laments that the compressor has finally failed.
But replacing it is not a simple task. “The case doesn’t fit through the door,” Gino explains. “The old owners had to take this window out to bring it in.” He points to the large storefront window. A lifelong “townie,” he purchased the shop 21 years ago when he was just 25, stepping into a culinary legacy that his own family had been part of in previous generations.
