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Forbes
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Is ‘Nonnas' Based On A True Story? How To Visit The Real Enoteca Maria
Netflix's new heartfelt movie Nonnas is a tribute to grandmothers everywhere. Co-written by Liz Maccie and directed by her husband Stephen Chbosky, the movie draws inspiration from the real story of a New York man who set out to open an Italian restaurant after losing some of the most important women in his life. In Nonnas, released on May 9, Vince Vaughn stars as Joe Scaravella, a New York man grieving the deaths of his mother and grandmother. With the help of his friends and his inheritance, he opens an old-school Italian restaurant. He names the spot 'Enoteca Maria' and hires Italian grandmothers – known as nonnas – as its chefs. The four 'nonnas' featured in the film are Roberta (Lorraine Bracco), Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro), Teresa (Talia Shire), and Gia (Susan Sarandon). What makes the film even more special is the fact that it's based on a true story. Yes, the restaurant Scaravella opens in Nonnas is a real place – a restaurant you can sit down and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. Keep reading to learn more about the inspiring story behind the movie and how to make a reservation at Enoteca Maria. Netflix's Nonnas is based on the true story of Joe Scaravella, who opened his Staten Island, New York, restaurant, Enoteca Maria, in 2007 – and it's still operating today. While Vaughn's character, Scaravella, is based on a real person, the nonnas in the film are not modeled after any specific women who worked at Enoteca Maria. Linda Cardellini's character, Olivia, was also invented for the big screen, according to Decider. After his grandmother, Domenica, his mother, Maria, and his sister passed away, Scaravella missed their authentic Italian cooking. 'After losing all those matriarchal figures in my life,' he said in a 2017 New York Times profile. 'I wanted to try to recreate that, you know, grandma in the kitchen cooking.' Although he had no business plan or previous restaurant experience, he opened up Enoteca Maria as a way to 'comfort' himself. He previously worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for more than a decade. When Enoteca Maria first opened its doors, all of the 'nonnas' were Italian. But in July 2015, Scaravella switched things up by bringing in the first non-Italian cook: a grandmother from Pakistan. From there, the restaurant expanded into 'Nonnas of the World,' inviting grandmothers from around the globe to add their personal touch to an ever-changing menu. 'In the beginning, when we were all Italian nonnas,' he told the newspaper. "There might have been a little bit of jealousy. You know, who makes the best lasagna, or who makes the best sauce?' According to Atlas Obscura, at any given time, two nonnas are working in the kitchen – one as the head chef, and the other as the sous chef. This means that two grandmothers from different cultures could be working side by side in the kitchen, learning from each other's recipes. "Most of these ladies, their husbands have passed away, the children have grown up and they've moved out," Scaravella told People. 'They're packed with culture and they need an outlet. And that's what we do — we provide that outlet.' You can dine at Enoteca Maria, the real-life restaurant that inspired Nonnas. Each night, a 'nonna' from a different country creates a unique menu that honors her native cuisine. Located in the historic St. George neighborhood of Staten Island, Enoteca Maria is a cash-only restaurant open just three days a week – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, according to its website. Yes, you need a reservation to eat at Enoteca Maria. It's recommended that you book well in advance because of its popularity and limited seating. To make a reservation, call 718-447-2777 or message via WhatsApp at 917-803-1394. The restaurant currently offers four seating times: 12:30, 2:30, 5:30, and 7:30 PM. Enoteca Maria is located at 27 Hyatt Street, Staten Island, New York 10301. On weekends, the restaurant offers a free cooking class program called Food, Family, Culture and Nonna, which 'aims to keep alive the passing down of technique and knowledge from one generation to another, and from one culture to another,' according the restaurant. You can sign up here. Nonnas is streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This New Netflix Movie Is a Love Letter to Mothers, Grandmothers, and Family Recipes
Of all the fond memories you carry from childhood, food probably plays a starring role in many of them. Whether you have family recipes you still make today or you make a point of gathering with friends and family over large meals, food can bring us all together in a wholly unique—and near-universal—way, no matter how long it's been since you were last together or whether some of your loved ones have passed on. Food and family and togetherness are all linked, a sentiment upcoming film Nonnas celebrates in every scene. Based on the true story of Joe Scaravella and Enoteca Maria, an eatery on New York City's Staten Island, Nonnas stars Vince Vaughn as Joe, a man who has lost his mother and grandmother but who finds comfort in preparing the Italian recipes they left behind (even if he doesn't know all the secret ingredients). Joe decides to celebrate those he has lost by opening a restaurant in their memory, and he recruits a team of local older women—the titular nonnas, which is Italian for grandmothers—as cooks. It's not a smooth path to success for Joe and his chefs, but the movie celebrates every step of the journey, with plenty of scrumptious shots of tomatoes, noodles, and sauces along the way. (Seriously—this movie will have you craving Italian food from the start.) Nonnas writer Liz Maccie lost her mother about a decade ago, and the movie is an 'incredible love letter to my family,' she tells Better Homes & Gardens. At the same time, it's a movie about found family, grief, legacy, and amazing food, with plenty of laughs layered in for good measure. '[Liz] really wrote it from the heart, and that transferred onto the page,' says actor Lorraine Bracco, who plays one of the nonnas in the film. 'And that was special. That was very, very moving. I laughed and I cried when I read it.' Related: 9 Healthy Italian Recipes That Don't Skimp on Flavor The emphasis on family spoke to the movie's stars. 'I called it my Jimmy Stewart movie, because it was so loving. It was so emotional, everything was about love and giving,' says actor Brenda Vaccaro, who plays another nonna and chef. And for actor Joe Manganiello, who plays Vaughn's friend in the movie, the focus specifically on Italian legacy offered another layer of meaning. 'I have very fond memories of my Sicilian grandma,' he says. 'I thought about her a lot while I was filming this.' Related: 24 of Our Favorite and Most Delicious Classic Italian Recipes Watching the movie is sure to make you think about your own family, and the recipes they've passed down to you. Hopefully, it'll encourage you to make sure you can pass those recipes down, too. 'A lot of families, they don't write [recipes] down,' says director Stephen Chbosky, who is also married to writer Liz Maccie. 'And I hope the film changes that. I hope everybody sees the film and obviously orders Italian food, or makes Italian food, and then says, 'All right, mom, whoever, sit down and write it all down, because I want to bring with me.'' As an ode to mothers and grandmothers, family recipes, shared meals, and incredible Italian food, Nonnas truly has something for everyone. And with its May 9 release date falling just before Mother's Day, it's the perfect movie to watch with your mom (or grandmother, or children). Just make sure you eat a good meal before you press play. In addition to Vaughn, Manganiello, Bracco, and Vaccaro, Nonnas stars Susan Sarandon, Linda Cardellini, Talia Shire, and Drea de Matteo. Nonnas is available to stream on Netflix starting May 9. Related: HGTV's New 'Castle Impossible' Documents a Wild Journey to Save a 500-Year-Old Chateau Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens
