Food and hospitality are two of the lodestones of Italian culture, part of its DNA. Lisa Caruccio and her husband Rino took these elements to the next level when they opened Caruccio’s Culinary Event Center in September. A stunning event venue located on Mercer Island, outside Seattle, Caruccio’s merges cuisine, conviviality and community.
Lisa’s interest in cooking comes in large part from her grandfather Selo Pini who had trained as a chef in Bologna before immigrating to America from Fanano in Emilia Romagna. In the U.S., the Pini brothers started working in the restaurant and hospitality arena, but Selo took it one step further. He purchased a home where Helen Keller had once lived and turned it into a destination restaurant and inn in the 1950s called the Pini Towne House, in Wrentham, Mass.
It was wildly popular and helped establish his reputation. In fact, Pini became so well-known that he was invited to cook on several occasions for presidents Taft and Coolidge at the White House.
“Selo was a sweet and gentle man,” says Lisa Caruccio. “ I used to follow him around the kitchen like a puppy and I dreamed of being just like him. He enjoyed mixing his love of cooking with his artistic side. For example, he did not just serve mashed potatoes. He made mashed potato swans with wings and peppercorns for eyes.”
With that kind of culinary background, it’s no surprise that Caruccio started her career in hotel and restaurant management, and later took a job managing special events for GE. “At GE, I was responsible for parties and events hosted by the corporate audit staff,” she said. “The job involved lots of travel for months at a time. I met Rino at GE; he worked in that division.”
When GE offered Rino an assignment in Florence, the couple jumped at the chance, moving there for three years. Their twin boys, now 22 years old, were born in Florence. The Caruccio’s have a 19-year-old daughter, as well.
After the stint inItaly, the family accepted similar assignments in Singapore and Tokyo, along with spots in the U.S. In each overseas location, Caruccio immersed herself in the culture and cuisine, visiting outdoor markets, taking cooking classes, and experimenting with unusual spices and ingredients.
Although not a trained chef, she is an accomplished cook, and has taken cooking classes throughout Europe and Asia, including Thailand, France, Malaysia, China, and of course Italy. She’s gone behind-the-scenes and into the kitchens to meet celebrity chefs such as Giada DeLaurentiis.
But what has stayed with her the most over the years was not the famous personalities or the glamorous surroundings, but the level of warmth and attention that are integral to being an outstanding host.“My time in Italy and in Japan taught me so much about what beautiful, selfless hospitality looks like,” she said.
Ten years ago, Rino left GE to accept a position at Amazon and the family relocated to the Pacific Northwest. At her new home,Lisa oversaw an extensive backyard remodel that added a wood-fired outdoor pizza oven, bocce court and herb garden. Grape vines, fig trees and lemon trees were planted on the property, as well. After taking a master’s class in pasta-making in Italy, she started teaching classes at home and Cucina Caruccio was born.
Caruccio credits her mother with giving her the courage to start the culinary event center. Two years ago, when her mother was fighting cancer, she encouraged Caruccio to stay true to herself. “Before my mother passed away, she looked me in the eye and made me promise that I would follow my dream,” said Caruccio. “She knew that I was passionate about food and cooking, and she wanted me to share that passion with the community.”
A few months later, Caruccio passed a vacant lot displaying a large commercial property-for-rent sign. Thinking back to the promise she had made to her mother, she called the real estate agent and insisted on seeing the property immediately. “Usually I would go home and talk things through with my husband,” she said, “but I was determined to seize this opportunity right away.”
The property was in a rough state, no plumbing or electrical, but that did not deter Caruccio. She found architect Suzanne Zahr and together, over the following 18 months, the two women worked side-by-side to create a unique space that was everything Caruccio wanted.
“Suzanne and I really clicked,” said Caruccio. “She understood everything that was in my heart.”
Since the event center opened this past fall, it’s been a whirlwind of activity. There is a constantly changing schedule of chef demonstrations, cooking classes, pop-up dinners and private events. The newest addition is Wine Wednesdays where, with the purchase of a glass of wine, guests enjoy a delicious selection ofcomplimentary appetizers that Caruccio has whipped up in the kitchen.
Occupying two levels, Caruccio’s has a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen and two film walls for videos and speaker presentations. The main level is roughly 1,800 square feet seating about 40 guests. A 440-square-foot mezzanine, complete with fireplace, provides a more intimate space for cocktails, business meetings and cozy dinners. During the holiday season, Caruccio was swamped with rental requests. “We were inundated and I could not accommodate everyone,” she said. “Although I was delighted to get the rental inquiries, I want to be more than just a rental venue or a cooking school. My plan is to host events dedicated to delicious and beautiful food. In this way, I can share the same warmth, love and care that have been extended to me all along the way.”
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