Chef Stefano Quaresima fell in love twice in Boston. First with his wife, Tsedenia Kiros, whom he met while working at Petit Robert Bistro, and second with the Dorchester neighborhood. Now he channels his passion for food and the local community into his recently opened Italian restaurant, Via Cannuccia.

Via Cannuccia, located at 1739 Dorchester Avenue, officially opened its doors April 9 and Quaresima has been working nonstop ever since. “I work 20 hours a day,” he says. “It’s been very busy.”