Mangiamo - DINE AROUND LA

BIO

Ron Guidone/Mangiamo

mangiamo_chef_ron_guidone Growing up in post World War II rural Indianapolis with an Italian father and a mother born and bred in Indiana, I was exposed to a variety of culinary dishes. “I acquired my style of cooking from both parents. My mother’s Midwest country cooking and my dad’s wonderful hearty Southern Italian food have influenced and shaped my own personal cooking style. The next time you eat our delicious gratin potatoes, short ribs, or bread pudding you can thank my mom.” All the credit goes to my Dad for teaching me the art of Italian cooking. Of course I have added my own influence to most of the dishes; however the Alfredo and marinara sauce are all Dad’s recipes along with the Chicken Marsala and the Osso Buco. My father worked his entire life in the food industry including bakeries and restaurants in Italy. After immigrating to America, he continued developing his skills. He owned grocery stores in Indiana and restaurants in both Indiana and California. As a young boy, I worked in the family grocery store learning my way around the butcher shop and produce department. Often I would accompany my father to the produce market early in the mornings. I still enjoy buying my own produce and often trek down to the Central Produce Market early in the morning to buy fresh produce for the restaurants. My wife’s cousin is a fish broker in San Pedro who sells fish to the finest fish wholesalers in Southern California. I am fortunate enough to be able to pick up fish from him once or twice a week before wholesale companies get the product. This is fantastic for our restaurants because our fish is as fresh as you can get it in any restaurant in LA. Since opening Talia’s restaurant on July 4th, 1977, and Mangiamo in November of 1984, I have strived to keep both restaurants competitive with the best restaurants in Los Angles. My hope is that our food, service and ambiance have been on par with the elite restaurants in Los Angles. Mangiamo has been voted the best restaurant in the South Bay by our local newspaper, while Talia’s this year was picked by the Zagat Guide as one of the Top 1000 Italian restaurants in the country. Growing up in the food industry as I did, my goal is that every guest that walks through the doors of Talia’s or Mangiamo feels like they have been a guest in my home.