Inside the Restaurant Powered by Grandmothers

"The menu began to change nightly. One night Greek, the next Sri Lankan, according to the heritage of the nonna cooking that night. The rest is history: The reservations book now stays unfailingly filled; Scaravella released a successful cookbook in 2015 titled Nonna's House; and this year Nonnas, a film inspired by the restaurant's story starring Vince Vaughn and Susan Sarandon, premiered on Netflix to more than 15 million viewers in its first week."

"Throughout it all, the women who cook behind the restaurant's five-burner stove have remained the stars of the show. It's an honor, many told me, to be able to share their food, their heritage, and the cuisine of their native country. "It's incredible to feed people and to see the joy in food," says Melanie Mandel, who cooks Ashkenazi food, her voice trembling with emotion. "It's a satisfaction from within, and it's just what I was taught to do.""

"Nancy Hoffman, who claims the title of oldest nonna at 94, said cooking at Enoteca Maria feels distinctly special, as she started cooking professionally more than 30 years ago. "It's the climax of my cooking career." For some nonnas, sharing their food is second nature. "I love to cook and when people enjoy my food. When you come here, you feel like you're with family," says Kathy Viktorenko, from Uzbekistan. "As if you're in your own kitchen cooking for someone.""

Enoteca Maria expanded beyond Italian cuisine in 2015 by inviting grandmothers of many nationalities to cook, causing the menu to change nightly according to each nonna's heritage. The experiment led to consistently full reservations, a 2015 cookbook titled Nonna's House, and a Netflix film, Nonnas, which reached over 15 million viewers in its first week. The women who cook remain central, expressing pride in sharing food, heritage, and traditional recipes. Cooks like Melanie Mandel, Nancy Hoffman, and Kathy Viktorenko describe emotional satisfaction, a sense of career climax, and the family-like atmosphere created for diners. These nonnas transmit culinary knowledge across generations.

Read at Bon Appetit