Carlo Donadoni is the founder, owner, and executive chef of Spuntino Catering & Events in Miami. He was also president of the Italian Chef Federation USA from 2016 to 2023.
How he got his start: "I graduated in 1990 from the Culinary Institute of Ponte di Legno in Northern Italy. I started my career working in kitchens from luxury hotels to well-known restaurants such as Grand Hotel in Rimini, Grand Hotel des Iles Borromee in Lake Maggiore, and Savini in Milan. I started working closely with world leaders in the food industry like Claudio Sadler and Gualtiero Marchesi, which further inspired me to discover different ingredients and ways to match them in an innovative and creative way. Culinary techniques are always evolving in the culinary world; these well-known chefs that I had the fortune to work for forced me to understand that I always needed to be on top of the new techniques. 
Donadoni has a "passion for ingredient exploration, recipe innovation, and creative presentation," he says.Photo: Courtesy of Spuntino Catering & Events
In 1996, I was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open an Italian restaurant chain on the west coast of Florida. At the time, real Italian cuisine was not common. I was able to bring my knowledge, my traditions, and my culinary skills to another country that I started to call home. I met Graziano Sbroggio a few years later, when I needed a new challenge—so I moved to Miami and started opening different types of restaurants, from pizzerias to Italian trattorias to fine dining establishments. Today, those restaurants are categorized in a consulting hospitality group called Graspa Group, and I continue my passion for ingredient exploration, recipe innovation, and creative presentation within our catering division, aka Spuntino Catering."
"We excel in delivering authentic cuisine, and our experience helps us to shine in our niche segment," Donadoni explains.Photo: Courtesy of Spuntino Catering & Events
What innovation means to him: "Innovation is my inspiration. It means encouragement, enthusiasm, motivation, and influence. Innovation is the motor to any successful company, and it is imperative to my personal and business growth. I firmly believe that there is one particular element that helps to keep pushing toward a common goal, and that is travel. Travel keeps you innovating."
Memorable moment: "My most memorable dish was presented at the launch of the Portofino Ferrari in Miami back in 2018. It was a risotto with porcini mushrooms and snail caviar. It was an exclusive dish and very important to me, as I was the first person to use this product, which [had been] recently approved by the FDA." 
"Innovation is the motor to any successful company, and it is imperative to my personal and business growth," he says.Photo: Courtesy of Spuntino Catering & Events
His all-time favorite food: "I'm totally biased, but I need to say Mediterranean. I am a French aficionado, though!"
His biggest hope for the F&B industry: "I really hope that the new generation of chefs continues to appreciate tradition, culture, quality, and raw materials in their kitchens!"
