More than 50 years ago, Alma Amadori discovered a case in her home in Ravenna, a province on the northeast coast of Italy on the Adriatic Sea. In this case Amadori found dozens of recipes, handwritten on onionskin paper. More than five decades and three generations later, those same recipes have helped make Via Emilia one of the most acclaimed restaurants in The Woodlands.

Amadori's grandson, Carlos, is one of three owners of today's Via Emilia, along with his son, Enrique, and his mother, Elda. The upscale Italian restaurant can trace its roots back to the early 20th century, to Emilia-Romagna, about 40 miles west of the Adriatic coast.