our philosophy
A Sfogliatella is our Italian cloud kitchen and pastry laboratory located in Washington D.C. A Sfogliatella offers a curated approach to traditional Italian food and lifestyle. Our name is inspired by the laminated Neapolitan pastry.
Bound to our roots, A Sfogliatella, represents casual and comfort food at its most elevated art form. At A Sfogliatella the inspiration behind our food comes from the taste of memory and the rediscovery of Italian regional cuisines.
Each dish combines tradition and contemporary cooking techniques to deliver a reimagined Italian experience.
A Sfogliatella is committed to featuring ethically-sourced ingredients from local and Italian producers, who put as much soul into their craft as we do into ours.
how we got started
our radici
It all began with our name. Working by day at a two-michelin star restaurant in Washington D.C., by night Chef Daniel Petitta cultivated his passion for preserving Italian culinary traditions.
Chef Petitta worked to develop a reimagined recipe for the laminated Neapolitan pastry called the sfogliatella. A labor-intensive, handmade delicacy, sfogliatelle have all but disappeared from Italian artisanal bakeries, substituted instead by commercially made frozen versions.
Chef Petitta welcomed the challenge and set out to make a unique version of the sfogliatella with 100% locally-sourced whole grain flour. After a year of research and development at Seylou Bakery, the sfogliatella was ready to be shared.
A Sfogliatella held its first pop-up event, the “Not Only Pasta Night,” at Seylou Bakery in 2019.
The launch event focused on showcasing a five-course Italian regional experience, and the DC community responded by selling out the event. Thanks to this community of neighbors, A Sfogliatella launched an expanded menu of pastries and pastas at the 2019 Emporyum Food Market.
We are honored to serve our community and hope to share our love for genuine food with you.
‘Qua parlano, parlano …ma quanno se magna’?!
chef daniel petitta
A native of Gallicano Nel Lazio in Rome, Daniel Petitta is the creator and head chef at A Sfogliatella. Chef Daniel began his culinary experience 15 years ago, at one of the most iconic restaurants in Trastevere “Da Meo Patacca.”
Since then, Chef Petitta has amassed a wealth of experience at some of the best Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, including *Galvin At Windows and the *Tazio restaurant. Chef Daniel has worked alongside culinary talents in London and Rome and served as head chef at La Pallacorda and The Library.
In 2017, he moved to Washington, D.C., with the dream of bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the capital. In Washington, D.C., Chef Daniel formed part of the two-Michelin star team at **Pineapple and Pearls.
These professional opportunities allowed Chef Daniel to challenge himself in his cooking. Drawing on his roots, Petitta now seeks to share his take on Italian regional cuisine at A Sfogliatella.
Petitta explains that his inspirations for A Sfogliatella are a combination of, “…research and travel to Italy’s diverse regions where I explored the secrets of rural dishes; the use of unique flavours and a natural approach on cooking and the close partnership with local farms to source the best seasonal produce.”