Latest news with #EnotecaMaria
IOL News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Cooking up connections: how a New York restaurant is preserving grandmothers' recipes and healing hearts
In Scaravella's words: 'Every dish has a story. And those stories keep people alive, even long after they're gone. Image: Los Muertos Crew /pexels Growing up, I never had much of a relationship with my grandmother. Yet watching my mom pour love, laughter and gentle discipline into my daughter has quietly healed something in me. Suddenly, all the stories about gogos (grandmothers), their warmth, their love, their quiet power started making sense. That's why when I saw a viral Instagram post shared by thishowthingswork about Enoteca Maria, a New York restaurant that hires real grandmothers, not chefs, to cook in its kitchen, it stopped me in my scroll. It wasn't just a sweet gimmick; it was a comforting reminder of how food, family and memory can keep us stitched together, even across oceans and generations. A table set by love and loss Enoteca Maria isn't your usual trendy New York spot. Opened in 2007 by Joe 'Jody' Scaravella, the restaurant began as a tribute to the two women who taught him the language of love through food: his Nonna Domenica and his mother Maria. Scaravella, 70, told "TIME" magazine: 'This is not a restaurant. It walks like a restaurant, smells like a restaurant, talks like a restaurant, but it's not. It's a cultural exchange.' After losing his grandfather, father, mother, grandmother, and sister in quick succession, Scaravella fell into a deep depression. He used part of his inheritance to buy a storefront on a quiet Staten Island street, near the St. George Theatre. His vision was to fill the space with the same warmth, stubborn pride, and homemade recipes that had once filled his childhood kitchen. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Grandmothers behind the stove Scaravella didn't want professional chefs; he wanted real grandmothers, each carrying family recipes shaped by memory, migration, and maternal love. He placed an ad, and soon, grandmothers from every corner of the world responded. At Enoteca Maria today, half the menu is consistently Italian. The other half changes daily, shaped by whichever grandmother is cooking that night. From Nonna Diana's Mexican dishes to Sri Lankan curries or Senegalese stews, each meal becomes a living history lesson. Scaravella explained to "The New York Times", 'They're taking what their mother taught them to make, what their grandmother taught them to make, and every time these ladies are in the kitchen, you have all of this culture coming out of their fingertips.' This idea goes beyond nostalgia. Food anthropologist Dr Krishnendu Ray, chair of Nutrition and Food Studies at NYU, notes that recipes passed through generations act as 'archives of memory'. They're living proof that our identities aren't just built on what we eat, but how we share it. That sharing can heal, too. According to a study in "Appetite", cooking family recipes with loved ones can reduce loneliness and strengthen intergenerational bonds, something Scaravella's restaurant embodies every single night. Beyond dining, Enoteca Maria hosts free cooking classes where guests can learn directly from the grandmothers. Scaravella dreams of building an online community where anyone, anywhere, can share and preserve their family's recipes. According to a study in Appetite, cooking family recipes with loved ones can reduce loneliness and strengthen intergenerational bonds, something Scaravella's restaurant embodies every single night. Image: olia danilevich/pexels On screen and in spirit This remarkable story even inspired a Netflix movie, "Nonnas", released in May this year. Although I haven't seen it yet, it's definitely on my binge list now because of Vince Vaughn. Vaughn plays Scaravella, while Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, and Brenda Vaccaro bring the grandmothers to life. But behind the Hollywood sparkle, the film honours something deeply human: how food can keep us connected to people we've lost, and to those still beside us. Watching my mom bake with my daughter, giggling over too much flour on the counter, I see what Scaravella saw. Grandmothers carry more than recipes; they carry stories, lessons, and gentle reminders of who we are. In our culture, we call them gogo or oomakhulu, guardians of memory, laughter, and sometimes stubbornness too. Whether in a New York kitchen or a village home in the Eastern Cape, their love tastes the same: patient, warm and deeply healing. Enoteca Maria isn't just about food. It's about reminding us that growing older shouldn't mean becoming invisible. And those family recipes, much like family stories, are most powerful when shared around a crowded table. In Scaravella's words: 'Every dish has a story. And those stories keep people alive, even long after they're gone.'
