Mariella Organi

The surname is Organi and it’s pronounced with the accent on the first “o”, like the Italian word for organs. Mariella is the lady of the dining room at La Madonnina del Pescatore in Senigallia. The voice, a whisper, but clear, is the translation of a personality that is both omnivorously curious and instinctively introvert, with a vocation for empathy and a deep respect for measure and the right distance. Yet she confesses: «Every important moment in my life, was born out of curiosity. When I started to work at La Madonnina I already had a glimpse of the beauty of this profession».

Flashback. A young, blond and very shy ex-student of the Panzinicatering school in Senigallia, knocks on the door of La Madonnina, the restaurant facing the Adriatic sea where 28-year-old Moreno Cedroni has been cooking as patron since the age of 19. She’s 24. He’s already a super entrepreneur. A runner willing to take the entrepreneurial risks.

The student of Preservation of Architectural Works passes the interview, and he drags her with the rest of the brigade in the post-service revelries. They all go dancing, have that last drink. «I always say that I was courted with a serving of vanilla ice cream. Together we made the larger investments, putting a mortgage on our lives and living for some 20 years in a temporary house, like two students».

This is how a love story and a professional adventure that made the history of the Italian restaurant industry began. In 1994, when Mariella and Moreno get married, she becomes a sommelier Ais. Then there’s Alma in Colorno which – ahead of its times – includes courses on dining room service. In 2016 she received the award for Best Dining Room Woman from Identità Golose. In 2017 Mariella Organi is part of the scientific committee of the school in Colorno.

In the meantime, two stars start to shine in the skies of La Madonnina, the kitchen shows the style of its author and the dining room her recognisable silhouette. «People come here because they’re looking for intimacy. In the old days, you’d find all this at home, because women would take care of it, creating a welcoming, warm ambience, with some food always available. These days, restaurants are that place».