Bella Notte Ristorante was born out a desire for restaurant ownership when it opened in November 2001. Annette Walker runs the business at 137 W. Michigan Ave. in Jackson, but her husband, Gregory Walker, provided the Italian heritage.

Gregory Walker’s grandfather and grandmother immigrated to the United States from Italy through Ellis Island in 1902 and met later in Chicago. The love of good food and wine was passed down to him, he said, adding his father ran a meat market in Chicago.