You’re walking off the ferry at St. George. Most people just turn around and head back to Manhattan. They’re making a massive mistake. If you walk just a few blocks up Hyatt Street, you’ll find a place called Enoteca Maria. It doesn’t look like much from the outside. Maybe a cozy neighborhood spot with some wine bottles in the window. But inside? It’s basically a portal to every grandmother’s kitchen on the planet.
Seriously.
The owner, Jody Scaravella, did something kind of nuts about 18 years ago. He didn't hire a celebrity chef with a culinary degree from some fancy French institute. He hired grandmothers. Real ones. At first, it was just Italian nonnas—ladies from different regions of Italy who knew how to make hand-rolled pasta better than any machine ever could. But then the project grew. It exploded into something called "Nonnas of the World." On any given night at Enoteca Maria, you might be eating a recipe that has been passed down through five generations of a family from Argentina, Algeria, or the Czech Republic. It’s the opposite of "corporate" dining. It’s loud, it’s crowded, and it smells like heaven.
The Wild Origin Story of Enoteca Maria in Staten Island
Jody Scaravella didn't start this place to get famous or rank on a "best of" list. He started it because of grief. After losing his mother and his sister, he found himself chasing a specific feeling—the comfort of a grandmother in the kitchen. He actually put an ad in an Italian-language newspaper looking for "housewives to cook regional dishes." That’s how it started.
It wasn't a business plan. It was a search for home.
The restaurant eventually moved from its original tiny spot to a larger space on Hyatt Street to accommodate the crowds. Because word got out. You can’t keep a secret like this in New York for long. When you walk into Enoteca Maria, you aren't just a customer. You're a guest in a rotating family home. The kitchen is split. One side is dedicated to the Italian nonnas who are the bedrock of the menu. The other side? That’s for the "Guest Nonna." One night it’s a grandmother from Syria making kibbeh. The next, it’s a woman from Uzbekistan showing everyone how to make plov.
It’s Not Just About the Pasta (But the Pasta is Incredible)
Let’s talk about the food, because honestly, that’s why you’re taking the ferry. Most Italian restaurants in the city have a menu that stays the same for six months. At Enoteca Maria, the menu is a living, breathing document.
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Nonna Adelina might be in the kitchen today. She’s from Campania. If she’s cooking, you’re getting that deep, soul-satisfying ragu. But then you have Nonna Maria from Sicily. Her flavors are different—more citrus, more seafood, more of that Mediterranean sun. They don't use measuring cups. They cook by "feel." If you ask for a recipe, they’ll probably just show you their hands.
The "Nonnas of the World" calendar is the real draw for the adventurous. I’ve seen women from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and even Siberia take over that guest burner. There is something deeply moving about seeing a 70-year-old woman, who might not speak a word of English, get a standing ovation from a room full of hungry New Yorkers because her pierogi reminded them of someone they lost.
The wine list is also solid. It’s an enoteca, after all. They focus on Italian bottles that pair perfectly with the rustic, unpretentious food. Don't expect tiny portions with tweezers-placed microgreens. Expect a plate that looks like it was served by someone who thinks you look "a little thin" and needs you to eat three helpings.
Why the "Nonna" Concept Actually Works
A lot of people think this is a gimmick. It’s not. In a world where every restaurant feels like it was designed by a marketing firm to be "Instagrammable," Enoteca Maria feels dangerously authentic. There are no "concepts" here. There is only heritage.
The Logistics of Cooking with Grandmas
- The Schedule: They usually have one Italian nonna on duty every day. The international guest nonna typically rotates.
- The Training: There isn't any. These women are the masters. They bring their own spice blends, their own secrets, and sometimes their own specific wooden spoons.
- The Vibe: It’s intimate. You’re going to be sitting close to people. You’re going to hear plates clinking and grandmothers shouting instructions in multiple languages.
The beauty of Enoteca Maria in Staten Island is that it preserves culture that is literally dying out. As the younger generations move toward fast food and meal kits, these specific, regional, hyper-local recipes are disappearing. Scaravella is basically running a delicious museum. He even published a cookbook, Nonnas of the World, which is less of a manual and more of a collection of family histories.
