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[festive music playing]
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["Funiculì Funiculà" by Luigi Denza playing]
[music ends]
["Viva la Pappa col Pomodoro" by Rita Pavone playing]
[ringing]
[indistinct chatter]
[bell ringing]
Hey, Joey. What'd your nonna send you in here for today, huh?
Two loaves of bread and a dozen zeppole.
[man] Zeppoles are hot and fresh. They're coming right up, my friend.
Be good. Say the rosary.
Now, Joey, don't eat 'em all before you get home.
["Viva la Pappa col Pomodoro" continues]
[kid] Play ball!
I love your new car, Mr. Romano. It's a classic.
Ah, thank you, Joe.
- Hey, Joey. - Hey, Bruno.
Bruno. You missed a spot.
Get in there.
["Viva la Pappa col Pomodoro" continues]
["Un Desiderio per L'Estate" by Gianni Ferrio and Gino Marinacci plays]
[indistinct chatter]
Mamma, I got the bread.
Bravo, Joey.
Zeppole.
Joey!
No zeppole.
Get outta here.
[chuckles]
[chopping]
Joey, do you wanna come see Nonna make the gravy?
Vieni cà.
Guarda, aspetta.
Smell.
[sniffs]
[exhales]
- How do you know how much to use? - You feel in your heart.
You put in your heart.
Mangia.
It's perfect, Nonna.
No. You are perfecto.
[speaks in Italian]
- "One does not grow old at the table." - Mm-hm.
["Tarantella Napoletana" playing]
[indistinct, enthusiastic chatter]
[man 1] Hey! Get outta here!
- [man 2] You like the lasagna? - [man 3] Who took all the corner pieces?
[man 4] Hey, what happened to the lasagna?
- [man 5] Do you call it sauce or gravy? - [man 6] Sauce.
[man speaking in Italian]
[Mamma] Mm!
Mamma.
- [woman] Hey! - Ah!
- Roberta! Oh my gosh! - Ciao, Roberta!
Hey!
Roberta!
["Tarantella Napoletana" continues]
Fotografia!
[woman] No!
[speaking in Italian]
- [click] - [music ends]
[gentle music playing softly]
[soft, indistinct chatter]
- [Joey] Hey. - Oh, I'm sorry for your loss, Joey.
Your mother had a heart of gold.
I made you stuffed shells with fresh ricotta and spinach for later.
Thank you.
[sniffles]
[Bruno exhaling]
To your ma, Maria.
She was like my mother.
- Only nice. - Yeah. [chuckles]
- Salute. - Salute.
[Joey] Hmm.
I don't know what, uh, tomorrow is supposed to look like, Bruno, you know?
- Give it time. - Yeah.
Gets better with time.
That wife of mine just gave me the stink eye?
Yeah. Looks that way.
[Bruno] Here we go.
- Joe, I made you my scungilli. - I told you he didn't like scungilli.
Would you shut up? You got a loud mouth.
You need to feed your grief. It's the only way through.
Mm-hmm.
There's 18 cloves of garlic in there.
[softly] Thank you.
- [woman] I'll come by this week, okay? - [Joe] Okay.
I want you to take these and eat them.
Your famous cassatas.
Here, please.
Hmm.
- Delicious. - [Gia] Prego.
- You were one of my mom's favorites, Gia. - Well, 26 years.
She was more than a client. She was a friend.
I just wanna say thank you for everything.
You made her that beautiful wig.
Yeah, well, we all deserve our dignity, especially at the end.
You know, if you need anything, you know where to find me.
[Joe] Yeah.
Okay.
- Refrigerate those. - Yes.
[Stella] Next Sunday, dinner.
- That wasn't a question. - Yeah.
Okay.
Oh, wow.
- She looks beautiful, Bruno. - Thanks to you.
Please. I love working on her.
Madone, the way you talk about this car, I swear you'd marry this car if you could.
[Bruno] All right, all right. In, get in.
She's right. I'd marry the car.
- [chuckles] - [Stella] I heard that!
Boy, a lot of good memories in there.
Remember my dad with the goddamn hubcaps?
Sucks losing 'em.
Yeah.
Call you tomorrow.
Yeah.
- Yep. - [car door closes]
[starts engine]
[gentle music playing]
[playful music playing]
[traffic noise]
- [glass breaks] - [Roberta] Mi disgusta!
- Where's the oregano? - Roberta, please.
- You call this Italian food? - All right, all right.
- Joe! - [Joe] Come on, Roberta.
She's attacking me again.
- Roberta, come on. - He calls this spaghetti and meatballs?
- It's deli meat and ketchup! - [Rigo] Hey!
This is good stuff. See?
- Hey! Come on, stop. - Get outta here!
Il diavolo! He's trying to kill me!
I want to kill you.
- Hope the family's good. Nice to see you. - Good to see you, Joe.
- [Roberta] I know what you're gonna say. - [Joe] What? Stop abusing the chef?
- [groans] Abuse? Abuse the chef? - Yeah.
[laughs]
The police are coming. They got an assault charge against you.
Yeah, well, when my foot gets better, he'll see abuse.
- My foot right up his culo. - [chuckles]
Hey, I got something for you.
What?
She wanted to make sure that I got this to you.
[blows air out]
[Roberta gasps]
I couldn't, Joey. I...
I'm sorry, I...
I just couldn't bring myself to go to her funeral.
I know.
Hey, it's okay.
It's okay.
[exhales] For 60 years, she was my best friend.
And you were hers.
You know, you just can't say goodbye to someone after 60 years.
It's just not possible.
[voice breaking] She knew I loved this pin.
Come on, let's make-- Put it on.
Be nice.
That's good.
[gentle music plays]
I think it looks nice. Hmm?
Oh. Wait a minute.
[exhales] I almost forgot.
It's a letter from your mom.
[gentle music continues]
That's nice.
You'll know when you're ready.
And you'll open it then.
Thank you.
[speaks in Italian]
"One does not grow old at the table."
Hey, there he is!
The legend returns!
From the look of the outside, it's probably just a battery line.
Should be a pretty quick fix this morning.
