Our Story

The Concept: Enoteca Maria was conceived by Joe Scaravella with the help of Denise Ingrassia-Scaravella and opened in March 2007. The goal was to create an authentic Enoteca on the North Shore of Staten Island similar to those experienced while traveling around Italy.

The Cooks: Each of our cooks represents a different region in Italy. They share a passion for cooking traditional local dishes that have been handed down from mother to daughter, generation after generation. Our food isn’t “like Nonna used to make….” Nonna is making it!

The Menu: The menu changes daily and is created by the cook of the day. Everything is made fresh, from scratch: we do not use a microwave in any of our preparations. As a result, your food may take a bit longer to reach you. Therefore, we invite you to relax with a nice glass of wine, a complimentary sample plate and our homemade focaccia while you wait.

The Wines: The literal translation of Enoteca is “wine library” and ours is an extensive one. We serve only Italian wines, imported from small producers. Joe handpicks all of the wines and we are proud of our changing portfolio. Our wines are offered by the glass or by the bottle: by the glass, prices range from $8 to $60, and bottles range from $24 to $180.

The Music: Our music selection is an eclectic compilation from the past and the present: classical, rock, jazz, world, and everything in between. Sometimes…it gets loud!

Jody Scaravella jokes with his grandmas at Enoteca Maria. Read more about our grandmas. Photo by Glen DiCrocco

Meet Joe, your host, the waitstaff and our kitchen help. (Click thumbnails to enlarge).