With a barbecue joint, Southeast Asian restaurant, and standing room-only adult snack bar all on the same block, one might assume that Tiffani Faison has quite enough to keep her busy. On Monday, the chef and Big Heart Hospitality owner out-Fenways herself by opening Orfano, a “subversive Italian-American restaurant that does not bow to tradition.”

From hand-pulled mozzarella to a decadent duck marbella feast for two, this is Faison’s homecoming to what she says is the culinary language she learned to speak at a young age. Given that there are a number of award-winning Italian spots (including 2019 Best New Restaurant Fox & the Knife) littered all over the city, Faison is realistic about the challenges of joining that mix, but is confident that Orfano is a space Boston desperately needs.