Rumor has it that Chef Matt Gallaher will officially open his new Italian restaurant, Emilia, on Tuesday, May 3. But so far it's only a rumor as the chef has yet to make the official announcement. He did, however, explain in a text message how he chose the restaurant's name.
"My first restaurant job was at 9 years old in my mom's catering business, Miss Emily's. It was named for my grandmother, Emily Jackson, and my younger sister, Emily Cowan. Several months ago I was reading one of the 60 Italian cookbooks that I've collected over the last couple of years, and Emilia-Romagna kept coming up over and over. It's the region where so many quintessential Italian ingredients are produced — Parmesan, pecorino, prosciutto, balsamic, etc.
Source: http://www.knoxnews.com/