The One Who Keeps the Book Los Angeles
How to Get into Donna’s, Echo Park’s Cozy Italian American Banger
Red sauce nostalgia has exploded in Los Angeles, with Echo Park hotspot Donna’s leading the charge (see also). Since opening in July, the sleeper hit from Park Hospitality Group (Lowboy, Bar Flores, Wolf & Crane) blew up on social media, thanks to its vintage signage, grandma-chic digs, and plates of comforting classics like fusilli alla vodka, giant meatballs, and sourdough garlic bread. Today, it’s still one of the toughest tables in L.A., mostly due to its modest size and ongoing overwhelming demand.
To complicate matters, many of the usual reservation tricks don’t work at Donna’s. They’re not open for lunch or brunch. There’s no outdoor seating. But there are a few rays of hope, like the fact that they hold a substantial portion of seats for walk-ins every night, and, crucially, that they just expanded service to seven nights a week. And there may be a few more tricks if you’re willing to plan well in advance. For the latest edition of our series, The One Who Keeps the Book, we spoke to general manager Gina Zoef to get the lowdown on the best moves if you’re hoping to snag a coveted table.
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Resy: How many seats are in the house?
Gina Zoef: Just 64 seats, with 10 at the bar. We’re tiny!
How many seats are bookable on Resy versus walk-ins?
30% of the dining room, including the bar, is set aside for walk-ins, which is substantial! You can always grab a drink at our sister restaurant/bar Lowboy next door if you put your name down to wait.
When do reservations go live on Resy?
We open up reservations day by day at 10 a.m., two weeks in advance. So if you log on at 10 a.m. on the first [of the month], you’ll see dates for the evening of the 14th opening up, and so on.
How quickly do primetime weekend reservations get snatched up?
We’ve never really logged on to see it in real time except for special days like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve, but from what I can tell, they’re gone pretty much instantly.
How long is your Notify list?
The Notify list fluctuates from day to day. On Wednesday it can have 150 parties, while on Friday or Saturday, it can easily have over 300.
When is a guest most likely to get a Notify alert?
Between 5 p.m. the day before and 12 p.m. the day-of, since that’s the window within which people can still confirm or cancel their reservation free of charge.
What are your most popular times? Are there certain days where there’s a better chance to get a prime-time reservation?
Prime-time for dinner is between 7 and 8 p.m. every night, and those are our most competitive slots. The best chance at getting any reservation is really just by logging on for the 10 a.m. release 14 days in advance.
What night(s) would someone have the best chance at scoring a reservation? How about walking in?
The easiest nights are most likely Wednesdays and Thursdays. Walk-in space goes fast so we recommend either getting here 10 minutes before open, or trying again later in the evening, around 8:30 or 9 p.m.
Can guests have a cocktail while they wait for their table?
The bar is also seated from our waitlist so unfortunately it rarely works out that we have the space available for guests to wait for their table. We do have two amazing bars right next door to us, Lowboy and Bar Flores, that guests are encouraged to visit while they wait. Both bars feature great specialty cocktails and have plenty of non-alcoholic options as well.
Is the full menu available at the bar?
It is!
Are there any other tricks to getting seated? (Like, what if we DM you?)
We try each night to accommodate as many guests as possible, however, our space is so limited that the best piece of advice is really just to get in line before we open at 5 p.m.
Since it’s such a small restaurant, what is the maximum party size you can book?
Six people is the largest party we can accommodate due to our small size. We only have one space reservable for six and only two times available for that space; both are two-hour windows. Otherwise you’re looking at a four-top being the max.
In your opinion, what’s the best seat in the house?
We have one table right in front of the big bay window. It’s a little two-seater and it sits essentially right on Sunset so you can watch everyone go by, and also check out everyone in the restaurant since it’s right up front.
Can guests request specific tables?
We don’t have this available currently, just because we really try to be as egalitarian as possible. If someone is coming in for the fifth or sixth time and they’re like ‘I’m so excited to bring my mom in, can I have a booth?’ that might be the one exception.
If I were here on a date or with a friend, how would you suggest ordering for two people?
I would order one or two items from each section. The shrimp scampi for sure. We just added on polenta [with cream and olive oil] as well, and it’s the best polenta I’ve ever had. The calamari with squid ink aioli and pomodoro is my favorite version I’ve ever had, too!
How often does the menu change?
Since we use hyper-local produce, all of our salads change quite frequently depending on what we can get. Maybe one-fifth of the menu is seasonal. The ravioli is our number one seasonal dish that’s always changing. Right now it’s made with kabocha squash, brown butter, and sage. But in the summer we’ve done it with corn and other seasonal vegetables.
If it’s someone’s first time at Donna’s, what should they definitely order?
The garlic bread and the chicken Parm for sure!
It’s Saturday night at 8pm at Donna’s. Can you set the scene?
If you’re standing in the middle of it, it feels like the best version of a house party. There’s just so much energy, some people are singing, there’s so much drinking and so much food on everyone’s table. It feels like a really fun dinner party.
What do you love about working here?
Our staff is incredible. We couldn’t have better people. The whole picture, really— including working with [co-owners] Matt Glaser and Michael Francesconi, who have put together these really gorgeous pieces of a puzzle to make this lightning in a bottle. My favorite part of my day is bringing the first seating to their table and seeing their excitement. Every day is surprising because it’s just so good.
Kelly Dobkin is an L.A.-based writer/editor and former New Yorker. She has contributed to Bon Appetit, Grub Street, Michelin, Here Magazine, and is a former editor at Thrillist, Zagat, and Eater. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Resy, too.
