Armandino Batali

Armandino (“Armo”) Batali was born to Armando and Leonetta Batali on October 11, 1937, and raised on a farm in the Yakima Valley where his paternal grandparents, Sebastian and Isola, grew their own everything. They prepared many traditional delicacies based on their memories from the late 1800’s from their native Italian town of Segromigno.

Armandino's maternal grandfather Angelo Merlino was quite dissatisfied with the quality of Italian food available in rural Washington and decided to move from Black Diamond to Seattle in 1902 to open a food import company and a store called Merlino’s Metropolitan Grocery near Pioneer Square. The store stayed in the family for more than 60 years. This laid the foundation for Armandino’s future culinary endeavors.

Armandino went to college at St Martin’s University in Lacey Washington and graduated with a degree in the Chemistry. He has continued his involvement at his beloved Alma Mater over the past several decades.

He married Marilyn LaFramboise a Registered Nurse from Moxee in 1959 and they had 3 children, Mario, Dana and Gina.

Armandino began a career at The Boeing Company in the area of Quality and Process Control Engineering and continued his studies in Chemistry and Metallurgy while moving up the ladder at Boeing. Eventually that ladder led to an opportunity in Madrid, Spain for what was to be a 2 year assignment. The 2 year assignment turned into 18 wonderful years for Armandino and Marilyn, culminating in London.

Armo and Marilyn finally returned to Seattle to settle in an apartment above the Pike Place market and Armandino retired from Boeing. He studied at the prestigious Peter Kump cooking school in NYC while interning at the Alps Salami production facility in Queens NY. He was also fortunate to work with the legendary Dario Cecchini at his renowned butcher shop in Panzano in Tuscany.

Armandino and Marilyn opened a small deli called Salumi in 1999, just 110 yards from the original Merlino’s Metropolitan Grocery with the idea of creating artisanal salumi for retail as well as hand prepared family classics like oxtail and porchetta to name a few . Marilyn, as well as Armandino’s sister Aunt Izzy made the family gnocchi in the front window and the crowds went wild for the authentic and delicious foods so familiar to the Batali family. In 2007, Salumi was passed on to his daughter and son in law and eventually changed hands beyond the family in 2017.

Marilyn passed away in 2020 and Armandino continued retirement relaxing, playing golf, travelling, fishing and cooking for family and friends. On Fridays he cooked at the St James Cathedral kitchen feeding hundreds each week.

Armandino passed away suddenly on Nov 28 in his home in Seattle and will be missed terribly. He is survived by his 3 children, Gina, Dana and Mario and his grandchildren, Carly, Natalie, Clio, Sebastian, Benno and Leo. The family greatly appreciates the outreach from friends and family and will be holding a private ceremony to honor his memory. Any gestures of support or donations can be directed towards the Kitchen at St. James Cathedral.