The respiratory system of the food world experienced a shortness of breath today when Marianne Belardi of Cowboy Ciao announced she was leaving after fifteen years.

If there were various hats to be worn at Cowboy Ciao, Belardi, a Long Island native, wore most all of them, and stylishly. The "buzz and schmooze" expert for Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar, Belardi opened Cowboy Ciao with owner Peter Kasperski, was chef and then hired Bernie Kantak (now owner and chef of Citizen Public House) and, with a passion for hospitality and a do-anything-that's-required work ethic, also played the roles of bartender, dishwasher, event planner -- even plumber, among others.

What we could say here, Belardi says better on her blog.

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