When New York man Joe Scaravella, grieving the loss of his mother and grandmother, called out for nonnas from across 20 regions of Italy to help him start an old-school Italian restaurant, he never imagined that almost two decades later he, and they, would be starring on Netflix.
Experienced and keen to please, these beautiful women brought their culinary skills to the small Staten Island eatery with a big vision; to celebrate traditional, authentic dishes that had been long forgotten.
Enoteca Maria started off as a trattoria but has transformed into travel destination for tourists and a kitchen open to grandmothers from any country.
“I lost my grandparents and I lost my parents and was feeling quite depressed… the restaurant was being fitted out and I put an ad in the Italian paper,” he said.
“Next thing I knew, I was being chased with plates of food.”