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Nonnas is a comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky based on a screenplay by Liz Maccie. It chronicles the true story of Joe Scaravella, who opened an Italian restaurant, hiring three grandmothers to cook instead of professional chefs. He faced numerous challenges that propelled him to step back.
However, his noble intentions were rewarded as he still operates his restaurant in Staten Island, New York.
The film starring Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Joe Manganiello, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, and Linda Cardellini was released on Netflix on May 9, 2025. Here is the official synopsis by the streaming platform:
"After losing his beloved mother, a man risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with actual nonnas — grandmothers — as the chefs."
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Nonnas. Reader's discretion is advised.
Nonnas explores Joe's journey to find family through food
Nonnas began with a young Joe Scaravella, getting bread and other ingredients for his mother and grandmother to cook for a gathering. Instantly, the viewers are taken into the world of Joe and how the food shaped his thoughts and memories. Years later, we meet Joe again after his mother's death. He was now a single middle-aged man working at a factory with no real ambition or drive.
His friends, Bruno and Stella, encouraged him to use his mother's insurance money to make some changes in life. One day, while walking in a Staten Island Italian market, Joe got the idea of opening his own restaurant. Bruno and Stella were against the idea due to its financial risk, but Joe managed to persuade them to be a part of his new dream.
He wanted to hire actual Italian grandmothers instead of professional chefs, to give people a taste of home. His idea was to make people without family feel like they have one, even if it was for a few moments. As he brought his dream to life and opened Enoteca Maria, he found a new family for himself at 27 Hyatt St, Staten Island.
Bruno sold his dad's car to fund Joe's restaurant
Bruno was Joe's childhood friend, and as a contractor, he renovated his restaurant without any charge. He sold his dad's car to fund the construction without Joe's knowledge, because he knew that Joe wouldn't let him make that sacrifice.
However, Bruno and Joe got into a big fight when the inspection officer rejected their permit. The basis for his rejection was a small kitchen fire that was caused due to a fight between Roberta and Antonella. Bruno was furious that Joe did not share this with him, as it reflected badly on him as a contractor.
The permit issue was solved by Joe's high school friend, Olivia. Later, Stella invited Joe over so the boys could take things out. After a heartwarming conversation between the two, Joe finally found out about Bruno selling his dad's car. At the end of the film, he bought the car back and gave it to him.
Joe is still running the restaurant with his nonnas
After overcoming all the obstacles to open Enoteca Maria, the team faced their biggest challenge: customers. On the grand opening, no one other than Bruno and Stella showed up due to a raging storm. Even after a few weeks, the restaurant saw almost zero customers. One reason for that was Al, a local businessman, who discouraged others from visiting Enoteca Maria.
Joe's letters and mails to prominent food critics also got zero positive response, prompting him to show up at one of their offices uninvited. The critic rejected his invitation, citing that his schedule was packed till January. Joe ultimately felt that it was impossible to keep the restaurant running and decided to close it down, but not without one last party.
His hard work, persistence, and the fabulous food by the nonnas were rewarded with a wonderful feedback and a positive response from the food critic, who showered praises in his article. In the end, Joe did not sell the restaurant and still serves at 27 Hyatt St, Staten Island.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on Nonnas and other such upcoming films on Netflix.
