There is the familiar story of Italian-food empress Lidia Bastianich, who established her namesake Kansas City outpost nearly 20 years ago, in 1998. Her television shows and cookbooks are ubiquitous, her six restaurants successful, and her three Eataly retail locations — operated in partnership with her son, Joe Bastianich, and fellow celebrity chef Mario Batali — draw pilgrims from all over.

Yet a less familiar part of her story has taken on new resonance lately. In 1956, Bastianich, along with her family, were political refugees who fled from communist Yugoslavia. They knew no one in the United States, but Americans helped them establish a new life here. At her Kansas City restaurant recently, I sat down with Bastianich to talk about her early years.