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Nonnas dish out more than just food
We adore our grandmothers. Despite their periodic crabbiness or quirks, we give them gifts and endearments, and love their waned and wispy presence in our photos of our special occasions. We love them to share their stories, their recipes, their tips, tricks and hacks. The story of the film Nonnas on Netflix, which is about a handful of grandmothers, shows us that grandmothers are more or less the same, all over the world. Some live with us, some live nearby and some at a distance. They all need love, attention and care. They may have solid opinions, might have become stubborn and undiplomatic as seniors, but when they call their kids, the first questions they are asked is, 'Is everything okay?' Somehow the question should be allowed to move up a little in the conversation and not start the conversation. Even though younger family almost always expects seniors to call in a problematic situation, as it is assumed that they fell, broke a bone or two or lost something, but it is not always like that. It could be an accomplishment or two that they might want to share. The film Nonnas is inspired by a real-life story of a man called Jody Scaravella, who after losing his mother, opened a restaurant called Enoteca Maria on Staten Island, New York in 2007. Two decades later, the restaurant is still there, up and running. Directed by Stephen Chbosky and written by Liz Maccie, Nonnas is all about accomplishments of grandmothers. Old and rusty they may have become, but they are a treasure trove of ideas and experiences, [recipes in this particular case] that can be tapped into. In the film, Joe (Vince Vaughn) who works in a warehouse, loses his mother and misses her so much that he finds comfort in creating her recipes or what his grandmother or nonna cooked for them when he was a little boy. Must have been that all over the world, the generation of grandmothers mostly weren't keen on writing recipes down, because they just knew them in their heads. My aunt, when she was alive and cooking, would randomly throw some spices in a bowl, using a spoon or her fingers, shake them around and smell them, and then chuck them in the bubbling pot. Today as she rests in heaven, she remains the epitome of culinary expertise in our family. It is said that she never told anyone a recipe truly, she always skipped at least one ingredient that was the secret to the flavour she achieved. Sadly, she took her secret ingredients to the grave. Apologies for digressing, Joe had no record of recipes but he tried to recreate the recipes of the food his mother and grandmother created, as a way of honouring them. He believed that food is love and vice versa. On a trip to Staten Island, he stumbles on a restaurant for sale, and becomes fixated with the idea of buying that restaurant and getting random grandmothers to cook their family recipes there, just like his own late grandmother, since he couldn't hire chefs anyway with his limited funds. His friends discouraged him but he knew he had to try this out. This way he would honour his mother and his grandmother, who he named the restaurant after. To cook at Enoteca Maria, he advertises for grandmothers on Craigslist. Joe's idea was novel, a motley crew of nonnas turned up. Each of them belonged to different Italian regions and cooked their special recipes from there. 'Grief is transformed into a haven, one spoonful at a time,' 'food with family family and friends will heal you,' are lines from the film that resonates universally. Joe works hard at his business, the nonnas too, against all odds. They support each other, settle down with each other after initial issues. Vince Vaughn as Joe is ably supported by a strong ensemble of veteran actors that includes Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro, and Talia Shire, who bring in charm and humour to the film. As the film explores Italian-American culture through food and family, many viewers will appreciate the focus on cultural exchange and the preservation of family recipes. The film also emphasises the importance of holding onto tradition and reviving our ancestors through the things they pass down to us, whether it is culture, inheritance, or food. Like the dishes served by the real grandmothers at Enoteca Maria, or a deep plate of aloo gosht with succulent mutton, and tender potatoes in an aroma of cinnamon and fresh coriander, Nonnas has flavour, warmth and comfort. It is a film you can watch with family and get an endearing time out of it. We all are connected to our grannies and they to their grannies by delicate threads of sentiments, feelings, curious stories, many of deep knowledge and wisdom, symbolic and traditional. We can remember and honour them through that treasure they have left for us. Their way of making biryani, eggs, or tea, it is pure, unbeatable, and undeniably present in our DNA. Maybe that is why when we miss someone who has passed on, we can heal ourselves through our connections to the past and each other. Often, when I miss my dad who left me a few years ago for his heavenly abode, I take a walk around Saddar, which was his happy place, where he lived in a flat above Ruby Jewellers, in the 50s. It heals. Be warned that the film features stunning and mouth-watering visuals of Italian cuisine. So be ready for lots of food porn that we are all unashamedly addicted to. You can almost smell the aroma of garlic sizzling in olive oil, fresh basil, and sun-ripened tomatoes, platters of handmade tagliatelle, ribbons of pasta perfectly al dente, coated in a slow-simmered Bolognese sauce — deep, meaty, and rich with herbs, margherita pizza sliding onto the table, its blistered, wood-fired crust puffed and charred at the edges, bubbling with mozzarella di bufala, crushed San Marzano tomatoes, and glistening green basil leaves, steaming bowl of risotto ai funghi, creamy and infused with earthy porcini mushrooms and a drizzle of truffle oil, each spoonful melting on the tongue with buttery richness! You might find it cheesy in the broadest sense of the word, cliché-ridden, formulaic and a tad predictable which is a given for films such as this one, but it connects, feeds, heals, comforts and titillates (the comforting and heartwarming experience it offers, settles well with us Pakistanis, most of all, as we love family, food, traditions and culture.
