Staten Island Restaurant Known For Serving Up Grandma's Cooking Finding New Ways To Pay Bills During Pandemic
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Staten Island restaurant known for serving grandma's secret recipe is adapting to pay the bills during the pandemic.
May "Dolly Josepf is a Staten Island grandma originally from Sri Lanka.
"I love to cook," she told CBS2's Ali Bauman.
She is one of the 30 "nonnas" from around the world who normally rotates as head chef at Enoteca Maria on Hyatt Street in St. George, each serving their own authentic recipes.
RELATED STORY: Entrepreneur Turns Great-Grandmother's Rum Drink Recipe Into Big Hit With Local Restaurant
"You have your grandmother who is right there in the kitchen. She's cooking for you, she comes out and she wants to know how you like her food, and people are hugging the nonnas," restaurant owner Jody Scaravella said.
"Everyone comes, says, 'thank you Dolly for the food, it was so good,'" Josepf said.
But that all came to an end when the pandemic hit in March.
"The last seven months that we've been closed, most of that, I've just felt paralyzed," Scaravella said.
The space in the restaurant's kitchen is tight, so Scaravella doesn't feel comfortable reopening right now even for outdoor dining because he doesn't want to put the health of the nonnas at risk.
"You have to reinvent yourself, so that's what we're trying to do right now," Scaravella said.
He came up with the idea to have his nonnas bottle their homemade sauces -- or in Dolly's case, her curry powder -- so customers can try to recreate grandma's cooking at home.
"It's just a warm, comforting feeling," Scaravella said.
Josepf can't wait to cook for a crowd at the restaurant again soon.
"It is nice here. You enjoy, you meet people, and everybody's nice to you," she said.
But for now, she's happy to share that secret recipe from her home to yours.
MORE FROM CBS NEW YORK:
- Stimulus Package Update: What Happens To The Economy Without A Second Stimulus?
- City Says Woman Killed By Falling Debris From Times Square Building May Have Been At Fault
- Coronavirus Impact: Popular Columbus Circle Underground Market Attempting Climb Out Of Pandemic's Clutches
You can get the latest news, sports and weather on our brand new CBS New York app. Download here.
