Matt Catanzaro (the owner of “The Zone Of Bend”) has an affinity for cooking. One of Matt’s passions is creating fun new calzones by combining his Italian heritage with other cultures including his wife’s, which is Cuban. The combination of Italian and Cuban has created some amazing fusion dishes. Therefore, they decided to bring Bend a Calzone food cart that can bring both inspirations together in one delicious crispy pocket.

The background of Matt Catanzaro is rooted in Italy. His great-grandfather owned a vineyard in Catanzaro Italy, where his great-grandfather and great-grandmother raised their 22 children. Matt’s grandmother taught her children (and many of her grandchildren, including Matt) all of the family’s secret recipes that were taught to her.  These recipes were then passed down to Matt’s father who, in turn, passed them down to Matt. Matt’s father was the owner/operator of a deli in Southern California.

The Deli is where Matt would learn the generational recipes his dad passed down to him from his grandmother. One of the recipes that Matt was in charge of in the deli was the family lasagna. This lasagna has been shared with many and was well known in Southern California.  Matt has brought this lasagna to Bend and has already started to gain fame here as well.

In Matt’s younger years, he found inspiration from surfing. The rolling waves, sea air, and salty water gave him a rush that kept him on the board for decades. Matt started working at a very young age as a lifeguard and swim instructor (which came from his love of surfing and his competitive swim background). This was a perfect fit for his career at the Red Cross for more than 20 years teaching lifeguard skills and being a community ed specialist.

At a lifeguard job is where he would meet his wife, Michelle. Their love blossomed and they had a couple of kids of their own. The hustle and bustle of Southern California was getting way too much and they wanted to leave that lifestyle and go to a more peaceful area. Matt grew up coming to Oregon every year for family reunion camping trips and as a young boy told his family that one day he would live in Oregon. So they decided to move away from California and decided that Bend would be the perfect spot for them. After working for 9 years, Matt contracted COVID Pneumonia.

COVID was not easy on Matt. Matt was told in the emergency room by the doctors caring for him that he would not leave the hospital. His COVID was so advanced that he would not live. His lungs were folded up on each other and had collapsed. Thanks to the nurses caring for Matt and his drive to get back to his family (especially his new 3-year-old twins), he spent 15 days in the hospital and made it out alive. While recovering he decided to change his life and do something he was passionate about, something that inspired him his whole life: cooking and making people happy.

This is where the idea for “The Zone Of Bend” was born. Matt’s slogan is: “I’m a fat old Italian. I need to be feeding people.” Inspired by his love of food, coupled with his intimate knowledge of Italian food, inspired by his family recipes, Matt decided that calzones would be a perfect medium for any idea he might have, no matter how crazy it can be. Matt partnered up with his oldest son, Tristan, to bring his passion to Bend.

Matt, Michelle, and Tristan invite you to come join their family for an experience of authentic calzones, influenced heavily by their Italian and Cuban lineage. You can taste the history, love, and heritage in their sauces, ingredients, and a dough that doesn’t get soggy