VENETO
“There is a difference between eating and dining,” said Marco Stevanoni. “Dining is an art that is being lost, but it is an experience that brings people together.” This philosophy is at the heart of VENETO, the Italian restaurant he and his wife, Amy, opened in 2016 in Salt Lake City. Born out of a desire to create the kind of culinary journey they longed for but could not find locally, VENETO is more than just a restaurant; it is a deeply personal expression of their shared passions, backgrounds, and values.
Marco, originally from a small village in the Veneto region of Italy, had a fascinating journey before opening the restaurant. His hometown, Bosco Chiesanuova, sits in the mountains on the border between Veneto and Trentino. Life there is simple, with generations of families staying in the same town, working in agriculture or local trades. “In my village, you either stay forever, or you become a professional athlete,” Marco said. Many of his peers went on to excel in sports, including Olympic-level competitions, while others carried on their family businesses. Growing up in this environment, Marco took to skiing, eventually competing at a high level and earning a scholarship to the University of Utah, where he balanced academics with his athletic career.
After graduating college and retiring from skiing, Marco spent time competing as a professional golfer, then found his way into the wine industry. He built a successful career as a wine importer, working with some of the most prestigious producers in Italy and running a high-end import business, always maintaining a deep connection to his roots - especially the food and traditions of his homeland.
Amy’s journey was equally dynamic. Born in Oklahoma and raised in Utah, she built a thriving career in marketing, working with global brands on both the agency and client side. She spent years traveling the world, experiencing the best in hospitality and dining. Yet, no matter where she went, one thing or another always drew her back to Salt Lake City. Her last move back was to be with Marco, and over time, they became frustrated with the lack of truly immersive Italian dining - places that prioritized not just high-quality food and wine but also the art of hospitality, storytelling, and tradition. “We just couldn’t find what spoke to us,” Amy said. “So, we decided to create what we wished we could make a reservation for.”
Their love story is just as serendipitous as their restaurant’s inception. In 2001, Amy was visiting Salt Lake from San Francisco where she was living and working in advertising. She had no plans to move back to Utah. One evening, she went out to dinner with friends, and their server happened to be Marco. At the time, he was helping at the “only authentic Italian restaurant in town,” owned by two Italians who had asked him to assist in the dining room to help him improve his English. Amy’s friends were convinced that Marco was interested in her, but she thought little of it. However, before she left, they urged her to leave her business card. In the rush of the moment, she accidentally wrote down the wrong cell number.
Determined, Marco tracked her down. He sent her an email - a heartfelt message so beautifully written that Amy was stunned. “They were the most beautiful words I had ever heard,” she recalled. But she hesitated to respond to “the server.” Before she could, Marco had taken it a step further. He called her office in San Francisco. When they finally spoke, something clicked. What followed was a long-distance romance filled with frequent trips between Utah and California. “In our very first conversation, he told me he was going to marry me,” Amy said. “I thought, ‘This guy must be after a green card.’”
But Marco was not deterred, and neither was fate. Over the next year, their relationship deepened, and Amy eventually did what she had sworn she would never do. She left her career in San Francisco and moved back to Salt Lake. They married in 2003.
VENETO was born not just from Marco and Amy’s shared love of Italy but from their passion for bringing people together. Before opening the restaurant, they frequently hosted elaborate dinner parties at their home, where Marco, a self-taught chef, would prepare meals reminiscent of those from his childhood. “We stopped going out because we couldn’t find what we wanted,” Amy said. “Instead, we had people over, and the feedback was always the same - ‘You guys need to open a restaurant.’” Friends insisted that their level of hospitality deserved a larger stage. Eventually, the idea took hold.
From the beginning, VENETO was never just about serving food. It was about creating a meaningful moment around the table - one that mirrored dining in Italy. “In Italy, you go out less often, but when you do, it means something,” Marco explained. “Dining is an event. It’s special. It’s about coming together, slowing down, and savoring each moment.” This philosophy shapes every aspect of VENETO, from the menu to the service and even the design of the space.
The food at VENETO is deeply personal, rooted in the traditions of Marco’s homeland. Every dish has a story. The menu features centuries-old recipes, many of which are still served in small rifugios in the mountains of northern Italy. Signature dishes like gnocchi sbatùi - mountain-style gnocchi - are prepared with the same faithful craftsmanship as they would be in a rustic kitchen in the Veneto region. “We are not modern Italy,” Amy said. “These are real, time-honored dishes, prepared exactly as they should be, using the highest quality ingredients we can source.”
Marco’s passion extends beyond food and into the world of wine. His experience as an importer began when he started working with renowned restaurateurs Lidia and Joe Bastianich, who were importing wines for their New York restaurants. Over time, Marco expanded the portfolio, building relationships with top producers and refining the selection to include some of the best boutique wines from Italy. Eventually, he took over the company, growing its reach and influence. Today, his carefully curated selection of wines is featured in liquor stores throughout the United States and, of course, on VENETO’s own extensive wine list. “For us, wine is just as important as food. It tells a story, carries history, and enhances every meal,” Marco said. “At VENETO, we ensure every bottle we pour reflects the integrity and tradition we stand for.”
The commitment to honoring heritage at VENETO extends to the décor. The furniture, lighting, and even the marble in the bathrooms were carefully selected to evoke the same feeling as though you were in an intimate restaurant in Italy. Every chair and piece of furniture was hand-picked from an antique store in Salt Lake, all of them originally from Europe. The restaurant’s walls remain intentionally bare, keeping the focus on what truly matters: the guests, the food, and the atmosphere created around them. “Everything has a purpose and a story,” Amy noted. “From the atmosphere to the playlist, it all contributes to the feeling of being transported.”
VENETO was never meant to be just another restaurant in town. Marco and Amy have redefined dining in Salt Lake, proving that passion, sincerity, and an unwavering commitment to quality can create something truly special. “For us, this is so much more than just a restaurant,” Marco said. “It’s about creating connections, evoking emotions, and sharing what we love with others. That’s what keeps us going.”
