Looking for your next feel-good movie watch? The heartwarming, food-filled comedy Nonnas just dropped on Netflix—and yes, it’s based on a real restaurant.
The new Netflix film premiered on May 9 and has already captured attention from critics and viewers alike—especially since it’s inspired by a real-life eatery where grandmothers run the kitchen.
Nonnas centers on a group of Italian grandmas-turned-chefs working at a buzzworthy New York restaurant, modeled after the beloved culinary spot Enoteca Maria.
The true story of Nonnas
Vince Vaughn stars as transportation worker and restaurant founder Jody “Joe” Scaravella who opened a restaurant in Staten Island, New York back in 2007.
Inspired by the Italian women who made him love cooking, he opened up this food spot using inheritance money to honor his grandmother Domenica and his mother Maria, who passed away.
Scaravella’s goal was to always use his restaurant as a platform for nonnas from all over the world to express themselves with culinary traditions and signature recipes.
Hiring actual grandmothers from all over the world (Japan, Poland, Ukraine, Greece, China + more), he found a sense of peace in showcasing the beloved culinary creations that could be shared with the neighborhood.
In the movie, Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Lorraine Bracco, and Brenda Vaccaro star as four chefs that are loosely based on the original nonnas, but not quite exactly.
The original women were named Carmelina Pica, Adelina Orazzo and Teresa Scalici and are the main profiles in Scaravella’s cookbook Nonna’s House.
- Carmelina Pica once worked in a sewing factory while making beloved appetizers for an Italian market—like stuffed pepper strips and seafood salad—that became a staple for Staten Island families.
- Adelina Orazzo grew up outside Naples and was engaged at just 13. Though the marriage didn’t last, she found a new sense of purpose years later when her niece responded to Scaravella’s call for cooks.
- Teresa Scalici, famous for her cookies at Enoteca Maria, spent her teen years living with her grandmother in Sicily. She later raised a family on Staten Island and joined Scaravella’s team at 60, often carrying a recipe book passed down from her grandmother.
Though Nonnas wasn’t filmed in the real Enoteca Maria (a replica was built in New Jersey), Joe Scaravella told Time that many scenes in the film—like kitchen clashes over recipes and a prayer for customers—actually happened in real life.
Can I eat at the Nonnas restaurant right now?
Yes! You can eat the real life Nonnas restaurant right now, aka Enoteca Maria, but getting a table is extremely difficult.
Reservations can only be made over the phone, and the restaurant is only open on weekends from Friday – Sunday.
As for the food you can expect, expect plenty of Italian dishes from the Netflix show (and not) that includes Lasagna Della Nonna, Capuzzelle (lamb’s head), and Scaravella’s grandmother’s famous Sunday Gravy.
Even more unique? The restaurant runs a “Nonnas of the World” calendar, featuring guest grandmothers from countries like Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Greece, and more, each hosting a culinary takeover with food from their homeland.