ONE OF HOUSTON'S most beloved restaurants has new owners — a couple that enjoyed dining there so much they bought it!

“The couple, along with their young daughter and extended family, have enjoyed countless memorable moments at Sorrento over the years, making the restaurant an integral part of their lives,” explains a rep.

Successful Natchitoches, Louisiana- and Houston-based lawyer Robert Salim and his biz-savvy wife Melissa scooped up the Westheimer Curve’s 20-year-old Italian stalwart Sorrento Ristorante late last year and, agreeing that the place had great culinary bones, have begun gently tweaking the menu and grand-but-still-inviting interiors.

“We are excited to put our touches on this already well-known, established and reputable restaurant,” says Robert. “Our vision for Sorrento includes enhancing the dining experience while preserving the essence that has made it a beloved destination for over two decades.”

Some adjustments to the classically Italian, unabashedly upscale menu — pasta dishes like braised veal osso buco ravioli and lobster tortellini with lemon cream, and lambchops stuffed with goat cheese and herbs — include expanded salad and dessert sections. The stellar cannoli and cheesecake are made fresh on the premises, as are the lovely options in the bread basket, and all the pasta.

The Salims also beefed up the wine list with some of their favorite bottles, and they secured a pizza oven. “Imagine being an Italian restaurant with no pizza,” muses Robert.

Sorrento is a no-brainer for special occasions and important dinners — with a soundtrack of live tinkling piano, not less — but that’s not all. It’s an ideal option for business lunches, with its buttoned-up, very proper, European-influenced service and graciously spaced-out sitting. No eavesdropping here! The eatery is also getting into the brunch game come March 3; expect a new top-tier player in the elegant upper echelon of Sunday Funday.