Are you trying to make the bus bad?
- It looks good. - [Joe] What is going on?
Better punch in quick. Boss has been on the warpath.
Good to know nothing's changed.
- What's that? Smells good. - Something I brought for the break room.
My nonna's polpette, or as close as I could possibly get to it.
Anyway, thanks for coming last week. I appreciate you guys.
Hey, no matter how old you are, there's nothing worse than losing your ma.
Hi, Mr. McClane. Good morning.
- Good to see you. - Joe! Good to see you.
Got worried when you took so many vacation days.
- Thought you'd never come back. - No, that would never happen.
Good to be back. And, um...
Gosh, thank you so much for remembering me with the fruit basket.
- You got it. - Tangerines and stuff. Thank you for that.
Of course. I lost my cat last year, so I understand the grieving process.
It's the least I could do.
Sorry about your cat. I didn't know.
Break's over.
Okay.
- [McClain] Okay. - [Joe] Thank you again.
[Stella] Joe, when I said Sunday dinner, I didn't mean for you to cook for us.
[Joe] Oh, stop it. I love having you guys here.
Okay. This is my nonna's. It's a homemade pasta.
It's got pork cheek, Pecorino cheese,
and vine-ripened San Marzano tomatoes for the pomodoro sauce.
- Well, I'm impressed. - Since when are you so into cooking?
I don't know. Lately, I've been going through all my ma and nonna's dishes,
the ones that I remember, and just making them one by one.
I've gotten close on a few, but it's my nonna's Sunday gravy.
I really wish I could figure that one out. Anyway...
- Buon appetito. - Well, it looks delicious.
Salute. Let's eat.
Look...
Just... Joe, before we eat,
there is something Bruno and I wanna talk to you about.
She's very worried. I hear about it 50 times a day.
Since your mother's gone, I'm just worried about your future.
I mean, you took care of her for so long, and it was beautiful,
but now it's time for you to take care of you.
What does that even mean? I...
- Maybe you could chime in. - All right, fine.
We're not kids anymore, right? You need a plan.
- Take your mother's insurance. - I don't even wanna talk about that.
I had to lose her to get the money-- It's not how I wanna spend my night...
I know-- Joe, but the way to honor her is to spend it.
Find something that makes you really happy or something that makes you feel her.
Or take care of your debt.
$200,000 goes a long way.
- Okay. - I don't know, maybe it's--
Maybe it's buying some new clothes
or, um, some furniture. I mean, that chair.
Madone, that was Bruno's before we were married.
- I like it. What's wrong with it? - Great for watching Yankee games.
Shaped like a baseball glove. 100% Corinthian leather.
Okay, okay, maybe, I don't know.
Maybe a hobby. I have a friend who just took up flamenco dancing.
Oh, stop it with the flamenco dancing. He's not going flamenco dancing.
What about volleyball? You like it.
I guess. I don't know. You mean, to play the volleyball?
I don't care what you do. You gotta try something new.
If you keep doing the same thing, the same is gonna keep happening.
I don't want you sitting in that damn chair when you're 60. Capisce?
- Capisce. - [Stella] I'm sorry I'm nagging, just...
I worry because I love you.
- No, I know. - [Stella] Okay.
- I love you. Thank you. - [Stella] Okay.
- Okay. - I love you too.
And I'm also very hungry, so let's eat.
- Nothing worse than a cold pork cheek. - I'm excited for you to try this. Okay.
[gentle music playing]
[gentle music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
[speaking in Italian]
[indistinct chatter]
Hi, how are you?
[speaking softly in Italian]
[Nonna] Bellissimo.
Hmm.
- This is a nice one. - [vendor] Yeah.
My nonna used to do the exact same thing with the...
Well, I mean, the tomato's the heart of your dish.
- Don't have heart, don't have nothing. - True story.
Okay, give me, uh, three of these.
- Three. Anything for you. - [woman] Grazie.
- [vendor] Prego. - Okay, Antonella, I got the flowers.
- Oh, good. Oh, they're beautiful. - Olivia?
Joe?
- Oh, my gosh. You look exactly the same. - [Olivia] What?
Oh, come on. This is crazy.
- [Joe] I mean it. - Like, been 30 years.
No, I swear to God, you haven't changed at all.
- You look terrific. - Thank you.
You know this man?
Oh, sorry, yeah. Uh...
- Joe, this is my neighbor Antonella. - Hi.
Joe and I went to school together before my parents moved to Staten Island.
Yeah. I actually took, uh, Olivia to prom.
Yes, prom.
[Joe] Hmm.
Oh.
Yep.
Ah. [chuckles]
It's, um, very nice to meet you, Antonella.
Well, nice to meet you too. Thank you.
- You don't live on the island, right? - Oh, no, no, no.
No, when I was a kid, my mom and nonna would bring me to this market, so...
- I couldn't believe it was still here. - Yeah, well.
- Great things stand the test of time. - She's a lawyer.
- [scoffs] No, I'm not. - A lawyer?
I mean, I'm not yet. I'm-- I went back to school.
I'm in my, uh, first year JD program at St. John's.
- [Joe] St. John's, that's impressive. - Uh...
Yeah.
- Never too late to start all over again. - Yeah.
- I don't wanna be rude. We're in a rush. - Of course. Great to see you.
- Thank you. - You too. Antonella, nice to meet you.
- Thank you. Nice to meet you. - Thanks, Al.
What's going on?
- [Olivia] That's a short but long story. - [Antonella laughs]
"Very short but long story."
- I love that phrase. Let's remember that. - [Olivia] Okay.
[Bruno] Nice, Olivia from high school. She still hot?
Hot and married.
- [Stella] Who's still hot? - [Bruno] I gotta go.
[intriguing music playing]
Okay. What are we doing here? Giving the neighborhood a show?
What? I don't want any tan lines.
Hey, I got something I wanna tell both of you guys.
I went to, uh, Staten Island the other day, and I found a restaurant.
What are you doing going to Staten Island to eat?
Yeah, there's lots of good restaurants here.
Yeah, I'm not talking about a restaurant to eat.
I'm talking about a restaurant to buy.
