Meet Mauro
At the heart of Mauro’s culinary philosophy is passion–infuse passion with preparation and the result will be cuisine beyond expectation. This is Assaggio. Authentically Italian, with a passion for food and people since 1993.
Ancona — Seattle
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
While our doors opened in 1993, our story begins many years before in Ancona, a city on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Known for its beaches, Ancona's influence on Mauro Golmarvi can be felt throughout our menu. Mauro’s cuisine is heavily influenced by his northern Italian upbringing and accented by our own waterfront, the Puget Sound.
Mauro began his culinary education as a boy in Rome, under the watchful eye of his mother. From her, he discovered his true passion for food and people. After working at one of the oldest restaurants in Rome, he moved to Ancona for medical school. It was in Ancona that Mauro decided to make his way to America to become a great chef and one day, open his own restaurant.
Once on his own, he had only two true instructors—his stove and his oven, which he fondly refers to as his masters, the ones who taught him everything. “My stove and my oven are my gods. They are not fancy, but they are mine, and they allow me to express my soul.” His dream was to have a restaurant with ceilings painted like the Sistine Chapel. When you visit Assaggio today, you will see the beautiful frescoes throughout the restaurant and know you are part of a dream come true.
“I dream of la dolce vita.”
