Italians who arrive in the United States and end up starting restaurants are a dime a dozen. But every once in a while, the journey taken by one Italian family is so memorable that it becomes the stuff of legends.

Such is the case with Commellini Estate in northwest Spokane, Wash., which opened as Commellini’s Restaurant in 1941 on a 140-acre former chicken farm. From the beginning, it was a popular gathering spot, not only for Spokane’s elite and powerful but also for visiting celebrities.