Huh?
- Restaurant to buy? - [Joe] Yeah.
- In Staten Island? What? - Yeah.
What the hell are you talking about? How'd you buy a restaurant?
With the money my mom left me.
What? Are you crazy?
I don't know. Maybe I am.
But, look, I really do. I wanna open an Italian restaurant,
and I wanna name it Enoteca Maria. I wanna name it after my mom.
You don't know the first thing about it.
What is there to know? You make food, people eat the food, people are happy.
- You told me I need to try something. - Like buy new furniture, get a girlfriend.
Right, or pay your mortgage,
not start a business you know nothing about.
Guys, I'm not getting any younger, okay?
And I'm running out of time to figure this out, all right?
This is what I want.
I dunno how to explain it,
but this is what I need.
Listen, I cannot in good conscience allow you to spend your ma's money
on a restaurant in Staten Island.
I don't think that you understand.
I already did.
[playful music playing]
Okay, listen, I'm really excited for you guys to see this place.
It's pretty amazing, okay? All right. Take a look.
This bar here, I mean, look how cool that is.
Look at this floor. This checkerboard, totally authentic.
It's not trying hard, it just feels terrific.
I'm probably gonna take these booths and clean them out. I don't need them.
- You spent how much on this? - 175,000 for the down payment.
I mean, I have a mortgage, obviously.
[cursing in Italian]
I'm not gonna quit my job at the MTA. I'll keep it in order to pay the bills.
And I have a solid five months of money before I even sell one plate of food.
Oh, God!
Okay. Guys, honestly, can you just try? Just try to keep an open mind.
Because if I don't have you two, then I don't have anybody, okay?
Now, just walk the place with me and share my vision. Can you do that?
Okay, this exposed brick right here,
people would literally kill each other to have that nowadays.
There is a phone booth in the back room that is just so cool and old-school.
Glance up at those tin-crusted ceilings. Are you kidding me? That's real.
The way I see this is you would take down all these walls, maybe put in an archway.
This would be a beautiful open-air kitchen.
I want the entire place to feel more like someone's house than a restaurant.
[exhales] Okay, so, just so I can wrap my brain around this,
you wanna open a restaurant
with the five dishes you kind of, sort of know how to make?
No, maybe a dish or two from my family. But you know what occurred to me?
This is what happened.
I'm going through my mom's and my nonna's recipes,
and I'm like, "What is going on here? Why am I searching so hard?"
And then I realized, right, that food is love.
As long as I have their food, I'm gonna have them.
I really do want the place to be about more than just serving someone dinner.
I really, really want this place to feel like family.
Okay, but Joe, your ma and your nonna, they're not around.
So, who are you gonna get to come down and cook like them?
Nonnas. Other real-life Italian grandmothers.
That's who.
I want 'em to make dishes that were passed on from their family.
And I wanna share it with everybody.
I love it!
What? I do.
Real-life grandmas!
- Joe, it's a wonderful idea. - Oh. [softly] Thank you.
I mean, who wouldn't want their grandmothers cooking?
[exhales] All right, I can-- I can kinda see the appeal, I guess.
Come on, it's a great idea. You love this idea.
No, I don't love it.
You love it, 'cause if you didn't love it,
you'd have nothing but a cold, dead heart inside.
Yeah, Bruno. Stop having a cold, dead heart.
A job like this would take months, okay?
The-- The walls, the floor, the tile, the electric.
Don't get me started on the plumbing and the ANSUL system, okay?
Who you gonna get to do that work for? Are you gonna hire a nonna for that?
No, I'm really fortunate, because my best friend happens to be a contractor.
- So I'm fortunate. - Oh, no. No, no.
- [Joe] Yes, I am. - No, no, no!
Not that I'm bringing this up because I would never, ever bring this up,
but remember I fixed your father's car out of the goodness of my heart?
- That's bringing it up. - Only as a source of reference.
You're my best friend. I can fix cars, and you needed a car fixed.
Cars don't need permits, Joe.
They don't need building codes, union labor.
You're being impulsive. You need chefs, a menu, a marketing plan.
You're gonna need a certificate of occupancy.
You're gonna have to pass inspections.
- You're not even listening! - I'm listening.
I gotta pass inspection and I need to get menus.
I love you to death. You are a lot of things,
but a responsible businessman is not one of 'em.
I know that. That's why I got you.
I promise, I'm gonna pay you back for all the work you do
the second this place is up and humming.
And I do love to decorate.
I see a wine rack over there and like a little Benjamin Moore,
splash it up, and maybe some family photos on the walls.
That's what I'm talking about. She has a vision for this place already.
- That's exciting! - You are a crazy son of a saint, you know?
Does that mean you'll do it?
- Yes, I'll do it. - Come on, this is gonna be fun.
- All right, all right. - You only live once.
- Don't touch me like that. - Superman, look at the old phone booth.
[playful music continues]
Okay.
Joe, where's the bin? I need the bin.
God, I need a paying job. Let's go.
Ay, ay, ay.
What is this?
- A chef? - Yeah.
Look at me, I can barely move.
What are you talking about? The doctor says you're doing great.
What the hell does he know?
I gotta wear compression socks to go from here to the bathroom.
I know how unhappy you are when you're not cooking. It will be great.
- I'm 73 years old. I am done being happy. - Come on. Age is not a disease, Roberta.
Yeah, well, it's not a cure either.
- Joey, I can't. I can't do this for you. - I am not asking you to do this for me.
I'm asking you to do it for you and for my mamma.
- What? - God rest her soul.
You using Catholic guilt on me?
- I learned it from the best. - Madone.
Look, I'm not saying yes, but if I did say yes...
Mm-hmm.
...who else would be in the kitchen cooking with me?
I couldn't feed a restaurant all by myself.
Trust me, please.
This will be fun.
[gentle music playing]
Hey.
All the locals are talking about, uh, that new restaurant of yours.
Yeah, that's right.
I don't think we've been, uh, formally introduced. My name is Joe.
I'm Al.
27 Hyatt Street. That was my best friend, Dominic Spirito's place.
Every baptism, communion, graduation, birthday, anniversaries...
