[1] He came to the United States at the age of 19, working in an Italian restaurant on K Street in Washington, D.C.[1][2] In 1984, Donna opened Galileo in Dupont Circle, which was an immediate success.
[3] Donna and his partner Savino Recine opened more casual trattorias, Primi Piatti, and then I Matti, serving pizza and pasta.
[2][8] In 2005, Donna competed on Iron Chef America, losing to Masaharu Morimoto after failing to plate a sufficient number of dishes.
[1][11] Donna and his business partners still faced several civil lawsuits when he returned to the kitchen with the opening of Galileo III in October 2010.
[12] In 2012, Donna opened Al Dente in Embassy Row, and Esquire magazine named him its "Chef of the Year.