We recently connected with Sima Verzino and have shared our conversation below.

Sima, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

My husband Marcellino had been a Chef in his birth country of Italy since he was a very young man and always self-employed. I was a classically trained vocalist from NYC who was performing in Rome, Italy, and was signed to a European record label.

Marcellino and I met in Rome at his bar bistro on New Year’s Eve 1993, and we have literally been together since. In 1996, we made the move from Rome back to NYC, and he worked as an Executive Chef and co-owner with partners for 7 years. I watched as he created extraordinary creations night after night by innovating Italy’s century’s old dishes with his very own flair. By word of mouth within the city neighborhoods, our clientele grew and with that, major journalists visited and bestowed countless prestigious awards on his cuisine.

It was time to move forward to create our dream; our own restaurant where Marcellino would have complete control over his kitchen. I knew I had married a very unique and special man, so I put my music career on hold and concentrated on my marketing degree to blend our combined talents, to create our very own restaurant where he alone would be celebrated for his talents.

We fell in love with Arizona and moved here in 2003, and Marcellino Ristorante was born. Marcellino is his birth name, yet everyone called him Marcello in Italy. When deciding on the name for our restaurant, I thought how it would be an honor for his Mamma’s memory if we named the restaurant as Marcellino, the name she gave him at birth. He lit up at this thought and Marcellino Ristorante was born.

Our first location in Phoenix was in a neighborhood center of mixed businesses and chosen because of its locale to wonderful, upscale neighborhoods. Marcellino spent many hours creating the most highly functional and efficient kitchen to produce his cuisine. We both worked together designing the dining room to be unique yet comfortable. Beautiful cuisine with warm and welcoming atmosphere brought dining guests in and we became known as the “neighborhood” fine dining restaurant, where we thrived for 7 years. With advertising and public relations in place we received great print reviews and television coverage.

Early on we were simply not prepared for the hordes of guests who rang the phones for reservations, packing the house night after night. I was alone in the front of the house taking the phones, preparing the server staff, doing the books, writing press releases, and just about everything else. We were working with a skeleton staff in the kitchen and those that Marcellino hired were still learning his cuisine. I literally watched him as he took the reins and cooked primarily himself for a packed house every night. We were close to exhaustion but the adrenaline of being successful kept pumping and we kept going!

Finally, we hired enough help to continue our journey and outgrew our first location where it all began. In 2010, we made the move to our present Old Town Scottsdale waterfront locale, right in the hub of this buzzing and ever-expanding city.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Chef Marcellino Verzino was born on his family’s farm in the Campania region of Italy and was raised in the “farm to table” life before it even had the name, in the small rural town of Reino, Benevento. After his beloved mother passed away, Marcellino began cooking for his family at the young age of twelve. His roots are steeped in all facets of Italian food and wine with a profound understanding of their origins. His family had been farmers for generations and he worked as a young boy helping his father tend the fields, animals, vineyard, and olive groves.

At 21, Marcellino moved to Rome where he opened a trendy bistro. It was in that bistro on New Year’s Eve, 1993 that I met Marcellino. I was a New York City native, who was living and recording in Rome for a trendy dance music record label. It was love at first sight and in 1996 we moved to New York City where my now husband’s culinary career took off. With historic Italian recipes, he wove his own combinations of the finest and freshest ingredients to create signature flavors while maintaining the integrity of true Italian cuisine. It’s what set him apart.

While on vacation we fell in love with the Sonoran desert and in 2003 moved to Arizona and opened our fine dining Italian restaurant in central Phoenix. In order to accommodate our growth and a much-needed expansion, we moved the restaurant to Old Town Scottsdale in 2010. We are not only proud of our delzioso cuisine and wines but the welcoming and warm atmosphere along with European service while offering a very upbeat vibe.

Marcellino’s cuisine is a unique and divine representation of Italy’s culinary heritage. Our vision, birth talents, and confidence, and total trust in one another keep us strong. No fears or hesitations creep into our souls; for it is fear that destroys and hinders growth. After more than 18 years in business, we continue to live out our dream, inviting the world to join us for the “Marcellino experience.”

Chef Marcellino and Sima Verzino co-owners Marcellino Ristorante

Have you ever had to pivot?

chose not to answer any of these questions

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

In one word: TRUTH. When one believes, without a shadow of a doubt, that one’s truth is the absolute epitome of one’s belief system, the result falls into place.

Our restaurant is an extension of who we profoundly are. It began first and foremost with Marcellino’s relationship with food at its source and his representation of Italy’s culture and cuisine. Marcellino was born and raised on a farm in the rural part of Italy, as was his family before him for generations. Surrounded by nature in all its forms, one learns many fundamental truths in life. From the seed that produces the fruit and vegetable to the animal born, fed and raised to become nourishment for the family. There is an understanding and gratitude that encompasses the person like no other factor in life.

Stemming from this, Marcellino proceeded to mesh his God-given gift with his truth and began creating his culinary creations born from his background and his extensive knowledge of all of Italy’s regional cuisine into what has become his glorious and accomplished cuisine today.

My background as an entertainer brought forth the understanding of how to create an ambiance to make people feel good and happy and want to share their time with others. Music is an integral part of the soul; whether it is suffused sound or live performance. This has brought a very special and unique life to our restaurant that is warm and inviting with an upbeat vibe.

Music draws out the best in one another and creates comradery and joy.

Staying true to our crafts and sharing who we are with every person that joins us at Marcellino Ristorante, has bestowed us the highest form of satisfaction where our reputation is highly regarded and respected.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MarcellinoRistorante.com
• Instagram: Marcellinoristo
• Facebook: Marcellino Ristorante
• Linkedin: Chef Marcellino & Sima Verzino
• Youtube: marcellinoristorante