Valenti & Co

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Lombardian Chef, a Marin County Table

Chef Duilio Valenti was born and raised in Lombardy, and after more than 30 years living in Marin County, he found his purpose at the intersection of those two places. Valenti & Co, his Northern Italian restaurant and wine bar on San Anselmo Avenue, is the direct expression of that dual belonging — a kitchen where the traditions of northern Italy meet the exceptional local and organic ingredients that Marin County's farms and waters provide.

It is the kind of place that earns press descriptions like "homey, elegant" and "Renaissance roots" not through décor conceits but through the food itself. Gambero Rosso recognized Valenti & Co with 2 Forks in 2023, a distinction that reflects the restaurant's consistent commitment to quality and authenticity.

The Chef and His Sidekick

Chef Valenti's biography reads like a quiet masterclass in dedication. Culinary school, apprenticeships, and stints alongside some of the most respected names in European cooking — Gualtiero Marchesi, Gaston Lenôtre, Gianfranco Vissani, Michel Rostang — form the foundation. But the philosophy he carries above all others is simpler: "a chef is as good as the last dish he served." That dish, he is quick to remind you, is your dish.

Running the front of house is Cristiano Marcondes, the Maitre d' Chef Valenti calls "The Co." Cristiano brings a deep knowledge of the ingredients, preparations, and wines to every table — a genuine partner in translating the kitchen's passion into the guest's experience.

Northern Italian Cuisine, Rooted in Season

The menu at Valenti & Co updates daily at 5 PM, which tells you everything about the kitchen's priorities. Thoughtfully sourced local organic ingredients drive what appears on the plate, and the Northern Italian cuisine shifts with what is genuinely at its best. Dishes glimpsed across the menu's history include garganelli with seafood "bolognese," pizzoccheri valtellinesi with casera cheese and sage butter, beef carpaccio with squash blossom and goat cheese, and panna cotta with saffron and crispy rice alla milanese — each one grounded in a specific regional tradition, each one shaped by what arrived from a local farm or a trusted fisherman that morning.

Chef Valenti's blog entries reveal the thinking behind the sourcing: a genuine anxiety about sustainability, a seasonal excitement over baby artichokes in spring, a direct relationship with a local wild king salmon fisherman named Ralph. This is not a performance of farm-to-table values — it is simply how the kitchen operates.

Wine Bar, Open Kitchen, Outdoor Seating

The restaurant offers around 25 wines by the glass, drawn from small-production producers — a selection that rewards curiosity and complements the Northern Italian cuisine without overwhelming it. An open kitchen keeps the room connected to the energy of service, and outdoor seating extends the experience on Marin County's finer evenings. The space accommodates private parties and offers catering and takeaway as well.

The Marin Independent Journal called it "a homey, elegant addition to San Anselmo." That balance — warmth and refinement, rigor and welcome — is precisely what Valenti & Co has been delivering, one nightly menu at a time.