Episode Details

Up+Adam Sponsored by Portabidet

On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with one of the most recognizable faces in restaurant television who just happens to be right here in our own backyard. Marino Monferrato, the longtime Maître d’ on Hell's Kitchen, joins the show alongside his lovely better-half Michelle Monferrato to talk about hospitality, marriage, pizza philosophy, and why Paso Robles has become home.

For fourteen seasons Marino has stood beside Gordon Ramsay managing the dining room chaos of Hell’s Kitchen, while also serving as VP of Hospitality at DAOU Vineyards. But the latest chapter of the Monferratos’ story is something much more personal. Together they’ve opened La Biga, an authentic Neapolitan-style pizzeria in Paso Robles’ Paso Market Walk built around a living dough starter known as “the mother.” It’s traditional Italian pizza rooted in culture and craft… just, as Marino jokes, “not as droopy.”

In this conversation Adam and the Monferratos dive into Marino’s path from hospitality school in Italy to high-end restaurants in Los Angeles, the unexpected phone call that landed him on Hell’s Kitchen, and what it’s really like working with Gordon Ramsay when the cameras are rolling and when they’re not. They also talk about the philosophy of Italian cooking, the beauty of simple ingredients, the discipline behind great pizza dough, and the real heartbeat behind La Biga.

Michelle also shares what it’s like supporting a hospitality career for more than thirty years, helping build the business behind the scenes while pursuing her own path in nursing. The result is a conversation about partnership, community, and why great hospitality is less about food and more about how people feel when they walk through the door.

And yes, the show settles one very important debate: pineapple pizza, ranch dressing, and the one test Marino says determines whether a pizzeria is truly great… the classic Margherita.

If you're in Paso Robles, you can experience La Biga for yourself at 1803 Spring Street, open Wednesday through Sunday starting at 4 PM.

Learn more and follow along:

• La Biga Paso Robles Website

https://labigapaso.com

Listen Now