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
What Netflix's Nonnas Quietly Teaches Leaders About Wisdom
Photo byIn Nonnas, the 2025 Netflix dramedy featuring Vince Vaughn as Brooklyn's Joe Scaravella—the real-world story of a city employee mourning the loss of his mother, who decides to rebuild his life by opening a Staten Island restaurant—the kitchen symbolizes the clueless side of many of today's organizations. In the film, Italian grandmothers are hired to cook and revive recipes and dishes from the past in Scaravella's new restaurant. Unexpectedly, at least to me, these nonnas serve as a model of what leaders can do differently. While the plot may follow Scaravella's real-life loss, what lingers is something else entirely: the nonna's newfound purpose found through contribution, identity sustained through the employment of their experience, and the sense of community deepened by the transfer of their gained wisdom. Older Workers as Contributors, Not Ghosts At Enoteca Maria—the namesake restaurant of Scaravella's now-deceased mother—the nonnas manage the menu, calibrate sauces and pasta by intuition, and lead the kitchen service with confidence. They cook, teach, dance, and regale others with their deep cuts' menu items. There's even a little imbibing of limoncello. In one scene, Lorraine Bracco's Sicilian cook character and Brenda Vaccaro's Bolognese counterpart engage in a playful culinary tiff rooted in regional pride and mutual affection. It's a moment that underscores how experience and humor can build camaraderie. Many organizations mistake this sort of elderly impact by assigning older workers to advisory roles. Worse, they exit them from the organization, depicting them as too expensive or too slow. Nonnas demonstrates how wisdom can matter when it is actively applied. A flashback scene with Scaravella's mother, Maria, cements another lesson, one of something every leader ought to employ: learning by doing. Maria looks into the camera while plating the 'gravy,' also known as spaghetti sauce, and states, 'One does not grow old at the table.' Those words shift from sentiment to a calling card for today's leaders. It is through experience, conversation, and collaboration that wisdom can grow on your team. Indeed, data reinforces that 'the times they are a-changin'.' At least demographically. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the share of workers aged 65 and older in the labor force is projected to account for nearly 60 percent of total labor force growth between 2022 and 2032. The labor force participation rate for adults aged 75 and older has also increased steadily, reaching 8.3 percent in 2023 and is projected to rise to 10.1 percent by 2033. In Canada, the labor force participation rate for those aged 70 and older more than doubled from approximately 3.0% in 2000 to 6.7% in 2023, according to Statistics Canada. Add to that plummeting birth rates, and, eventually, the wisdom of older workers will become unequivocally necessary in your organization. Culture Emerges Through Experience & Knowledge In an interview with TIME Magazine, Scaravella captures the sentiment of older workers and their positive effect on corporate culture sublimely: 'This is not a restaurant,' he says. 'It walks like a restaurant, smells like a restaurant, talks like a restaurant, but it's not a restaurant. It's a cultural exchange.' That declaration reframes Enoteca Maria as a living ecosystem of cultural exchange rather than a venue simply for food delivery. Too many corporate cultures rest on glossy posters, mission statements, and hollow slogans of purpose. They further demonstrate their lack of foresight when they push experience out of the building. Culture does not swap easily for slogans. It requires presence, patience, and a plan for knowledge transfer. While many organizations recognize the importance of knowledge transfer, i4cp research highlights that most still struggle to implement effective programs and processes to capture and share critical knowledge, with significant challenges remaining in fostering a strong learning culture and eliminating silos. At Enoteca Maria, culture lives in each shift: the rhythm of risotto, the turn of tagliatelle, and the pass of the ladle. Lessons are not delivered; they are demonstrated between the nonnas and the customers. That is a strategically curated culture, not a short-term quest to drive down costs and drive out wisdom. Experience Fuels