What Most People Get Wrong About Visiting
People think Staten Island is a trek. It’s not. The ferry is free, and it’s one of the best views in the world. Once you land, the restaurant is a five-minute walk.
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However, do not just show up on a Friday night and expect a table. That’s a rookie move. This place is tiny, and the "guest nonna" schedule draws people from all over the world. I’m talking tourists from Japan and food critics from London sitting side-by-side.
You also need to check the schedule on their website or Instagram before you go. If you have your heart set on a specific cuisine—say, Peruvian—you need to see when that specific nonna is scheduled to cook. Every day is a gamble, but that’s part of the magic. You might show up expecting lasagna and leave realizing that Azerbaijani dushbara is your new favorite food.
The Real Impact of the Nonna Project
There’s a deeper layer to Enoteca Maria that most food blogs miss. It’s about aging. In America, we tend to push older people to the sidelines. We put them in "homes." We stop asking for their advice.
At Enoteca Maria, these women are the stars. They are the bosses. They have a sense of purpose that radiates off them. You see it in the way they carry themselves in the kitchen. They aren't "retired." They are the keepers of the flame. Scaravella has created a space where being a 80-year-old grandmother makes you a rockstar. That energy is palpable in the dining room. It’s why the food tastes better. It’s seasoned with a lifetime of experience and a fair amount of pride.
Practical Tips for Your Visit to Enoteca Maria
If you’re actually going to do this—and you should—keep a few things in mind.
First, the hours can be a bit quirky. They aren't open 24/7. Usually, they open for dinner later in the week and do a weekend service. Always, always call ahead or check their digital calendar.
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Second, bring an appetite. This isn't "tasting menu" food. These are hearty, calorie-dense meals designed to sustain a family of farmers or laborers.
Third, talk to the staff. Many of them have been there for years and have incredible stories about the different nonnas. Sometimes, if it’s not too busy, the nonna of the night will come out of the kitchen. If she does, give her a round of applause. She earned it.
Fourth, don't be a jerk about "authentic" flavors. If the nonna from Greece makes her moussaka a certain way, that’s how it’s done in her village. Don't tell her it's "not how they do it at the place in Midtown." You are eating her history, not a corporate recipe.
Navigating the Staten Island Food Scene
While Enoteca Maria is the crown jewel, St. George and the surrounding areas have become a bit of a low-key food destination. You’ve got amazing Sri Lankan food down the road—Staten Island has one of the largest Sri Lankan populations outside of South Asia.
But Enoteca Maria remains the anchor. It’s the reason people who swore they’d never leave Brooklyn find themselves on a boat heading toward the "forgotten borough."
It’s worth noting that the restaurant has faced challenges. Running a small business in New York is a nightmare on a good day. Doing it with a rotating staff of grandmothers who sometimes decide they’d rather stay home and garden is even harder. But Scaravella has kept the doors open because the mission matters. It’s about more than profit. It’s about the fact that when a grandmother dies, a library burns down. This restaurant keeps those books open for just a little bit longer.
Actionable Steps for Your First Visit
Stop thinking about it and just go. Here is exactly how to handle it:
- Check the Calendar: Go to the official Enoteca Maria website and look at the "Nonna Calendar." See which international guest is cooking alongside the Italian staples.
- Make a Reservation: Use their online system or call. Do this at least a week in advance for weekends.
- The Ferry Strategy: Aim for a ferry that gets you to St. George 20 minutes before your reservation. This gives you time for the short uphill walk without rushing.
- Order the Specials: The regular menu is great, but the guest nonna’s specials are why you’re there. Order the thing you’ve never heard of.
- Bring Cash: While they take cards, it’s always easier in these small, old-school spots to have some cash for smaller purchases or extra tips.
- Explore the Area: After dinner, walk along the waterfront. The view of the Manhattan skyline from the Staten Island side is actually better than the view from the city itself.
There is no other place like this. Not in New York, and probably not in the world. It’s a messy, beautiful, delicious experiment in human connection. You’ll leave with a full stomach and, honestly, probably a little bit of a lump in your throat. Because at the end of the day, everyone just wants to be fed by someone who cares about them. At Enoteca Maria, that’s exactly what happens.