" La Filoma" is a beautiful restaurant inside a 17th century building in the historical centre of Parma, just a stone's throw from the Cathedral and Baptistery and right next to the Regio Theatre. This high quality restaurant dates back to the 1930s, when it was run by Filomena Sassi, better known as Filoma, probably because of her classic housewifey rotundity. With its all-female family management (sister, sister-in-law and daughter), legend has it that the customers were bowled over by their exuberance and friendliness.

In the 1960s and '70s, "La Filoma" was taken over by Sergio Ravazzoni, who took the restaurant into the Michelin league, having it awarded one star. And then it was my turn: "Marzia": I am fifty-one years old, and have been a self-taught cook, or "rasdora" - "queen of the kitchen", as I prefer, for the past thirty. Like Filomena, I too am cuddly, a little on the rustic side and with a happy disposition. Like her, I hope to conquer my customers with my personality, but above all with my cooking.

I have owned this splendid restaurant for the past four years, assisted by Mattia, my kitchen help and by Cristina and Gianni at the tables. Together we hope to take "La Filoma" to a high level. In the past, I ran a small restaurant with my husband, "Marzia e Bruno", and it gave us a lot of satisfaction, with a good reputation and happy customers. In the meantime, I have also raised two beautiful children who, alas! love their food and drink, but have no interest at all in the restaurant business! I hope that I can always do my best in this field, and continue to reach the hearts of my customers through their stomachs.