They were all at Spirito's.
Dominic was there for over 50 years before he passed away.
Ah.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I didn't know.
You threw his name in the street.
We were working on the building. I didn't mean any disrespect whatsoever.
I don't trust people who aren't from around here.
We're not Manhattan, and we sure as hell ain't no Brooklyn.
You're on the island now, pal. You got it?
Yeah, I got it.
[gentle music continues]
[Antonella] Gianni, what should I tell you about today?
Well, I got up. I made breakfast, and, um, I took a nap. That was nice.
And then I had lunch, and now I'm here with you, my darling.
[knocking]
Hello?
Antonella, it's me.
Do we have a doctor's appointment today?
Because if we do, I'm not going unless it's with the podiatrist.
No, we don't. But you do have a job interview.
No.
I told you no.
All those old ladies trying to be chefs, that's ridiculous.
Ridiculous.
It's a sin.
Oh. How is that a sin?
And you told me that that Joe fellow was a stronzo.
I didn't. I said he was an immature jerk when we were 17. That's all.
All right, you're gonna have to give me a really good reason why I should go.
Because you sit alone in this house, and you got more life to live.
- I brought your favorite wrap. - I'm not going.
[platform whirring]
I took a water pill about an hour ago. Your bathroom better be working.
[Joe] You think I don't have a bathroom? Oh, look at you with the walking.
Should be a light day. I mean, everything's ready to go.
[men chuckling]
Thanks, guys.
[Roberta] Listen, nobody coming.
[Joe] Everyone will be here in 20 minutes. Sit and relax. You're doing so good.
- This list of Craig. - No, it's Craigslist.
This Craig, is he reliable?
No, no, it's not a he, okay? It's an it.
It's a place where people kinda, you know,
post things they're selling or like job descriptions.
Like the newspaper.
Yes, except it's online, right?
It's online, so anyone can go on from anywhere and look at it.
- You should've put it in the papers. - [softly] Uh... okay.
Roberta, do you know how my nonna made her Sunday gravy?
There was always this kind of sweet aftertaste.
Do you know the exact ingredients that she would put into it?
Joey, that's like asking a woman to show you her mundate.
Mundate? I don't even-- What kind of guy do you think I am?
- I don't even-- What is a mundate? - Better not ask.
I'm sorry. I wouldn't ask to see anyone's mundate,
but I've been kind of kicking myself,
I never had them write any of this stuff down.
I don't know exactly, and if I knew exactly,
it wouldn't have been your nonna's gravy, would it?
It's the secret that makes it special.
Try sugar. You need a lot more than you think.
- I put a ton of sugar in it. - Well, there are different kinds.
You get the savory when you find the sweet.
Okay, listen, I made this entire scarf sitting here.
I hope you like it.
- For you. - It's so nice. Thank you.
- You're welcome. Enjoy. - Thank you.
- It's nice and warm for you. - Super beautiful.
Okay, I'm calling the shuttle. I got poker at 3:00.
No, no, no. Give me 20 minutes. Listen to me. Will you stop?
- I gave you three hours. - No.
I watched you move boxes. See you move bottles.
Now, what's gonna happen, is the other people are gonna join us...
- Nobody's coming! - They're coming.
- Don't go. 45 minutes-- - I'm sick of watching you--
Look at this. You made it. Isn't that great? Everyone made it.
This is great!
Calm yourself. She forced me.
Sometimes she needs a little push out the door.
She literally pushed me.
- Here you go. Looks great. Your stuff. - All right, I'm here.
- I got class. I'll come pick you up. - What do you mean?
You have fun.
Huh?
Have fun.
Hey, thank you so much for bringing her. I appreciate it.
Of course. I'd do anything in the world for her.
By the way,
it's a really great idea. I hope it works.
Thanks.
All right.
Well, Antonella, this is Roberta and she is a chef at Enoteca Maria.
Se.
Se?
So you're Sicilian?
Se. I'm from Sicily.
- And where are you from? - I am from Bologna.
- Bologna. - Sì.
[Roberta] Hmm.
[spits] I spit on Bologna!
- [Antonella] Is that so? - Se!
[spits]
Well, I spit on Sicily, okay?
Don't you spit on Sicily!
This is great! This is like music to my ears.
Ah, no, no, no! Passion's good.
- You got the grande bocca! - [Antonella] You are a puttana.
- Oh, hi. How are you? - [Roberta] What? What do you want?
I think I have the wrong address.
No, no, you're at the exact right place. I'm so sorry. Are you here to be a chef?
- Yes. - [Roberta] Don't say that! Not nice!
Excellent. What is your name?
- [Roberta] Didn't say that. - Teresa.
Teresa. What a beautiful name. May I invite you to join the other ladies?
- [Antonella] I never met anybody like you. - Get lost, you old bag!
Teresa, will you come join Antonella. She's from Bologna, she is from Sicily.
- This is Roberta. - Hello.
- And where are you from? - Uh...
- Well, actually, I'm from the Bronx. - Great.
Just have fun and cook like you're cooking for your own family, all right?
The kitchen is yours.
["Lazy Mary (Luna Mezzo Mare)" by Lou Monte playing]
[rattling loudly]
What?
- You need some garlic? - No!
[sizzling]
["Lazy Mary (Luna Mezzo Mare)" continues]
♪ Lazy Mary, you better get up She answered back I am not able... ♪
Stop. Stop.
No, no.
There.
♪ Lazy Mary you better get up We need the sheets for the table ♪
♪ Lazy Mary you smoke in bed There's only one man you should marry ♪
[laughs]
♪ My advice to you would be Is to pay attention to me ♪
[singing in Italian]
[Joe] Hmm!
Oh, my God.
This cheese is perfectly crisp and yet stays so gooey on your pizza, incredible.
[Antonella] Grazie.
Roberta, I mean, that oxtail stew just melts right in your mouth.
Yeah.
So beautiful.
- I'm not talking to you. - [Teresa laughs]
I'm not even talking to you.
Where did you come from? Did you fall out of the sky somewhere?
