Donatella Arpaia, the dynamic attorney-turned-restaurateur, is an influential force in the New York dining scene. Not only a food expert and authority on entertaining, she is also a successful businesswoman who has created a number of highly regarded restaurants within only a few years.

Raised in the restaurant world, Donatella first studied law and became a corporate attorney. But the lure of the restaurant proved too strong and in 1998 she returned to her passion, applying her business savvy to her personal love for food. Donatella didn’t waste any time – within five years she had opened a string of New York’s hottest restaurants, including davidburke & donatella, Anthos and now Mia Dona.

Donatella has supplemented the kitchen training she absorbed from her family with studies at the French Culinary Institute and the Italian Culinary Academy. Since the critical successes of each of her restaurants and personal business recognitions (Crain’s named Donatella one of their “40 under 40”), Donatella has continued to regularly travel back to Apulia, in Italy, where "continuing education classes" are given to her in the kitchen of her grandmother and aunts.

Redefining the traditional role of restaurateur, Donatella is much more "hands-on" at each of her New York City restaurants than most owners. Understanding that how people feel in a restaurant is as important as the food they eat, Donatella has revived the personal touch in her restaurants. As Donatella says, "I throw a party every night of the week for a living. What could be better?”

Donatella often translates the expertise gained from her restaurants and applies them to entertaining at home. She has provided advice for In Style, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Hallmark Magazine, The Today Show, The Isaac Mizrahi Show and more, with her signature panache. Donatella also demonstrates her selective palate and star-quality as a member of the judging panel for The Food Network’s reality series’ The Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America.

In 2006, Donatella launched her successful high-end food collection, which features a line of tomato sauces made from 100% fresh San Marzano tomatoes and Italian plum tomatoes – all of which are preservative-free. Other products in her line include Frutatto Extra Virgin Olive Oil and addictive Hand Crafted Almond Cookies – made from her grandmother’s secret recipe. To purchase, please see our Products section on this site. All products are also available at Northeast Whole Foods Markets, as well as ShopRite and Hannaford stores nationwide.