Quick Facts
Biography
Dr. Tanya Bastianich Manuali (born 1972) is an American businesswoman and author. She is the daughter of chef Lidia Bastianich.
Life and career
Tanya Bastianich Manuali was born in Queens, New York in 1972 to parents Lidia and Felix Bastianich. Her visits to Italy as a child sparked a passion for the country's art and culture. She received a B.A. in art history from Georgetown, then studied Italian Renaissance, earning a master’s degree from Syracuse University and a doctorate from Oxford University in 2000. She lived and studied in many regions of Italy and taught to American students in Florence.
Tanya is involved in the production of Lidia's public television series as an owner and executive producer of Tavola Productions, and is also active in the family restaurant business. Alongside her mother Lidia, she is co-owner of two restaurants: Felidia and Lidia's Kansas City. In 2019, Tanya joined her brother Joe Bastianich in operating several other restaurants, including Del Posto, Babbo, Lupa, Otto, Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza and Chi Spacca. She led the development of the Lidia's Italy website, and related publications as well as merchandise lines of tabletop and cookware. She is a member of Les Dames D’Escoffier (NY Chapter), a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality.
Together with her husband Corrado Manuali, Tanya oversees the production and expansion of the LIDIA'S food line of pastas and all natural sauces. She has co-authored several books with her mother, including: Felidia: Recipes from My Flagship Restaurant, Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian, Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine, Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking, Lidia's Favorite Recipes, Lidia's Italy, Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy, and Lidia's Italy in America. In 2010, she co-authored Reflections of the Breast: Breast Cancer in Art Through the Ages, a social-art-historical look at breast cancer in art from ancient Egypt to today. In 2014, she co-authored a book with her brother entitled Healthy Pasta.
She met her husband Corrado in New York, where they now live with their two children, Lorenzo and Julia.