When Harvey Harris traveled to Italy in 1998, he said he had to forget everything he knew about Italian cooking. At the time, Harris already knew quite a bit about the cuisine. He had been the chef at Mezzaluna, a popular, now-closed Italian spot in downtown Austin. That led him to eventually connect with local restaurateur Stan Adams, who wanted to open a restaurant that looked like it was picked up in Tuscany and dropped into Texas.

To prepare for the opening of Siena Ristorante Toscana, Harris took part in a six-month program through the International School of Italian Cuisine for Foreigners. “I was fortunate to go over there when I wasn’t still arrogant and thought I knew everything,” Harris said. “Basically, what it did, it filled in the gaps in my education and polished everything else.”