Marino Monferrato: Hell’s Kitchen Star and Paso Robles Neighbor Opens La Biga Pizza | Up+Adam

Up+Adam Sponsored by PortabidetOn 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 Websitehttps://labigapaso.com• La Biga Paso Robles Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/labigapasorobles/• Marino Monferrato Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/marino.monferrato/• Hell’s Kitchen (Marino profile)https://hellskitchen.fandom.com/f/t/Marino%20Monferatto*********PORTABIDET: UP+ADAM IS AN OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON FOR PORTABIDET - USE THIS LINK FOR UP+ADAM LISTENERS TO LEARN MORE AND GET YOURS!*Timbre Event with Cal Poly EIM Students Info HEREListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Life ElementsCity of SLOWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com©2026 Up+Adam with Adam Montiel / LoBro Studios, All Rights Reserved.