Jordana Tovich, owner of Santa Barbara Italian Cafe in Pearland, is not apologizing for quality.

The Croatian native—better known as “Mama” to her staff—said she has taken a lifetime of experience in the kitchen and created authentic Italian flavors for her customers every time they sit down at her table.

“Here, everything is made from scratch,” Tovich said. “That’s why it takes some time. But most of the people say it was worth it. It’s not already prepared and precooked. No. When you order something, we start to cook.”

Tovich said much of her family, who are from the historical region of Dalmatia, loved to cook. Her grandfather owned a chain of butcher shops, and several women in her family worked in the restaurant business in Croatia.

“I was always around restaurants, but my mother wanted me to finish college and become a banker,” she said. “So I was actually a banker. She knew that [owning a restaurant] was very hard work, so she didn’t want me in that. But, I always loved the cooking.”

When she moved to Pearland in 1995, she said it was time to bring her kitchen skills to her neighbors. Tovich started as the lone cook, often working as many as 16 hours a day.

“Cooking was my passion and my love,” she said. “Even these days when I’m old and can hardly walk, I love to cook. Not only that, I love to eat too.”

Her passion has a paid off. Santa Barbara Italian Cafe has outgrown its location and is slated to  relocate within the same plaza. Her new location will nearly double the restaurant’s seating capacity. A move-in date hasn’t been announced. However, Tovich said the increased capacity won’t impact her food’s freshness.

“There is a big, big difference when you cook something fresh.”

Now, Tovich spends less time in the kitchen at Santa Barbara, but has trained the kitchen staff to cook everything on the menu. With more time on her hands, she plans to write a cook book to share her recipes.

Santa Barbara Italian Cafe

Pearland Location 5012 W. Broadway St. 281-485-5676 Hours: Mon.-Thus. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10p.m., closed Sundays

Alvin Location 25405 W. Hwy 6 281-585-4073 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.- 9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. www.santabarbaraitaliancafe.com