Netflix’s Nonnas tells the surprising true story of a Staten Island restaurant run by grandmothers and the man who turned grief into purpose.
A small Staten Island restaurant with a huge heart is now the inspiration for Netflix’s newest movie Nonnas, which premiered on May 9. Starring Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Lorraine Bracco, and Brenda Vaccaro, the film tells the real-life story of Jody “Joe” Scaravella, a former transportation worker who created a one-of-a-kind eatery that celebrates grandmothers from around the world.
Scaravella, now 69, opened Enoteca Maria in 2007 as a tribute to the women who shaped his love for cooking: his grandmother Domenica and his mother Maria, for whom the restaurant is named. Located near the Staten Island Ferry terminal with a view of the Manhattan skyline, the 35-seat spot may look like a restaurant—but Scaravella insists it’s something more. “It walks like a restaurant, smells like a restaurant, talks like a restaurant, but it’s not a restaurant. It’s a cultural exchange,” he told TIME.
The restaurant began with Italian dishes but evolved into a global kitchen as Scaravella welcomed grandmothers—actual nonnas—from all over the world to share the recipes passed down through generations. Menus now range from Mexican to Uzbek to Greek, sometimes all in one weekend.
In Nonnas, Vince Vaughn plays Scaravella, with Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Lorraine Bracco, and Brenda Vaccaro portraying a mix of fictionalized yet heartfelt versions of the real grandmothers who helped launch the restaurant. Susan Sarandon’s character Gia is a hairdresser and caregiver turned baker. Shire’s Teresa is a nun who left her convent for love. Lorraine Bracco plays Roberta, who escapes senior home life for the joy of cooking, and Vaccaro’s Antonella is a grieving widow who finds purpose in the kitchen.
Scaravella, who grew up in Brooklyn and stayed on the same block for 50 years, was propelled to change after losing several close family members in quick succession. He moved to Staten Island, fell in love with a Dutch colonial house, and found a vacant storefront near the historic St. George Theatre. That’s where Enoteca Maria was born—with Scaravella secretly juggling shifts at his MTA job to get the restaurant off the ground.
Inspired by his Sicilian grandmother Domenica, who was known for her fearless flavor and plum-spitting honesty at the local market, he placed an ad for grandmothers to cook in his kitchen. The response was overwhelming. A rotating lineup of matriarchs brought their heritage into the kitchen, with each dish becoming a living history lesson.
The three original nonnas—Carmelina Pica, Adelina Orazzo, and Teresa Scalici—are featured in Scaravella’s cookbook Nonna’s House. Carmelina was one of 14 children and worked in a sewing factory, making famed Staten Island appetizers. Adelina was engaged at 13, left the marriage, and found new life at Enoteca Maria. Teresa, known for her cookies, joined the kitchen at age 60 with her grandmother’s handwritten recipes in tow.
But not everything in the kitchen was sweet. Scaravella admits tempers sometimes flared. “I’ve seen a frying pan raised,” he said, noting that Adelina and Teresa were famously competitive. One of the film’s scenes—in which two nonnas argue over whose Italian region cooks best—reflects real tension from the kitchen.
And training grandmothers to meet health codes presented its own challenges. Scaravella recalls how his own grandmother would keep a pot of sauce simmering on the stove all day—a practice frowned upon by inspectors. Though that exact pot isn’t on the menu, his grandmother’s Sunday Gravy occasionally makes an appearance, much like in the movie, where the character Joe spends the entire film chasing its elusive secret ingredient.
Scaravella also shares a romance arc with Olivia (played by Linda Cardellini), a neighbor who encourages Antonella to join the kitchen. In real life, Scaravella has dated women he’s met through the restaurant, including his current partner Yumi Komatsudaira, who contributes Japanese cuisine as part of the rotating chef program.
One of the movie’s most touching moments—Teresa praying for customers—also came straight from real life. Though not one of the original chefs, a friend of Scaravella’s once dropped to her knees and prayed to Padre Pio for business. Customers soon arrived, and a portrait of Padre Pio now hangs proudly in the restaurant.
Despite the success of Nonnas, Scaravella isn’t chasing tech trends. Reservations are made the old-fashioned way—by phone only. Don’t expect to find the restaurant on OpenTable or see deliveries going out on DoorDash. “Food loses some of its value for every moment it’s in a box,” he says. “I’m not chasing a dollar. I’m chasing a dream.”
