Marcellino Ristorante owner Sima Verzino wasn’t about to let a three-car pileup or “monsoon storms” stop Gerard Montemurro from keeping his dinner reservation. Sima offered to drive Gerard back to the restaurant, but Gerard demurred. After waiting an hour for AAA, he called back and asked if the offer was still on the table…

“He asked if I was kidding,” said Sima Verzino, co-owner of the restaurant. “And I asked, ‘Where are you?’ I told my husband and he grabbed the keys and he ran out of the door.”

Despite already closing their kitchen, Sima and her husband, Marcellino, left their restaurant and met Montemurro with some of Marcellino’s dry clothes for a quick change.

When they arrived at the restaurant, the Verzinos reopened the kitchen and served Montemurro and his friend antipasti salad, green salad, Italian bread with dipping sauce, pinot grigio, espresso and tiramisu.

“It was just pretty extraordinary. Not only from a customer-service standpoint, but just from a human-being standpoint and having compassion for somebody,” Montemurro said.

After dinner, the Verzinos drove Montemurro back to the site of his accident to meet the tow truck driver.

Wow! We expect that sort of kindness from our parents, not the local Italian restaurant.

Molto bene, Marcellino!

Owners make sure stranded, wet diner gets his meal [The Arizona Republic]

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