Archive for the ‘News and Press’ Category

Posted on October 1, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Italy Spreads Enoteca’s International Appeal

The October 2009 issue of Io published in Milan, Italy features a recipe by Enoteca Maria’s very own Nina Picariolo and food styling and photography by Alma Benussi, also a cook at the restaurant.

Posted on September 24, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Restaurant Looking for Nonnas Who Cook

by Tevah Platt
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE

St. George — Enoteca Maria is looking for a few good nonnas.
  
Since the St. George restaurant opened in 2007, it has capitalized on the behind-the-scenes talents of the Italian housewife.

A rotating staff of cooks—“ladies,” owner Joe Scaravella calls them—prepares dishes representing eight unique regions of Italy and anonymous, centuries-old recipes preserved along matrilineal lines.
   
The Enoteca is looking to cement its niche by hiring six new “grandmothers.”

“Everyone is looking for their grandmother’s cooking,” says the goateed, round-spectacled Scaravella, known for chatting with customers on the subject of wine. He refers to the mission in what he acknowledges is improper Italian: “guarde per nonna,” literally, “looking for grandma.”

Anna Maria (Nina) Picariolo of the Bronx, by way of Salerno, one of the eatery’s eight cooks who take turns as chef-of-the-day, joined the staff when she read about the restaurant’s opening in the Italian newspaper, Oggi. She starts her work day inventing a menu drawn from her region’s culinary traditions and the ingredients in the Enoteca refrigerator. Ms. Picariolo, who speaks Italian, said through a translator last week that Enoteca makes her happy because the menu never repeats. It’s wholly different from cooking at home, she said: “A casa – me no like.”
 
Each cook has a chance to showcase her skills and bask in patrons’ adoration.

“Adelena (Masana, of Naples) dotes on her husband and sons and I’m sure they complain, ‘Why didn’t you make this? This one has too much salt….” These women are easily taken for granted,” said Scaravella of one of his most prized chefs.

The proprietor is seeking cooks who would work about two days a month.

They needn’t be grandmothers, but they must bring their heritage to the table, Scaravella said.

The restaurant’s youngest cook by far is Alma Benussi, 26 and a dark-eyed beauty, who lives in Milan and visits the restaurant to cook for pleasure. Her cooking inspired Scaravella to write in his Facebook update: “If you close your eyes, you’ll swear that your grandma is cooking in the kitchen, and if you open them, you’ll see what she looked like 50 years earlier.”

The Enoteca opens around 3 and serves roughly 50 to 100 guests a night. The menu changes daily, but the frutta di mare salad and capozzelli (stuffed sheep’s head) are regular menu items.

The restaurant and its lineup of cooks will be featured on an upcoming episode of WABC-TV’s Rachael Ray Show on October 9.

“The ladies come in here and they get applause,” said Scaravella. “It’s about time they get credit for what they do.”
    
Tevah Platt covers the North and East shores of Staten Island. She can be reached at platt@siadvance.com.

Posted on September 23, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Guest cook from Milan brings recipes and wine to the Enoteca

Over the past year, Enoteca Maria has gotten a lot of attention; We’ve been covered extensively here in the US as well as in Italy and the UK. As the word spreads in the motherland, grandmothers from different parts of Italy have contacted us about their love of cooking.

On Saturday, February 20th, Enoteca Maria was proud to have Milena from Monza, Milano as our guest cook. Milena is the owner of the Alla Stanga Enoteca in Milano and prepared her favorite recipes paired with wines she had shipped directly from her Enoteca to our Enoteca.

The wines featured for pairing:

“Lavinia” Barbera del Monferrato, a very pleasant, young and richly fruit-filled wine.

La Vigna Vecchia” Barbera d’Asti, fermented from a high quality grape that exemplifies the best characteristics of traditional Barberas.

“La Vita” Moscato d’Asti, a small batch wine with complex and pleasant aromatic characteristics perfect with sweets to finish a meal.

Click to download the full menu.

Alma Benussi helps Milena from Monza in the kitchen at Enoteca Maria

One of the dishes prepared by Milena from Monza

The crowd at Enoteca Maria.
Photos by Nick Fevelo

Posted on June 25, 2009 - by admin - 1 comment

Fox & Friends Have Breakfast with Grandma

Fresh off the heels of the New York Daily News article about Enoteca Maria, producer Eric Krasting contacted Joe about doing a live broadcast from the restaurant with all the grandmas for the Fox & Friends morning cable show.

At 7:30am the Fox crew arrived. Upon seeing the special menu the nonnas had prepared for the broadcast, the producers had a sampling of the food taxied over to the studio for the show’s hosts, Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy, and Brian Kilmeade. The grandmothers dedicated a recipe to each of the three.

The show cut in live three times for a look at the grandmas preparing food and to interview Enoteca owner, Joe Scaravella. Visit the Fox & Friends website to see part of the broadcast!

The Fox & Friends Breakfast Menu.

Posted on June 21, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Home cooking with grandmas in the kitchen

By Christina Boyle
Daily News Staff Writer

A Staten Island restaurant with no head chef and no set menu is replacing “Bon Appetit” with “Mamma Mia!” The 35-seat Enoteca Maria takes home cooking to a whole new level by bringing in genuine Italian grandmothers to cook for customers. Each night, one of eight nonnas ties on an apron, checks out the ingredients in the refrigerator and rustles up a down-to-earth meal.

The women are from different regions of the pasta-loving nation who have no problem cooking restaurant-style after years of feeding big families. Tired of their husbands nitpicking over their specialties, they jumped at the chance to slave over a hot stove for grateful diners at the St. George eatery.

Read the whole story in the Daily News!

Cook Teresa Scalici at Enoteca Maria restaurant in Staten Island. Photo by James Kaivon/Daily News

Posted on April 19, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Teresa Woos Judges with Homemade Lasagna

The Annual Pasta Bowl sponsored by Community Resources in Travis on Staten Island was held on March 8, 2009. Community Resources offers work-study programs for adults with disabilities.

The judges chose Enoteca Maria of St George as winner of the First Place traveling trophy. Enoteca’s award-winning pasta was a Sicilian Lasagna prepared by Nonna Teresa Scalici and consisted of layers of pasta with speck, prociutto, eggplant, peas and cheeses covered in her traditional tomato sauce. Enoteca was a last minute entry, and arrived at the Pasta Bowl with nothing but three trays of lasagna, aluminum chafing dishes, a spatula and a few business cards. This was a case of the food talking for itself: no frills, just good homecooking.

Valarie Delsante accepts the first-place trophy on behalf of Enoteca Maria. Photo by Melinda Gottlieb