Food represents much more than just another meal to the Orioli family. With generations of kin operating Via Emilia in The Woodlands on a daily basis, the restaurant has become a true family business.

Via Emilia features Italian cuisine inspired by the home-cooked meals that Executive Chef Elda Orioli learned to prepare as a child living in Emilia-Romagna, a northern Italian region.

"I did not go to cooking school. I learned from my grandmother and my mom," Orioli said. "I have cooked all of my life. I remember being 7 or 8 years old and making the pasta with a roller."

Before moving to Houston to open the first Via Emilia location on FM 1960 in 1999, the family owned and operated the El Manaure hotel and restaurant in Tucacas, Venezuela, in the 1970s. The beachfront hotel specialized in serving the same traditional Italian food the family has prepared for generations but also featured fresh fish delivered directly by local fishermen.

The family moved Via Emilia from Houston to The Woodlands in 2011. While Orioli continues to uphold the high culinary standards of the restaurant, many of the Orioli family members contribute to different aspects of the business, ranging from front desk service to food preparation to wine label selection.

"It means a lot to me that all of my family is here," Orioli said. "We all get along and we all have our own responsibilities. It is the best honor there is."

Along with a variety of housemade pasta dishes, the restaurant features Orioli's vitello osso buco, linguine alla vongole and grilled Chilean sea bass recipes. While the quality of the food is a priority, Orioli said that strong customer service has been key in maintaining a successful business over the years.

"It is about treating people with a lot of respect," Orioli said. "I don't speak English so sometimes [communication] is difficult, but you can tell that [our customers] appreciate us and know that what they are eating is high quality."

Recipe inspiration

"I go to Italy every year. I go to restaurants and see what is new because there is always new food as well. I went to a beach last year, and there was a tremendous chef who hailed from Switzerland. I spoke for a long time with that man. It makes me very happy to speak with [other chefs]."

Favorite dishes

"Every dish is my favorite. I try all of the dishes and if I like it, then I make it for everybody else to try. If I do not like it, then it will definitely not be [on the menu]. I have been doing this for a lot of years and I can guess what people will like, and the truth is that I am really happy with that."

10700 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. F, The Woodlands , 281-465-9555, www.viaemiliarestaurant.com

Hours: Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.