Nonnas (USA/2025) Movie brings to the screen a true and inspiring tale of a genuine Italian wine bar and restaurant, Enoteca Maria, where the chefs are the much-loved “Nonnas” – the Grandmothers. So, the movie traces the creation and foundation of Enoteca Maria in Staten Island, a county in New York State.
Wherein the “Nonnas” (Grandmothers) play a central role in passing down cooking techniques, ingredient knowledge and other culinary traditions across generations and cultures to the next generation. Not surprisingly, the actual Enoteca Maria (Maria Wine Library) restaurant and its ideas are thriving.
“Nonnas” Not Only Cook Food With Love & Warmth In An Italian Restaurant But Also Inspire Many
Spoiler Free Review of the Nonnas (USA/2025) Movie
The introduction
In many ways, Nonnas is a feel-good and uplifting story from real life. An Italian man, Joe Scaravella, not only wished to pay respect to his late mother, Nonna Domenica, but also to share her Italian culinary culture with the world. Despite many hurdles, including his financial hardships, Joe chased his cherished dream diligently. So, one fine day, his efforts paid off, as he went right ahead, opened his restaurant, Enoteca Maria. Initially, his restaurant struggled, but he and the Nonnas fought for another day. Nowadays, they are successful and at Enoteca Maria, several Italian grandmothers from different Italian regions cook their menus on a rotating schedule.
Heartwarming story moves along the expected path
Although this real-life tale moves along the expected path, it is still comforting and reassuring to see a man chase his dream with a lot of passion and gumption. This human story of love, friendship, dreams and aspirations struck a right chord with all of us. Joe must be credited for bringing together a diverse set of people (Nonnas) to work in the restaurant kitchen as chefs. That ensured, in a way, that the authentic Italian culinary culture and traditions were passed on to the next generation.
Liked the performances of its cast members
Vince Vaughn portrays the protagonist Joe Scaravella with a lot of simplicity and honesty. We also liked the characters of his close friends, who supported Joe’s dreams and helped him achieve them. The actors (or actresses) who played them, viz., Joe Manganiello (Bruno), Drea de Matteo (Stella), Linda Cardellini (Olivia), etc., were fun to watch. But the actresses who portrayed the “Nonnas” in this movie deserve the cake and appreciation. Susan Sarandon (Gia), Lorraine Bracco (Roberta), Talia Shire (Teresa), and Brenda Vaccaro (Antonella) brought their charm and style to become the much-admired Nonnas. Rather interestingly, these four Nonnas come from diverse backgrounds, with different kinds of life experiences. But their on-screen chemistry made this film a delightful watch.
The conclusion
This inspiring tale brings together the past, the present and the future under one roof of the restaurant. And this is a really praiseworthy idea, worth emulating by others. No wonder this light-hearted comedy movie, “Nonnas”, is perfect for family and community viewing. And it brought a smile, as we enjoyed it.
Enoteca Maria, a cherished gem in Staten Island, New York, was founded by Jody Scaravella in 2007. Initially, the restaurant celebrated the culinary creations of Italian grandmothers, but in 2015, it expanded its vision to include grandmothers from diverse cultural backgrounds, resulting in a rich array of flavours. Scaravella aimed to honour his family’s heritage while providing a warm environment for these grandmothers to share their beloved recipes and touching stories. Also, check out the BBC News short clip about the Enoteca Maria restaurant.
FM Rating
| FM Rating of the Nonnas | 3.55/5 |
Poster
Key Details
| Genre | Comedy |
| Original Language | English (USA) |
| Duration | 1 hour 51 minutes |
| Writers | Joe Scaravella & Liz Maccie |
| Director | Stephen Chbosky |
| Cast | Vince Vaughn (Joe Scaravella), Susan Sarandon (Gia), Lorraine Bracco (Roberta), Talia Shire (Teresa), Brenda Vaccaro (Antonella), Linda Cardellini (Olivia), Drea de Matteo (Stella), Joe Manganiello (Bruno), Kate Eastman (Maria), Theodore Helm (Young Joe), Karen Giordano (Nonna), etc. |
| Taglines | Your table is waiting. |
| Award Nominations | Primetime Emmy Awards – 2025 Nominee Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Television Movie |
| Network | Netflix |
Trailer & Synopsis | Official
After the loss of his mother, Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn) risks everything to honour her by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of local grandmothers as the chefs. Based on a true story, NONNAS is a heartfelt celebration of the love of food, family and all the ingredients of life.
If you like the movies about Food and Family, then also read our review of the Hindi movie, Tarla, in our magazine.
Poster and Featured Image of the Nonnas (USA/2025) Movie are credited to Netflix.
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