Risibisi Team ~ Bios

Owner Marco Palmieri

Marco was raised along with his three brothers and sister in the beautiful Adriatic seaport of Trieste, Italy.

As a young man Marco moved to southern California and later attended San Diego State University. During his first few years there, Marco worked as a waiter at some of San Diego’s and La Jolla’s most prestigious Italian restaurants.

Being a history major and nostalgic for the country where he spent his childhood, Marco moved to Florence, Italy and spent the remaining two years of his university studies in arguably the most magnificent and culturally rich city in the world. Here began his love affair with Tuscany, its wines, artistry, beauty and, most of all, its vibrant people.

Upon his return to Del Mar, California, Marco launched his Real Estate Brokerage Co. “Edgewood Financial” and today continues to be active in the purchase and sale of investment properties. Since 1998, Marco has owned his own tour company “Far West Tours” and thus achieved one of his other goals, namely, to travel the world. He has planned and escorted business and leisure travelers primarily throughout Italy and Europe, but also to such exotic destinations as Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, Thailand, Israel, Turkey and the Caribbean. Marco shares his life with his eighteen-year-old son, Chase, who can be spotted occasionally waiting tables at Risibisi.

Chef Giuliana

Giuliana Valesi was born in Aulla, a beautiful Tuscan town on the outskirts of Massa Carrara. Giuliana’s cooking career began early and by necessity.

When Giuliana was only 8, her mother was bedridden due to a very difficult and precarious pregnancy. Her mother’s bed was moved to the kitchen area so that she may instruct and supervise Giuliana every step of the way in her new role as the family cook.

Giuliana would go to the market each morning for provisions and upon her return, tie her apron around her waist, step on a stool to render her taller, and report for duty.
Giuliana proved eager to learn and a very capable young cook. Thus began her romance with food. Her mother, a talented cook herself, continued Giuliana’s training long after the birth of Giuliana’s little sister. Giuliana wanted to learn everything and her mother was happy to indulge her. She began baking her own breads and making her own pastas, and eventually went on to bake her own pastries and cakes.

As a young married woman Giuliana visited family in San Francisco and fell in love with the Bay Area. Shortly later Giuliana and her husband Walter decided to move to San Francisco and in 1985 she was hired as the Executive Chef for Firenze Ristorante in North Beach. From there she worked at the 3 Star Allegro Ristorante in Nob Hill and later moved to Santa Rosa in 1990 to raise her three boys, Cesare, Fabio and Giuliano. Here she worked at The Villa restaurant before opening her own restaurant "Valesi" with her husband. After a few years of running her own restaurant she decided to sell it since the daily stress of running a restaurant distracted her from her true love of cooking. She was immediately offered the Executive Chef’s position at Roberto’s Ristorante and worked there for 10 years until the owner sold the business.

In 2009 Giuliana decided to bring her cooking talent to Petaluma and began her tenure at Risibisi. We are all grateful for her decision.

Jacob Gamba ~ General Manager / Wine Director

Jacob Gamba is a native of Petaluma whose passion is Italian food and wine. He earned a degree in Wine and Hospitality Restaurant Management from San Francisco's acclaimed California Culinary Academy and he is currently working towards completing his exams to become a Master Sommelier.

As Wine Director, Jacob travels annually to various regions of Italy to sample and select great wines to incorporate into Risibisi's comprehensive wine list.

When not tasting wine and enjoying dinner out with his wife Kara, he can be found playing in his back yard with his four year old son Austin.