Innovation Innovation is often cast as the province of the young. Nonnas positively reframes the conversation entirely. There are several scenes in which the nonnas' wisdom is on full display as they concoct meals with new abundance and creativity. Research consistently demonstrates that the accumulation of crystallized intelligence—knowledge, expertise, and wisdom acquired over time—empowers older workers to excel in complex and ambiguous situations. Studies also show that older adults often outperform their younger counterparts in strategic decision-making, particularly when judgment and experience are required. This cognitive advantage of older workers can enable teams and organizations to navigate uncertainty with greater confidence and resilience. Those that foster generational diversity within their leadership and teams benefit from a broader range of perspectives and insights. For example, research by McKinsey & Company highlights that companies with diverse leadership teams, including those spanning multiple generations, consistently achieve superior business outcomes and innovation. By embracing the strengths of older workers, organizations not only leverage their wisdom but also position themselves for sustained success in evolving markets. Nonnas cooks that same lesson throughout the film. Contribution Across Life's Stages Many organizations still view career paths as a ladder, encouraging employees to climb until they are pushed out or the ladder is inconveniently snatched away. Nonnas tells a different story. Scaravella's restaurant is built around the power of their wisdom and contribution. They have boomeranged back into a working environment where not only are they thriving but also making meaningful contributions. They are not ornamental. The nonnas are foundational to the business's success. When organizations stop treating experience as an aging asset, contribution becomes lifelong. Wisdom remains active, and younger employees can learn from the ways of their older brethren. Nonnas delivers a simple, powerful lesson: experience does not have to expire. As the demographic crisis begins to take hold of the Western world, leaders will ignore the wisdom of wisdom at their own peril.
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Review: The secret ingredient is love in Netflix's heartwarming film ‘Nonnas'
Netflix's latest heartwarming film, 'Nonnas' serves up more than just mouthwatering Americanized Italian food — it delivers a heartfelt story rooted in real life, proving that passion and purpose have no expiration date. It has steadily hovered in the top 10 Netflix film list in Saudi Arabia since its debut earlier this month. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Inspired by the true story of local Italian New Yorker Joe Scaravela's Staten Island restaurant, Enoteca Maria/Nonnas of the World, which it self-describes as: 'Convivial trattoria featuring real international grandmothers cooking on a rotating schedule,' the film highlights a special concept: Grandmothers, or 'nonnas' (the Italian word for grandmother), from diverse backgrounds cook authentic, home-style meals for customers. Vince Vaughn whips up a storm as Scaravela, the visionary who transforms deep personal loss into a vibrant tribute to family heritage: Handwritten scribbled recipes and all. Alongside him, legendary actresses Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire and Brenda Vaccaro bring the nonnas to life with warmth, humor and undeniable charm. Their performances challenge stereotypes about aging women, showing that these culinary matriarchs are far from 'past their prime.' Instead, they are vibrant, innovative, creative and full of surprises — proving that life's best chapters can unfold well beyond what society expects. The film is a delightful reminder to believe in yourself, and also about the power of community. It celebrates the resilience and strength found in embracing one's roots, sharing stories and opening hearts while breaking bread. Whether through a shared meal or unexpected romance, 'Nonnas' reveals that love can always be found, no matter your age. While some moments tread the line of predictable and are a bit too sentimental, the film's earnest spirit and genuine affection for its characters shine through. A bit cheesy? Absolutely. But who doesn't love a bit — or a lot — of cheese sprinkled in, especially when it's served with a side of a home-cooked meal (for the soul)?
