The romance between Sima and Marcellino Verzino began in Rome decades ago and blossomed in the United States when they opened an Italian restaurant in 2003 in Phoenix, moving Marcellino Ristorante to Old Town Scottsdale in 2010.
“We can only do one location with what we do,” said Sima. “We do every single thing from scratch.”
Her husband grew up in the small town of Reino in rural Italy.
“He was brought up on his family’s farm,” explained Sima. “They were farmers for as long as he can remember back to his grandparents, great-grandparents and beyond. They had a large piece of beautiful land there.
“When he was a little boy, there were animals. Of course, they raised vegetables: wheat, beans, everything you can think of. Marcellino helped.”
As the third of four children, he helped his siblings and local males with the summer harvest.
“It was a long day, so they would all have lunch,” said Sima. “Someone was chosen to prepare lunch for all of the people who were working in the fields.
“The first time Marcellino was chosen to prepare the meal, he was probably 12. They were astounded and told Marcellino from that day on, he would be preparing their lunches.
He had this affinity. He had a gift and it was realized at a young age. His mother passed on when he was 11 years old and he took over the cooking of the family. They didn’t like the food of his older sister.”
Marcellino moved to Rome when he was 16 and cooked for a famous socialite.
A few years later, he opened a bar/bistro at age 20.
Sima moved to Rome in 1987.
“Music was my life and I had received an invitation to come to Rome to perform at the famous Jackie O and then I got a record contract for American Dance Music shortly after, so I remained there,” the native New York City resident said. “I never went back home to New York City.”
Describing herself as “a performer my entire life – stage, dance, voice, everything,” Sima said she met Marcellino at a New Year’s Eve private dinner.
“We happened to sit next to each other and at the stroke of midnight, instead of kissing on the cheek, our lips met and that was the beginning of our love story.”
The couple moved to New York in 1996 and got married.
“After seven years, I looked at him and said, ‘You need to stop making other people all this money. It’s all about you. Let’s do something together,’” said Sima. “I had never been in the restaurant business. But I believed in him. I saw this brilliant artist who needed to flourish.”
Sima and Marcellino then visited friends in Arizona.
“We came here to visit and we fell in love with it and decided this is what we’re going to do,” Sima explained.
Marcellino, who speaks with a strong Italian accent boasts, his menu offerings “are my creations” – to which Sima added, “You won’t find his cuisine anywhere – Not even in Italy.
“He’s able to innovate Italian classics with a spin and he adds his innovation on the dish and it becomes a Marcellino creation,” she said.
“No one who isn’t Italian would understand what his food is about. It’s different because it’s innovative. All of his pastas have infusions in them: herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, saffron and wine. And they are married with a few fresh ingredients.
“It just works. The ingredients he marries together are perfect explosions of taste.”
“In any person’s culture who has come to America from another country and opened up their food, too many of them Americanize their food, which is not correct,” Sima said. “People want authenticity.”
Entrees at Marcellino’s are typically not customized.
“If Marcellino has to take out a scallop because people are allergic to it, of course, he will,” Sima explained. “But to make changes, it’s no longer his dish. The server will try to find something pleasing to the customer’s palate from Marcellino’s arsenal.
“But it’s not just pasta. Italians eat everything. We have aged steaks. They’re amazing. You can cut them with a fork. He brings in fish. It arrives in 24 hours. He cleans the fish.”
“People love his prime rib and T-bone because it’s so tender,” said Sima, adding that Marcellino cooks individually for each guest. “We also bring in real Dover sole from Dover. People adore that. It’s an amazing fish. As far as pasta, the fettuccine is infused with porcini mushroom and it’s married with chunks of fresh Maine lobster, shiitake mushrooms, and drizzles of truffle oil.”
Italian pasta doesn’t always have tomatoes in it, according to Sima.
“There are so many dishes that don’t have tomato in them. In Italy, they make tortellini, the small ones, that you usually eat with broth or some light sauce. Marcellino makes a tortelloni, which is a huge pocket pasta filled with puree of filet mignon and sautéed vegetables. And you can have it with tomato sauce or with butter and shaved truffles.”
The restaurant also serves imported gluten-free pasta.
The homemade recipes and Marcellino’s touch set the restaurant apart, Sima said.
“But there are other reasons, such as our European fine dining service. Our team is amazing. It’s an elegant way we serve people. People relax.”
The restaurant also has live music several times a week, and Sima performs with her trio several Saturdays a month.
“I have other great performers,” she added. “People come for all of these different reasons.”
The restaurant also has events.
“You can come and have dinner and a movie in our private dining room,” said Sima. “We have Italian-themed movies. So you can enjoy dinner and a movie with a group of up to 10.
“We have a summer supper special of three courses for $55. And we have some lovely events at the bar – Lite Bites and Sips. Tuesday through Thursday, we do 50% off on select bottles of wine. There’s always something happening.”
Desserts are also made in-house.
“The really beautiful thing about Marcellino’s desserts is he uses less than half the sugar most people do,” Sima added.
“But we don’t mill the flour and we don’t milk the cow,” Marcellino added with a laugh.
The Gelato is also imported. Sima said, “I put my foot down. Marcellino wanted to make homemade gelato but I said, ‘No way. You’re not buying ice cream machines.’”
No other family members run the restaurant.
“Marcellino is the king of the kitchen and I’m the queen of the front of the house.
“All of our family is back in Italy. I wish we did have family here. We do have some amazing staff who helps us run the restaurant. It allows us to take a vacation during the summer and the restaurant still runs like a clock.”
Marcellino Ristorante
7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale
480-990-9500, marcellinoristorante.com