You have that beautifully seasoned garlic, but it's right inside the steak.
Where did you learn to do that?
At the convent.
Convent? Are you a nun?
- And you with that language. - A blessed calling.
- Yes, sure. - Well, I'm a retired nun.
I served for many years at the CFR convent in the Bronx.
- Oh. - [Joe] Oh.
If it's okay to ask, why'd you leave?
Well, I loved my devotion. I just thought it was time for something new.
And a friend's son saw your ad in the list.
Craig, the bum.
Stop.
And I felt God was speaking to me, telling me to come.
Giving me a... another chance.
So, Joe, who's got the job?
[snickers]
All of you guys.
- This is incredible. - Oh!
We got a Murderers' Row here. Look at this.
Are you kidding me? I wish we could open the doors today.
[festive Italian music playing]
- [laughing] - Cheers, salute.
I'm so grateful.
Look, I've given you a ton of leeway, and you keep showing up late.
Okay? So I can't do it anymore. This is your last warning.
[Joe] Okay.
- [laughing] - Uh oh!
[Vito] Oh, there he is. Dead man walking.
[Omar] Got called at the principal's office.
I gotta ask you guys a favor.
- Yeah, sure. - Whatever you need.
I just got written up again, and I cannot lose this job.
So, do you mind covering for me with Dan? Because I'm gonna be late to work a lot.
Why, Joey? What's going on?
Can you keep a secret?
[playful music playing]
Fourteen...
[exhales]
Let's see.
[typing]
- [Bruno] Ah, no. - [Joe] Well, I had to.
[Bruno] Refinance your ma's home. What's next?
Next is Enoteca Maria has to work because there's no other option.
You got me in a difficult position. I'm one of the people you owe money to.
I know, but you're also my friend. I need someone to talk to. Complicated.
I need you to think this through. If you get out now, you could break even.
But if you stay in and it fails, you could lose everything.
Bruno, I have this feeling deep in my gut that this whole thing is gonna pay off.
You're my best friend, so you stay, I stay.
I appreciate it. We got great chefs. We got food from all over Italy.
- Gotta make sure you get good desserts. - Yeah. We just passed that place.
I'm getting stressed with the talking. I'm gonna crush a sub.
- I could do a cutlet. - You wanna do a cutlet? Come do a cutlet.
Here's what I'm thinking. We can always get desserts that are homemade.
What?
Just hear me out on this, okay?
You're a terrific baker. The stuff you make is incredible.
It brought my mom so much joy. I'm just asking you to share that.
I bake for fun. I don't bake serious.
This should be fun. Do something that's fun for you and fun with everybody else.
- I like doing hair. That's my job. - You have a job, and you're good at it.
But you have other gifts. This is a chance to do something that you love.
Sweetie, it sounds exciting, but I... I really can't. I'm sorry.
[Joe] I can't even hear that. I know this is the right thing.
- Is begging gonna help? - Oh. Damn it.
- Are you okay? - Damn it, damn it. My hands are going.
Some days are worse. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do this.
I'm so sorry. I didn't know your hands were bothering you.
Is that something ongoing? Sorry you're in that.
Don't be sad for me. Do not be sad for me.
I've led a great life exactly how I wanted to,
and you know the stories, and I have no regrets.
And, uh...
I am okay.
Yeah, well, you deserve to be better than okay.
You deserve to be great.
We only have so much time, so let me just accept this yes.
I'll see you tomorrow at the restaurant. Don't let me down. Love you and thank you.
You are so manipulative. Don't hold your breath.
Appreciate your patience. Love the color.
[chuckles softly]
Gia, who wants to start over at this age?
[loud thump]
This is my main dish on the menu.
What is that? It stinks.
- Capuzzelle. - [gasps]
Dear God, save us.
- That is definitely a bold choice. - How are you gonna put that on a menu?
Are you crazy?
Capuzzelle is from my family village.
Capuzzelle is my identity.
- Well, change your identity. - [door opens]
Hey, wow, I'm so glad you made it.
I'm here.
This is Gia. She's our pastry chef.
- And you know Roberta, obviously. - [Gia] Oh yeah.
- This is Teresa and, uh, Antonella. - Hello.
Ladies.
- Apron? - Please. They're right over here.
[Gia] Thank you.
[mouthing] Pa-pa-pa-pa. They bounce.
Hey, i... it's an apron, not an evening gown.
Well, every opportunity is an opportunity to look good.
How do you bake over those things?
Years of practice.
[mouthing] Wow.
- [Joe] Okay, where were we? - Mi capuzzelle.
Oh, that's what smells. I thought maybe it was me.
Oh, God.
- [women laughing] - [Gia] Wasn't sure.
- No. - What is capuzzelle?
[playful music playing]
Okay, so it's a simple story.
My mother came from a village that was very, very poor.
So they had to use the entire animal.
So, you stuff the head with some crumbs of bread.
Breadcrumbs.
Mi scusi.
- Breadcrumbs. - Hmm.
[Roberta] A little of this, a little of that.
In the oven, the capuzzelle.
Bye-bye, baby.
All right, the sheep's head is in. Now, let's move on to sauce.
Oh, oh, oh, my mother's sauce.
Yes, of course, your mother's sauce, or your nonna's sauce,
or your Great Aunt Mary's sauce, as long as it is your family's sauce.
[softly] Thanks.
- We'll do cannolis for dessert. - Great.
Perfect.
["Cha Cha Cha della Segretaria" by Michelino e Il Suo Complesso playing]
[blows raspberry]
Gia, can you do me a favor? Do you mind tasting all of these?
Tell me which one you think should be on the menu? You be the judge.
Oh, sure. Well, if they taste half as good as they smell,
this is gonna be difficult.
- [Joe] Yeah, but just be honest. - Okay.
["Cha Cha Cha della Segretaria" continues]
- Is this your nonna's? - No.
I mean, I tried maple syrup, brown sugar.
I tried honey.
There's just no combination I do that makes it taste like my nonna's gravy.
- Well, you keep trying. - Yeah.
Hmm. Is that almonds in there?
Sì, pesto alla trapanese.
From Sicily.
