Nonnas, now streaming on Netflix, tells the true story of Joe Scaravella, played by Vince Vaughn, and his restaurant Enoteca Maria
In 2007, Scaravella opened the restaurant in Staten Island, New York, where “nonnas” from around the world cook the family meals they’ve been preparing for decades
“It made me really think about my mother and her family,” costar Brenda Vaccaro tells PEOPLE
A restaurant run by grandmas isn’t just feeding locals anymore — it’s become the heartwarming inspiration behind a new film.
After the passing of his grandmother, Domenica, and mother, Maria, New Yorker Joe Scaravella found himself missing their authentic Italian cooking. This longing led him to open Enoteca Maria in March 2007, a restaurant in Staten Island, New York, where grandmothers — or “nonnas” — from around the world cook the family meals they’ve been preparing for decades.
“They’re so full of love, they hug me and the customers,” Scaravella, 69, shares with PEOPLE. “I just tried to recreate that part of my life that was gone. This is like therapy for me.”
COURTESY ENOTECA MARIA
Nonna Lucia, one of the real chefs at Enoteca Maria.
18 years after its opening, the restaurant has become the inspiration for the new movie Nonnas, now streaming on Netflix.
Vince Vaughn stars as Scaravella, with Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro and Talia Shire portraying the nonnas. Like the restaurant, the movie — cowritten by Liz Maccie and directed by her husband, Stephen Chbosky — is all about family, love and, of course, delicious food.
Joe Manganiello, who plays Scaravella’s best friend Bruno, says that learning from his real-life counterpart made his role even more meaningful. “Vince and I got to actually go to the restaurant and be served by the nonnas and have dinner with the real-life Bruno and Joe, and so we got to hang out with those two guys for the night,” Manganiello, 48, tells PEOPLE.
For many of the cast members — including Linda Cardellini and Drea de Matteo — the experience was deeply personal, reminding them of their own roots. “I am a nonna. I have three grandchildren, and it’s the best part of me,” Bracco, 70, says.
Vaccarro, 85, adds, “It made me really think about my mother and her family. It became important to me that I was playing an Italian lady. It was one of the best times I’ve ever had on a film.”
Netflix
Vince Vaughn as Joe Scaravella and Joe Manganiello as Bruno in ‘Nonnas.’
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Both in real life and the film, the love at Enoteca Maria is palpable. “Most of these ladies, their husbands have passed away, the children have grown up and they’ve moved out,” Scaravella explaines. “They’re packed with culture and they need an outlet. And that’s what we do — we provide that outlet.”
Bracco says about the cast, “We love each other. We ate together. I mean, food is love. A friendship is love. Family is love. And I really hope that people walk away feeling that.” Manganiello also shares, “I love the fact that we made something with so much heart. It’s a celebration through food.”
Nonnas is now streaming on Netflix.
Read the original article on People
