In a restaurant in New York, the grandmothers of the world cook dishes from their countries: “Empanadas fly”

Who doesn’t love the taste of homemade food? An American restaurant made this possible in a real way. It’s common to see advertisements referring to housewives and homemade foods, especially when they want to convey the idea that it’s something homemade and of quality, like grandmas can prepare.

This is the case of Maria Wine Bar, a restaurant located in the historic neighborhood of St. George, Staten Island district in New York, United States. Joe Scaravenaa gastronomic entrepreneur with many years in the business, has been able to encourage older women from around the world to cook their typical cuisines from their countries of origin in the restaurant.

There is nothing better in the world than a delicious dish made by your grandmother, because wrinkled hands full of experience are forever the best spice in the world.

of Italian descent

Joe recounts, on the restaurant’s website, his story and influence: “I was born and raised in Brooklyn, the head of our family was my mother’s mother, the Grandma Dominica. He brought his culture to us using his culinary traditions. I remember him going to the market every day carrying his shopping cart. As I grew up, I realized that my grandmother had become the storehouse of our family’s culture and identity. ”

Regarding her restaurant, she explains: “Nine years ago, out of a desire to share the culinary culture of the grandmothers in Italy, I opened a restaurant, Enoteca María. At Enoteca, different Italian grandmothers from different regions of Italy cook their own menus on a rotating schedule. “

And she added: “In 2011 I started flirting with the idea of ​​expanding the concept to other culinary cultures. The next step, in July 2015, was to invite grandmothers from different countries to cook.

A slice of culture

With a great variety of flavors, the restaurant combines dishes from different cuisines. In total, there are more than 30 grandmothers who cook traditional dishes from countries such as: Algeria, America, Argentina, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Turkey and Venezuela.

For an affordable price (15 dollars) you can sample a bit of culture from anywhere in the world, from traditional Italian cuisine (daily), to delicacies from other countries (Wednesday to Sunday).

What is the main dish of Argentina? carmen bernard get ready empanada of meat sliced ​​with a knife. A typical and very our recipe, and we had to travel to New York to taste the Argentine version of Nonna. He usually does them every Saturday and that’s it one of the most popular menus in the restaurant. “fly pies”, you hear it say.

“I’ve served more”, a recurring phrase in this magical place.

Enoteca María tries to recapture the traditions and cultural diversity of these former housewives. Not everyone is a cook with a long career. Since many have no cooking experience for large crowds, they receive initial training to ensure the best service.

After being trained, they offer the course “Training of Nonnas”: it consists of teaching how to prepare some of their recipes in three hours through educational videos and it is free. The only condition for those who sign up is that they cannot choose the nationality of the chef.

Another interesting thing implemented by its creator is the virtual recipe book “Grandmothers of the Word” where anyone in the world can upload a short biography of their grandmother, three photos and a recipe.

“My vision is that this book will be the most extensive collection of recipes from grandmothers, their dialect and particular memories, a testament to the culinary culture of ordinary people around the world,” Scaravella said.

The pandemic and grandmothers

Significant change with the advent of covid. The restó owner did not hesitate for a second to close the Enoteca Maria and take care of the health of his cooks.

In the early months of the pandemic, the area focused on delivering food to vital workers on Saturdays and Sundays, where the nonna cooked part-time. Then, chefs come to the place from time to time to make sauces from their countries and sell them ready to eat at home.

After nearly 2 years of closure, the place has reopened its doors with a face change in decorating and new recipes. People didn’t hesitate to come back quickly. The fragrance of success is inhaled, with an international audience and where you have to sign up to a list and wait to get a table Enoteca María is enjoying one of its best moments.

“Culture is a resource that must be preserved.”