Wow! I'm busy and my life is always hectic, but lately it's been insane! This past week my partner Michael Psilakis and I had a soft opening for our new restaurant, Eos, in the Viceroy Miami. It took a while to decide on the name. There are sooo many details that go into the opening of a restaurant; it can be exhausting, but it's the details that make a restaurant.

This is a unique situation for Michael and I because it's the first time we are opening a restaurant outside of Manhattan, so we are out of our comfort zone. "Eos" means dawn and symbolizes new beginnings, so it's the perfect name for our new beginning in Miami.

Michael's menu was inspired by Miami's large Latin culture, and for the first time in addition to the menu having Italian and Greek influences, which we are known for, he also looked to Spain, Portugal and Morocco for inspiration. The restaurant is a small plate concept, like Anthos Upstairs here in Manhattan. Eos is fresh, young, sexy and bold, just like Miami. My goal in the front of the house is to create a style of service that is professional but casual and not at all fussy. Miami isn't known for its service and I'm going to change that with Eos if it's the last thing I do!

Before I left NYC I needed to find a dress for the Viceroy's opening party -- a minor detail to some, but to me it's important. If I have an outfit picked out I am calmer; it's one less thing to worry about. Having spent time in Miami while working with my team at Eos, I quickly realized women dress very differently then they do in New York, so nothing I had in my closet worked. Everything in Miami is shorter and sexier, and bold colors are a must. My little black dresses weren't cutting it, so I broke the mold with a bright orange number. I always like to wear an outfit that matches the restaurant somehow. When I opened up davidburke & donatella I wore red, for Dona I wore yellow, for Anthos I wore pink...you get the idea. In this highly designed Kelly Wearstler hotel, a dominant color was bright orange. So, I went to my friend's store Martier in NYC, and Bobby (my lifesaver) had one of his designers make me a custom one-shoulder orange dress. I would never wear it in NYC, but in Miami I'll fit right in.

With my dress all set, it's show time! Now the only thing I have to worry about is opening the restaurant. Piece of cake...

--Donatella

Read Donatella's previous blog entry here.

Learn more about Donatella Arpaia here.