But no matter where the grandmothers hail from, every night seems to play out the same.
It really takes you by the hand and leads you down memory lane.
Thats no surprise since the concept was born out of a desire to recreate memories.
Credit:Courtesy of Enoteca Maria
I was very malleable at the time, he said.
So, I threw myself into it and didnt care about the outcome.
In that moment, I would have done anything.
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But it turns out he was onto something.
He originally started withnonnasfrom various regions of Italy, but quickly realized it was a mistake.
There’s an interest and the wall comes down.
Courtesy of Enoteca Maria
While the idea of having grandmothers cook is simple, the execution isnt always easy.
Ive had several of thenonnastell me this, he said.
What they do with the ingredients is always a surprise.
Courtesy of Enoteca Maria
That’s the beauty of it.
An added part of the excitement is that Enoteca Maria is always evolving.
Another new aspect came after a customer asked if she could help the Nigeriannonnashe was watching in the kitchen.
Scaravella handed her an apron and hairnet, and the two started cooking together.
It was an ‘aha’ moment, he said of seeing the cross-generational bonding in the kitchen.
So, he startedfree one-on-one cooking classesto helpnonnasprep their meals.
Its that universal passion that truly drives Scaravella.
I really have no desire to run a restaurant, he admitted.
This is not even really a restaurant.
It’s a project and the byproduct is food.