Bah!
They're all so good. I don't know how you're gonna choose. They're perfect.
Joe, we could rotate the sauces week to week.
- That's a great idea. - Fabulous.
That's exactly what we'll do. Let's taste what you were doing.
- Pesto alla trapanese, huh? - [Roberta] Sì.
My people created Parmigiano Reggiano.
That's something to boast about!
- Parmigiano Reggiano. - [Antonella] That's right.
My people created the cannoli!
- Cannoli? Are you crazy? It's nothing. - Yes!
- What do you mean nothing? - Stuffed cream for Christ's sake.
- What do you know? - Get outta here.
You think you know everything 'cause you're from Bologna!
- Listen to this. - Your people are mean and ugly and cold.
Your people are crude and vulgar.
- Okay, okay, okay. - [Antonella] Puttana.
And don't you spit any more at me 'cause you're gonna pay a debt for that.
Let me tell you right now, you make something outta this.
You... What?
- Uh-huh. Yeah. - [Roberta] You wanna fight?
Yeah.
[Roberta] How's this?
I'm going to throw something at you, you beast.
[Roberta] What? How dare you?
- [Antonella] Oh, see if... - How dare you?
I'm worried. I'm scared of you.
All right, go ahead. Go get it!
They could hurt themselves, Joe. You've gotta stop this.
- No, let them fight it out. - It's the Italian way.
Have a little arugula!
- Madre di Dio. - [Roberta] Why don't you? Go ahead.
- Puttana! How dare you? - Ow! Oh!
Ow!
I'm going to get you.
Mi capuzzelle!
[women screaming]
This is a violation for fire code defiance.
Your ANSUL system was shut off. You're lucky no one got hurt.
- [cell phone chimes] - Yeah. Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh my God. Look at that. I'm already supposed to be somewhere.
So if we're all wrapped up, if you don't mind, I'd love to get going.
Oh! Of course. You know, I don't wanna hold up your day.
Okay, thank you so much.
- I'm sorry. - I'm sorry too, Joey.
It was her fault.
It's her fault.
[Joe] You are killing me. I still believe in you.
Maybe one good idea we can take from this is not to fight in the kitchen, okay?
So sorry. I'm late for work. I gotta run. Bye. Love you guys.
Can't you two just offer to forgive each other?
To forgive is divine.
Oh, she started it.
Hey, Vito, Joe punched in. Have you seen Joe?
How you doing, Mr. McClane?
He was here like, two hours ago? Yeah, two hours ago.
I think he's over in maintenance with Luis in North Garage.
Okay, thanks.
[snickers]
[playful music playing]
Hey, Luis, where's Joe?
[speaking in Spanish]
Right, thank you.
I called you a putz.
Omar, where's Joe?
I'm not sure. He was helping me mount some tires.
My guess is he's back at the main depot with Vito now.
- You're kidding me! - Yeah.
Vito, where the hell is Joe?
Mr. McClane, where you been all day?
- [buzzer plays loudly] - That's lunch!
[scraping]
- Wow. - Hey.
I love what you've done with the place.
- [chuckles] Yeah. You like it? - You're crushing it.
I was thinking, should I do that room and set that on fire
and just connect the two places?
- Too much. - Yeah?
Antonella sent me.
She wants you to have this card from the dollar store.
And I think there might be $20 in that.
- Very nice. Look at that. - Yeah.
Roberta gave me $10, so I'm actually gonna come out ahead in this one.
Yeah, wow. Lucky you.
A little Italian lightning struck the place.
[both chuckle]
I wanna help clean.
Where's your trash bags?
Oh, um, just underneath there.
Okay.
Thanks.
- [Joe] No, really? That's crazy. - [Olivia laughs]
[Joe] So, what was she taking?
Butter.
No, I'm serious. The plastic square butters from the diner.
Trust me, I know exactly what you're talking about.
My mom used to do the exact same thing. [laughs]
Yeah, well, Antonella's fridge? Filled with them.
I asked her, like, how much butter does one person need?
How long have you and, uh, Antonella been neighbors?
Oh, God, what?
My husband and I bought the house next door... eight years ago?
And then it was a fixer-upper, so we renovated.
And she complained about the noise every day.
Well, you must've gotten past it, 'cause you two seem very close.
Yeah.
Yeah, she, um...
After my husband passed away, she was amazing.
She wouldn't leave me alone.
She would come over and sit with me,
and cook for me,
and make me take a shower.
[gentle music playing]
It's a special kind of love, you know?
[clears throat]
Olivia, I am so sorry to hear that. I had no idea.
Oh, come on, stop. How would you know?
She keeps telling me I should move my wedding ring to the other hand, but...
I don't know. I just don't feel ready.
You know?
Yeah. Trust me, I understand.
Yeah?
[voice breaking] My mom left me this letter, but I haven't opened it yet,
because I feel like once I do open it,
that'll be the last thing she ever says to me, you know, so...
Joe...
I'm sorry.
It just hurts.
Grief.
It doesn't have a timeline, so why should we?
Yeah.
[ferry horn blares]
Hey.
Sturdy, isn't she?
Completely gutted. Built from the ground up.
Every piece of wood, every piling.
- Yeah. - Top-notch.
Okay, um... You're the owner?
Yeah. Yes.
You failed. Twice.
What?
Yeah, um, first of all,
there was a kitchen fire that's affecting the integrity and safety of that wall.
No. That's impossible. There's no fire.
There was a... little bit of a problem with a sheep's head, but...
A what?
And number two, you need a new oven
because you got remnants of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in there.
That's easy. I can run out and grab the new oven right now.
- We can take care of that off the list. - It's a custom-made specialty oven.
You can't just pull up to a store and have them throw it in your trunk.
On the bright side, your sprinkler system is working fine, so, you know...
Have a good day.
I'm so sorry.
Would it be possible to do anything else we could do to keep this moving?
- I really need to get these doors open. - You can reapply for inspection.
Great. And what are we talking about? What works for your schedule?
Would that be later this week or next week?
[laughs]
Oh, sorry.
I like this guy. "Next week."
