Our story

Antonella was born in the U.S. but grew up between here and in Sicily, where her roots run deep. She met Paolo, her future husband, in Bagheria while attending high school with his cousin. They kept bumping into each other at the Festa di San Giuseppe, and something just clicked.

What followed was years of long-distance love, video calls, and plane rides between continents. After years of back and forth, Paolo moved to the U.S. in 2011, and they were married in 2013—first at city hall, then again with a big celebration in Sicily. They started a family, bought a home, and balanced busy careers—Antonella as a phlebotomist, Paolo in masonry and tile work.

But food was always at the heart of their lives. Sharing Sicilian dishes with coworkers sparked joy and curiosity. And in 2022, after years of dreaming and juggling family life—including raising two kids and navigating the challenges of the pandemic—Antonella declared, “Next year, I want to open a business.”

That trip to Sicily in 2023 to baptize their youngest changed everything. Markets, meals, and the rhythm of daily life lit a spark. She came home seeing food—and her culture—with fresh eyes.  She remembered the simple magic of sitting at a café in Sicily, sipping a cappuccino with a warm Nutella arancina in hand. Or standing elbow-to-elbow with locals in the bustling markets of Palermo, biting into a crisp arancina alla carne—no utensils, no fuss, just flavor, joy, and tradition.

Terra D’Amuri began that same year, launching at Kitchen Local and debuting at the North Andover and Haverhill farmers markets. It quickly became more than just a business—it was a way to bring authentic Sicilian food to the community, to challenge the misconceptions about arancine (no, we don’t serve them with sauce!), and to share something deeply personal with every golden, handcrafted bite.