Although Ferrari’s Italian Villa has been in Grapevine for 11 years, chef and co-owner Francesco Secchi’s career spans over half a century as he has worked with top chefs and traveled the globe. He and his wife, Jane, came to Dallas in the early ’80s and opened their first restaurant in 1983 on Market Street in Dallas, where people clamored and waited hours for a chance to dine, he said.

“You could not get in that restaurant,” Jane said. “We wouldn’t even answer the phone because the wait time was two to three hours.” Since then the Secchis have owned and operated several restaurants in the Dallas area, eventually opening Ferrari’s—named for Francesco’s grandparents—in Grapevine in 2007, Jane said. Here, customers can enjoy made-from-scratch dishes with fresh ingredients grown from the garden outside.