Um... Try "next year." The waiting list is a mile long, pal.
You're not opening any time soon, man.
If ever.
There was a sheep's head fire?
What the hell does that even mean?
- Roberta with her capuzzelle. - Why didn't you tell me?
I... Honestly, I didn't think it was...
I didn't think it'd matter. It was just a fire. I cleaned it up--
Joe, a sheep's head catches fire
compromising the integrity of the walls I built?
- Right. - Don't think it's important to tell me?
Okay. Bruno. Let's just calm down.
- Everyone's upset. I'm upset. - I am calm.
- Okay. Good. - Okay?
- But listen to me. - I'm listening.
If you fail an inspection, that's it.
You have no certificate of occupancy.
You can't run a restaurant if you don't have a building.
I'll find another way. I'll find another way to keep it going.
With what money? You don't have any money left!
I could take out a loan against my pension.
Joe, listen to yourself.
I got credit cards. I can take out credit cards.
No! You rushed into this thing, didn't think it through,
and now we're both in the hole.
You're never gonna learn!
- What are you talking about? - You've been the same since we were kids!
- Leap before you look. Every time! - What does that mean? This restaurant.
This is me trying. I'm trying. Take a look.
Oh, no. This whole thing is a joke, Joe!
You really made your ma proud this time!
[melancholy music playing]
Yeah?
Go ahead and get out.
[Bruno smacks lips]
I didn't... I didn't mean it like that.
I'll pay your money back. All right?
I want you to get out.
Fine.
Forget it.
Forget you.
[Bruno exhales]
[door closes]
["Mille Volte" by Nilla Pizzi playing]
[Joe] Thank you for coming over so last minute.
I really do appreciate your help.
Oh, don't thank me yet. I'm not sure we're gonna find anything.
- Building codes are not my specialty. - Yeah.
Something's better than nothing.
This is really the only chance I got, so thank you.
Your place. This is where you lived with your mom.
Well, yeah. I mean, well, my mom, she was downstairs with my nonna.
So, I was kind of up here kind of looking after her, but, um...
Yeah, you know.
It's nice. I'm starting to...
Maybe I'll get around to giving it a paint job or something.
Thinking about some new furniture, maybe.
Don't get rid of this chair. That's a great chair.
Ah!
Christmas. Your nonna made this exact soup on Christmas.
That's right. You and your family came over.
Not everybody was nice to us when we first moved here,
but your mom and your nonna, they always were.
Yeah. Well, you were easy to be nice to.
Which is why I feel even worse about the way that I handled prom.
- That was a million years ago. We're 100. - I know, but it was terrible.
I am such an idiot. Do you know what I did?
Bruno and all the guys, we made a pact that we were gonna go sneak out, right?
He had the booze, the parents' house, and we lost track of time.
I tried to come back, and then...
Ah, the whole thing was just a mess.
And, uh... by the time I got back,
no Olivia.
Anyway, I don't wanna make it awkward, after all these years, bringing it up,
but I did wanna say to you that I'm sorry.
I am.
Thank you.
I appreciate the apology.
- Well, salute. - Salute.
[Joe] So the long, complicated version is we don't have a certificate of occupancy.
Well, can't you reapply?
Well, I already have, but...
- That could take weeks or even a year. - Right.
- We could all be dead by then. - I tried everything I could.
Olivia and I were looking for different loopholes, but nothing.
I don't wanna go back to what I was doing.
[Roberta] What was that?
Nothing.
[intriguing music playing]
What is she doing?
Is she having a stroke?
Santo Padre Pio,
truly, I tell you.
Ask, and it will be given.
Seek, and you will be found.
Bless these women.
They have generations of family in their heart.
And bless Joe, because he has a dream.
Bless us.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Now we wait.
[Joe] Uh, Teresa?
What exactly are we waiting for?
A miracle.
Okay.
Hey, Joe.
I think you, uh, remember Phil.
Yeah, I know... Phil. Wow.
Phil?
Mr. Scaravella, I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding.
Here is your, uh, certificate of occupancy.
If you could just do us a favor and, uh, get that wall fixed
and that, uh, oven replaced, we'd really appreciate it.
Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a good day, everyone.
Oh!
I don't understand.
The place we didn't look was Better Business Bureau.
Phil here, he's had 53 complaints.
You have to bribe him in order
to come back and do a follow-up inspection.
- You can't prove any of that. - I can, and I will.
How dare you?
- Get outta here! - Fix the wall. Get a new oven.
Yes, consider it done.
- [Roberta] Beat it! - [Teresa] God forgives you.
I told you so. A lawyer!
Oh, stop!
- Brava! - [cheering]
Hey. Thank you.
- It's good news. - Brava!
[festive music playing]
Be good. Say the rosary.
Okay. Say it for me, please.
[music fades]
[knocking]
- Hey. - Hey. Here you go.
- It took you long enough. - Sorry about that.
- Aren't you gonna come in? - Sure.
Come on.
Close the door, please. You're letting in a draft.
- Yeah. - No-- Joe.
Go sit down. You two have to talk.
Come on.
Look, your friend brought you zeppole.
Talk.
I'm staying out of it.
Clearly, there was mistakes made on your part.
Um...
But from my side of the street, um...
I could've been more transparent about the sheep's head
and the proceeding fire, so...
That's...
It's not like you...
burnt down the restaurant that I built for you or anything.
Maybe
destroyed my reputation as a contractor throughout the entire five boroughs,
but I guess I can see how I may have
communicated in a harsh manner.
And that is something that I am working on.
Well, we got our permit, so that's...
Well, good for you.
- I wish you a very successful life. - It's exciting.
It's nice to be moving ahead
with loyal friends who are ready to work and...
Tell him!
- I thought you were staying out of it. - If you don't tell him, I will.
Tell me what? Who's telling me what?
[tuts]
He sold his father's car to build your restaurant.
If this is you staying out, I wonder what you being involved would look like.
You didn't do that. Did you do that? Did you actually do that?
I'm staying out of it.
Bruno, did you sell your father's car to build my restaurant?
It was the only way.
Okay? The renovations, paying off my crew.