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vince Vaughn: ‘Nonnas' Is an 'Outlaw Movie' Amid Changing Industry as Netflix Film Extends Hot Streak
Business is booming for Nonnas, as the Vince Vaughn-led Netflix movie continues to connect with audiences. Based on a true story, director Stephen Chbosky's feature centers on Staten Island restaurateur Joe Scaravella (Vaughn), who is grieving the loss of his mom when he sets out to open an eatery with actual Italian grandmothers working in the kitchen. Co-starring Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire and Brenda Vaccaro, the title topped Netflix's English-language film charts for its first two weekends, collecting 15.3 million views in its initial three days and a total of 33.3 million in 10 days, according to the streamer's internal rankings. More from The Hollywood Reporter Netflix Nabs Robert Langdon Series From Carlton Cuse, Author Dan Brown Titan Submersible Implosion Examined in Trailer for Netflix Doc 'The OceanGate Disaster' Topher Grace (Yes, Topher Grace) Is an Opium Kingpin in Netflix's 'The Waterfront' Trailer During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter to celebrate the film's popularity, Vaughn discusses how the movie's specificity makes it more accessible, potential sequel conversations and why Hollywood has hit 'an all-time peak of overthinking.' Congratulations on the film's success. What does this tell you about what audiences look for in a movie? These actresses are tremendous, and [it's] like what the real Joe did by taking these women who are phenomenal at their craft. In that case, it was cooking and giving them an outlet to be able to do that and celebrate something that they're terrific at. Stephen, in this movie, really dug that with a lot of these actresses [who] have always been terrific. So the movie, in a way, is an extension and does a similar thing that the actual restaurant Enoteca Maria did. There are always conversations in Hollywood about whether movies should be led by 'women of a certain age.' Do higher-ups have concerns when films like yours are getting made? [The movie is] dealing with a stage of life where Joe loses his mom, and now he's being forced into a new phase of being without a family and stepping into a parent or leadership role, even with these nonnas of having a vision. That's something that all human beings go through. We've exhausted ourselves with these [focus] groups and IPs. It's almost like what happened to the car industry, where everything is so quarterly and broken down and just following these ideas. It feels like we've hit an all-time peak of overthinking and using rules to the point where you step back and see something like this. Everyone has a mom — whatever that dynamic is like — or a grandparent, and [then there's] eating. So there are certain things that are just the human experience that are universal. You make me laugh when you say that because I just started to think, 'Is there going to be a flood of Mother's Day movies?' I don't know. I just feel like it's not that hard. People are really nervous. I always hear stuff like, 'People have a TV,' but horror movies continue to open [at the box office]. The people who go to horror movies don't have a television? Or is it something that's a little more dangerous, and there's an audience that wants that community experience. And if that's true, potentially it wouldn't just be horror or action that people would want that community experience for. It's always nice when you're in something that's working, and what's interesting about Nonnas is, it's really a movie that you could watch with all ages. It's definitely something that's feel-good, and the fact that that's not the norm of a movie to be made, but that's this outlaw movie, is interesting in this moment in time. It is a movie that you could share multi-generationally. Not unlike the film industry, the restaurant industry is facing a tough moment, and mom-and-pop eateries like Joe's appear to be struggling more than ever. Did this film give you insight into that world? The fun of cooking and of making films is that you're doing a creative process that you want to share. Part of the thing that works here is that you're dealing with people really doing their best to cope with these stages of life. The more things are specific, the more they're universal. This happens to be Staten Island and Italian, but that actually makes it more universal to the human experience. In the town that we're in now, sometimes the idea is, 'How do you expand it?' [Kurt] Vonnegut has that great quote that, if you open the window and try to please everyone, you'll catch pneumonia. It's just a reminder that, whether it's Boyz n the Hood or Ordinary People — both really great stories about the human experience — the more it is attempting to reflect of something in an authentic way, I always feel it's more universal, especially in this visual media. Is it now impossible to get a table at Joe's restaurant, given the success of the movie? He had like 350 messages and couldn't return them all. He's a fascinating guy. To go back to your early point about these mom-and-pop restaurants, he really was focused on creating this experience and giving an opportunity for these nonnas to be able to cook. I find it somewhat refreshing that he's less driven by, 'How do I monetize it?' We did make the movie independently, but we were really grateful when Netflix came in and recognized that this is a story that people could connect to. The film's actresses have joked that you were the movie's token male. What was the energy like with all of you? We joked around a lot. Ultimately, the story is Joe's, in that he has this dream to create this opportunity. I really love all of them. I was raised with my grandmother in the house and really enjoyed talking to her. There's so much to take from people who have experience and are also wise and talented, and all of these actresses are definitely that. I really took advantage of just hearing them talk and their thoughts on life, relationships, acting, how they approach scenes, what was it like to make this movie or that movie. Has there been any talk of a sequel? Yeah, Nonnas 2: This Time It's Personal is the working title. (Laughs.) There has been some. There's always that with movies. If there's a story that's great and its own story to be told, then that could be a lot of fun. Speaking of sequels, is there any progress you can share about ? There's always talk of these. Dodgeball, actually, there's an idea that's pretty good, but nothing for sure. I'm going to start the second season of Bad Monkey, which is great, and then I have another thing I'm going to do, but I would definitely … It's always about if the story's right, if the extension is something that makes sense. There are ideas that are good with some of these, but you never know what transpires and if it makes sense for everybody. But I'm definitely open to it. I love a lot of those movies and definitely open if something comes to pass. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV
