Our Story

 

Growing up in small hill town located

between the touristy beaches of the

ancient Roman city of Sibari and the mountains of Pollino in Calabria, chef and owner Carlo Guida spent most of his days at his grandmothers side.  He watched her cook and knew that someday he wanted to be able to recreate the food he loved so much. 

 

Unfortunately growing up in a small, traditional, southern Italian town did not give a young boy many opportunities to cook, so he watched and learned.

 

As a teenager he would cook for his friends on the weekends in their “Case di Campagna” surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, and in the summer at the beach.  He was always the one that was in charge of the food.  Until he left for the military.

 

Carlo served his mandatory military service in Toscana as a paratrooper and sniper in the elite special services.  It was during his military service that he met and fell in love with his wife, Lindsay White. 

 

She was attending school in Siena

 

 

 

 

and traveling on the weekends.  It was on one of these trips that she & Carlo met.  He was heading home on leave and Lindsay was off to Capri.  They spent the six hour train ride chatting over Marlboros and grapefruit juice.  When they returned to Siena a few days later they went out for a pizza and the rest is history.

 

After several years of long distance dating, moving from Italian city to city, & finally settling in Burien, the two were married. 

 

Lindsay became a teacher and Carlo worked for a cargo company, but he still dreamed of the day that he would be able to share his true Italian cooking with others.  This dream led to the opening of Osteria da Primo, named after their son, Primo Caio.