Despite my own home cooking (and my husband’s) as well as all the fabulous Italian restaurants in New York and other cities, I still miss my mother’s and my grandmother’s cooking. Netflix’s Nonnas, based on a true story, hit a sentimental note for me and, based on reviews and comments, many others.
(L-R) Susan Sarandon as Gia, Brenda Vaccaro as Antonella, Lorraine Bracco as Roberta and Talia Shire as Teresa (Cr. Jeong Park/Netflix © 2025)
In 2007, Joe Scaravella opened his Staten Island restaurant, Enoteca Maria, to honor his grandmother Domenica, who died in 1999. Rather than professional chefs, he hired home cooks like his grandmother who could recreate the Italian dishes he missed. In Nonnas, Vince Vaughn stars as Joe, who hires four grandmothers to staff his new restaurant. The nonnas are played by four actors who are familiar for having played iconic characters in many films, including some that focus on the Italian-American experience. They include: Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas, The Sopranos); Talia Shire (The Godfather, Rocky), Brenda Vaccaro (Midnight Cowboy); and Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise). Other cast members are Drea De Matteo, another Sopranos alum, Joe Manganiello (True Blood), and Linda Cardellini (Brokeback Mountain and Netflix’s Dead to Me).
As a child, Joe enjoyed the dishes prepared by his mother, Maria (Kate Eastman) and nonna (Karen Giordano). In flashbacks we see the young Joe watching the two women as they cook, often having Joe help. Still grieving his mother’s death, he attempts to recreate his favorite dishes but has never been able to nail his nonna’s tomato sauce.
Joe lives in Brooklyn but when he happens upon the shuttered restaurant that was a Staten Island mainstay, he becomes obsessed with opening his own place using his mother’s life insurance money. He runs into a high school crush, Olivia, who is food shopping at Staten Island’s open air market with his mother’s best friend, Antonella (Vacarro). Even though Antonella has reservations, she agrees to work in the restaurant. She’s soon joined by Roberta (Bracco), his mother’s hairdresser, Gia (Sarandon), and a former nun Teresa (Shire).
(L-R) Joe Manganiello as Bruno and Drea de Matteo as Stella (Cr. Netflix © 2025)
His good friends, Bruno (Manganiello) and his wife, Stella (De Matteo), are sympathetic but believe the plan will fail. Despite that concern, Bruno loans Joe money, even selling his treasured car that he inherited from his father.
Despite their similar backgrounds, the four women struggle to come together. Coming from different areas in Italy – Antonella from the north, Roberta from the south – they have a face off which comes to a head, literally, when Roberta attempts to roast a capuzzelle, a sheep’s head, and sets the kitchen on fire. Gia settles everyone down when she brings the women to her beauty salon for a makeover. A truce is called and the women concentrate on turning out their signature dishes. (Minus the capuzzelle.)
Linda Cardellini as Olivia (Cr. Jeong Park/Netflix © 2025)
With opening day arriving soon, the restaurant fails a health inspection, the official telling Joe he may have to wait months before another inspection can be scheduled. Olivia, am attorney, does some research and discovers that the inspector has a sketchy background and pressures him to come back right away. He does and the restaurant passes.
On opening night, thunderstorms strike and the restaurant is empty. The next few days aren’t any better. Antonella discovers that Staten Island locals are talking trash about the place because Joe isn’t a local. Joe resorts to a Hail Mary, visiting a food critic Edward Durant (Campbell Scott), imploring him to visit and write a review. He refuses, saying he only reviews upscale Manhattan restaurants.
With no choice, Joe decides he must close but not before holding a big party inviting everyone to come. It’s a wonderful night, but bittersweet. Joe goes back to his old job, although Olivia still seems to be in his life. He opens an envelope his mother left him and finds her recipe for Sunday sauce. A visit from Bruno turns everything around. Durant sent one of his critics to review the restaurant and she’s written a rave. Business soars and Joe is able to get Bruno’s car back.
The film ends with views of the real restaurant. Joe has expanded the concept, inviting nonnas from various ethnic backgrounds to come to Enoteca Maria and serve their dishes. Seems you don’t have to be Italian to miss your grandmother’s cooking.
Top photo: Nonnas. (L-R) Susan Sarandon as Gia, Talia Shire as Teresa, Vince Vaughn as Joe Scaravella, Brenda Vaccaro as Antonella and Lorraine Bracco as Roberta in Nonnas. Cr. Jeong Park/Netflix © 2025.
