OUR STORY
Riva Cucina began with a simple dream: to share the flavors of Massi’s Italian heritage with Jen’s California community. For seventeen years, their Berkeley restaurant welcomed guests with warmth, earning Michelin recognition while becoming something even more meaningful, a place where people felt as if they were being welcomed into a friend’s home.
Today, in Napa Valley, that same spirit continues in more intimate ways through private dining, curated travel, and experiences rooted in connection, beauty, and care. Together, Massi and Jen believe hospitality is an act of love, expressed one meal, one journey, and one shared moment at a time.
MASSIMILIANO BOLDRINI
Raised in Ferrara, in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, Massi grew up in a family where food was woven into daily life. Some of his earliest and most cherished memories are of visiting his grandparents’ farm, where the family gathered around a long table to make salumi and sausage by hand. The ritual remains a touchstone in his life, drawing him back to Italy each January to continue the tradition with his father.
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At fifteen, Massi began his culinary path with a summer internship at his father Giuliano’s restaurant in Bologna. His father believed in teaching discipline through experience, assigning him long shifts that immersed him in the demands of a professional kitchen. From chopping and grilling to the careful work of deboning prosciutto, Massi found both challenge and purpose in the craft. He went on to study formally at the Vergani Culinary Institute in Ferrara.After graduating, Massi honed his skills in kitchens across Europe and the United States. He spent formative years working under celebrated chef Gino Angelini in both Italy and Los Angeles, where his Italian roots met the freshness and creativity of California cooking. It was also in Los Angeles that he met Jen, his future wife and partner.
In 2007, Massi and Jen opened Riva Cucina in Berkeley. For seventeen years, the restaurant became a beloved gathering place, earning a devoted following and recognition in the Michelin Guide. Massi’s cooking reflected the food of his home, but also the spirit behind it: feeding people well, honoring tradition, and making guests feel cared for.
Today, in Yountville, Massi and Jen have reimagined Riva Cucina as an intimate, experience-driven culinary offering rooted in Italian hospitality. Through private dining and curated wine country experiences, Massi brings the flavors, rituals, and generosity of Emilia-Romagna to the table in a deeply personal way.
Beyond the kitchen, Massi serves his community as a volunteer firefighter and as part of the Napa Firewise team, helping promote fire safety and prevention. He also lends his culinary talents to local causes through chef-driven events. In his free time, you can find him biking, cooking, or taking an evening passeggiata through Yountville with Jen and their two teenage children, savoring the beauty of the valley they call home.
JENNIFER BOLDRINI
As the creative force behind Riva Cucina, Jen brings a lifelong passion for storytelling, connection, and the art of gathering to every meal and journey. Her background in psychology, branding, and hospitality allows her to approach each detail with intuition and intention, creating moments that feel personal and rooted in a true sense of place.
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Jen first fell in love with Italy as a student at the University of Notre Dame, when a semester in Florence transformed a foreign country into a second home. There, she discovered not only a culture, but a way of being that felt slower, more attentive, and deeply connected.After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, Jen earned a Master’s degree in Psychology and Eastern Philosophy in San Francisco. Her time abroad also led her into the luxury travel industry, where she discovered the joy of uncovering and sharing some of the world’s most beautiful destinations. That chapter eventually led her to a chance meeting with Massi, setting the course for their shared life together.
Before stepping into the restaurant world, Jen built a successful career in branding, specializing in archetypal analysis and cultural insight. She helped companies understand who they were, what they stood for, and how to tell their stories with authenticity.
When Massi found the perfect location in Berkeley, Jen joined him in bringing his culinary vision to life. Together, they created more than a restaurant. Riva Cucina became a gathering place where food and hospitality turned guests into lifelong friends. Over seventeen years, Jen and Massi built it into a beloved Berkeley institution, blending their Californian and Italian roots in a way that brought culture and community together.
Today, in Yountville, Jen and Massi have reimagined Riva Cucina as an intimate, experience-driven offering that blends bespoke private dining with immersive travel design. Whether curating vineyard gatherings or crafting journeys through the lesser-worn paths of Italy, Jen brings warmth, care, and a refined sense of intention to every detail.
Beyond Riva Cucina, Jen continues to cultivate her love of learning and can often be found immersed in studies of psychology, neuroscience, and contemplative traditions.
Through it all, her work remains centered on connection: creating experiences that bring people back to what matters most.