Nonnas of the World

Review: Netflix’s ‘Nonnas’ Is a Food Movie That’s Full of Charisma | Eater

"Opened in 2007 by Jody Scaravella and named for her late mother, this Staten Island restaurant is built around a single, memorable idea: a rotating cast of grandmothers who cook specialties from their hometowns. Today it employs more than two dozen nonnas from places as varied as Italy, France, Ecuador, Bangladesh, and Syria, offering regionally specific, nostalgia-heavy comfort food and home recipes that have charmed both critics and diners. The concept turns food into a vehicle for memory, community, and emotional warmth, giving older women visibility and celebrating their culinary traditions; a short feature about the real-life nonnas is especially moving. The restaurant’s theatrical, intergenerational atmosphere and treasured family recipes have even inspired a film adaptation that amplifies its blend of humor, grief, and affectionate Italian-American tropes." - Amy McCarthy