The towering foyer of the newest restaurant in Waterway Square houses a new way to dine for many customers in The Woodlands. Chef Enzo Fargione’s first foray into the township’s culinary scene — Sorriso Modern Italian Kitchen and its partner lounge and pool bar, Como Social Club — officially opened on Jan. 31.

But, the winding road that led Fargione to the banks of The Woodlands Waterway began in San Diego, California, where a then-17-year-old Fargione moved after completing culinary school in his native Turin, Italy. Fargione didn’t last long in San Diego — four months after arriving and dissatisfied with what he said were inauthentic Italian offerings there — Fargione moved to the thin fine dining scene in Washington, D.C.