When Marianna Ristorante opened, the restaurant’s trademark was a dish perfect by the owner’s mom. The Renton Reporter wrote that the farfalle alle Marianna— bowtie pasta tossed with yellow peppers, prosciutto, and cream—came from co-owner Salvatore Lembo’s mother, for whom the restaurant is named. These days, Salvatore lets Executive Chef Jackson Cavanaugh put his own stamp on a seasonal selection of Northern Italian specialties. Those range from homemade gnocchi to fettuccini tossed with salmon and boneless chicken breast smothered in gorgonzola cream sauce. Dinner is served inside Marianna Ristorante’s candlelit dining room, which evokes the atmosphere of an Old World eatery with earthy tones .
