Netflix’s Nonnas is an endearing tale of one man’s dream to share his family’s culture and traditions with the rest of the world through the medium of food. From a very young age, Jody “Joe” Scaravella, an Italian American, was extremely close to his Sicilian maternal grandmother, Domenica, who lived some four blocks away from Joe’s parental home in Brooklyn. Whenever Joe and his siblings visited their Nonna’s house, she would treat the kids with some really delicious meals. It was a memory that stayed with Joe even after he grew up. According to Joe, he lost his grandmother, mother and sister in a comparatively short period of time, and their passing made him feel utterly alone. At first, Joe wasn’t really sure of his motivations behind opening an Italian restaurant, though looking back in time, he felt that he had unconsciously been trying to fill gaps in his lonely life so that he could recreate the warmth and tenderness of his close-knit community that he experienced while growing up in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn. It was his way of reconnecting with the family he had lost, which was why, soon after losing his mother, Joe came up with the idea of opening an Italian restaurant where the chefs were not professionals but nonnas, or Italian grandmothers. And that’s how Enoteca Maria, named after Joe’s mother, came into being in 2007.
Joe Rented A Property On Staten Island
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Joe had been working as a materials forecaster for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) when he lost his mother to terminal cancer. The tragic incident turned his life upside down, and he lost all direction. He had inherited a small sum of money, which the film decided to present as the payout from his mother’s insurance. Initially, Joe had planned to invest in waterfront property, which brought him to Staten Island. However, while scouting for properties on the coastline, Joe came across a 100-year-old Dutch colonial house that reminded him of his mother. He knew this was the property he had been looking for and ended up buying the house in 2006. Soon after, Joe began a new chapter of his life in his new house, he came across a storefront for rent next to a recently renovated movie theater and was struck with the idea of opening an Italian restaurant on 27 Hyatt Street.
Joe Hired The Nonnas
Through his thirty-five-seater restaurant, Joe wanted to establish a platform that would allow the nonnas to express themselves culinarily. Joe understands that it’s quite a lonely age for these women. Most of these ladies have either lost their spouses, or are separated from their husbands. In most cases, their children have moved away from home to build their own lives. Just like Joe, they too have been looking for a way to fill the gaps in their life… something that gives them a sense of belonging and makes them feel alive. They wanted to contribute to society, just like the rest of us, and Joe felt that cooking would help them reconnect with the world.
Soon after renting the property, Joe posted an advertisement in an Italian newspaper called America Oggi, calling on all the grandmothers in the area to share food wisdom that had been handed down to them for generations. After receiving a tremendous response, Joe invited the best prospects to his new house, where all these nonnas showed up with their children, husbands, and other relatives. They all had brought delicious delicacies with them and wanted Joe to take a bite. It made him feel like he was in a Federico Fellini film.
But even though it was a great initiative, it wasn’t without its challenges. Joe had to keep his day job at the MTA to manage the running costs of the restaurant and keep the business afloat. As seen in Netflix’s film, Enoteca Maria wasn’t something one would dare call an overnight success, because it would only undermine the resilience of the nonnas, who didn’t lose their faith in Joe, and he held his nerve. Joe always knew that the nonnas were the stars of the restaurant, and he was ready to do anything in his power to make it work.
Netflix’s Film Is Inspired By A Real Restaurant
I think this needs to be made pretty clear: Netflix’s Nonnas isn’t exactly based on a true story, but it is, in fact, loosely inspired by one. In April 2025, Joe co-authored a cookbook, Nonna’s House, with Elisa Petrini, in which he shared the recipes and journeys of eight Italian grandmothers who have worked or are still working in his restaurant. While comparing the characters of the film with the stories mentioned in the book, it seemed like most of the names have been changed and a few of the stories of the nonnas have been clubbed together for a more dramatic representation on screen. In real life, Joe had a longtime girlfriend named Francesca Leone, introduced as Olivia in Netflix’s film. Francesca had a major contribution in Joe’s life; she stood with him through thick and thin. In the book, Joe acknowledges the fact that Francesca has been a guiding light in his life, without whom he would have never been able to conceive of the idea behind Enoteca Maria.
In Netflix’s Nonnas, one can even spot the real-life Joe in the scene where his fictional counterpart hosts a Sunday night party before shutting down the restaurant. Joe’s childhood friend, Bruno, also makes an appearance in the film’s ending. As per the credits footage, Joe lets him eat at the restaurant free of charge. And if you are still wondering who came up with the idea of Capuzzelle di Agnello, also known as baked lamb’s head, it came from a nonna named Nina Picariello, introduced as Roberta in the film. In real life, Nina learned the dish from her grandmother while growing up in the mountains near Salerno.
The Grandmothers Are the Star of the Restaurant
Enoteca Maria started with a vision. From the very beginning, Joe was pretty clear about what he was trying to achieve and the unique selling point that would make his restaurant stand out from the numerous ventures in New York. It wasn’t just a business for Joe. Instead, he wanted to build something that would help the nonnas find a purpose in life. And as far as the visitors are concerned, he wanted to give them an opportunity to try the old traditional dishes that they wouldn’t find in any other restaurant. That, I suppose, is the goal till today. When Joe first started the restaurant, he had hired dozens of Italian grandmothers; however, as the business grew, he understood that there were mothers and grandmothers from other communities who wanted to share their family’s recipes and cultural dishes. He started looking for ladies from other parts of the world and interviewed nonnas from Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, China, and Sri Lanka. As of today, nonnas from different walks of life work in Enoteca Maria and cook authentic recipes for its visitors.
Joe always emphasized the fact that the nonnas are the real stars of his restaurant, which is why he often encourages them to step out of the kitchen and meet the guests so as to create a sense of community between the two worlds that have never encountered each other before. This is an experience that not even a restaurant with world-class chefs can offer. Just as the grandmother as a matriarchal figure holds the family together, the nonnas cook for the visitors of Enoteca Maria, making them feel like they are eating with their extended family.