- It was the only way. - Why would you do som--?
- I would never ask you to do that. - I know you'd never.
Which is exactly why I had to do it. It was my call, okay? It wasn't yours.
Besides, it's the first time in a long time that I saw you happy.
So, for me, it was worth it.
Bruno... I know that that car meant everything to you.
Yeah, well...
I guess you mean more.
I'm gonna make this up to you. I promise you I'll make this all right.
This is gonna be a great win for all of us.
You know, the next time a sheep's head catches on fire, you call me.
Because judging by that crew, there's gonna be another time.
- Capisce? - Capisce.
I didn't mean it about your ma and not being proud of you.
You can't take that back. Those were terrible words.
That was terrible.
[chuckling]
What?
Love you, buddy.
♪ Meatballs, love them so ♪
Thanks so much. Appreciate you.
Hey, Joe. Would you come outside? We gotta show you something.
[Joe] Yeah, let's go.
♪ That's good for me ♪
♪ Let's have a glass of vino ♪
♪ Make it a tasty Pinot ♪
♪ Let's eat and drink and feel all right ♪
♪ And sing and dance... ♪
Don't cry in front of the teamsters.
♪ Go dish us up some panna cotta ♪
♪ Finish it off with a shot of... ♪
[Stella] All right, ladies.
If you can't see the camera, camera can't see you.
Wait a second. Roberta, get in. Get in.
- [Stella] Smile. - Smiling!
- Good. - Here we go.
- Hey. - Everybody big smiles.
Come on!
- Manicotti! - Come on!
[Joe] I'm so grateful to all of you who've been on this journey.
This is an exciting moment for all of us.
Tomorrow is the big day. We got our menus, which is exciting.
We have these beautiful tables and got a full house of wine.
But do we have any reservations? No.
Well, not exactly,
but everyone's been putting effort into getting the word out,
so my expectation is tomorrow's grand opening will be exactly that.
It is going to be grand.
- Right? - Yes!
Knowing how busy we're gonna be and you're gonna be, do me a favor.
Take the rest of today to do whatever it is you need to do.
I have an idea. Has everyone had their meds today?
- Yeah. - Se.
Okay. Follow me. I've got a surprise for you.
Okay. Thank you. It's gonna be great.
- I don't like surprises. - Super exciting. Here, I'll help you.
Uh...
- I'll take the menu. - I want it.
Okay, let's go.
- You got it. - Olivia likes you.
Well, she's only human.
- She what? - Only human.
- I like her too. - [laughs]
Well, now do something about it, though. Why are you being a stunad?
- I don't know if she's ready for that. - That's not for you to decide, is it?
- You know what my nonna used to say? - No.
"Don't let old hurts get in the way of a happy new beginning."
Well, I appreciate you.
- [kisses] - Okay.
Anyway, make the move.
[Joe] That's sweet. Mind if I ask you for a favor?
[Antonella] All right.
["A Roma Tutto È Bello" by Miranda Martino playing]
[cell phone ringing]
Hi, Antonella.
Yeah, of course I'll pick you up.
Uh...
At the restaurant. In an hour, after class.
Yeah. Okay, I'll see you there.
Come in. Come in, come in.
Whose place is this?
It's mine. I'm a hairdresser.
- Wow. - [Gia] Yes, have a seat.
[Roberta] So this is the salon.
[Gia] Yeah, sit down.
When I was 16, I started here sweeping the floors,
and then I worked in this chair, and then all of the chairs,
and I worked, and I worked, and I worked, and now,
- I own the place. - [women exclaim]
That's why you always look so good.
Thank you. I think that women, we deserve to feel beautiful, don't we?
Beauty, beauty, beauty. What's beauty?
That's a good question.
I mean, is it our hair? Is it our faces or our bodies?
- Yes. - No, no, no. It's a feeling.
Beautiful is a-- is a feeling, like,
you feel beautiful, you know, when you're seen, when you feel heard.
When you feel strong.
That's when you feel beautiful.
[laughs]
Beautiful.
So, now...
Let's celebrate beauty.
[loud rip]
["Jealous of You (Tango della Gelosia)" by Connie Francis playing]
♪ To have you all my own ♪
♪ I would have you mine alone ♪
[singing in Italian]
Oh.
I can't...
That's nice.
Tickles. [giggles]
Oh, gee. [chuckles]
Oh, my God.
Wha... W...
How fabulous!
Forget it, get outta here!
- [laughs] - Get away! Get away!
["Jealous of You" continues]
Gorgeous.
[Olivia] Antonella?
It's Olivia. Are you guys here?
Joe?
[mellow music playing]
Wha...?
Are you guys...
Are you guys doing theme nights now?
Is this prom?
[Olivia gasps]
Oh...
The tux.
You forgot this.
The corsage?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Thank you.
- You look great. - [laughs]
- You do. - Thank you.
Look at that. We're right next to the punch bowl.
Keep a lookout for Mrs. Reynolds.
I thought maybe I'd spice things up just a little bit.
Well, it's a little less rebellious now that it's legal, but I will take one.
Cheers to the most beautiful and funniest girl at the prom.
- And the only girl at this prom. - [chuckles]
- Cheers. - Cheers.
Hmm!
- Hmm. - Ah!
Wow. Yeah, that's a good one.
Yeah.
["The Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh playing]
Joe, this is the song.
May I?
♪ I've never seen you looking So lovely as you did tonight ♪
♪ I've never seen you shine so bright... ♪
You may.
♪ I've never seen so many men Ask you if you wanted to dance ♪
♪ They're loking for a little romance... ♪
It's nice to be having this dance with you.
♪ Given half a chance... ♪
- But you have to make me a promise. - Hmm.
♪ I have never seen That dress you're wearing... ♪
[Joe] Don't go putting a cape on me because I'm such a great slow dancer.
- I'm the same Joe you've always known. - [giggles]
Yep.
♪ The lady in red... ♪
[Olivia] Feels like a real prom.
- No, don't toast me. Just do it. - [Teresa] Limoncello!
- [Antonella] More Limoncello. - [giggling]
- You'll have such a headache tomorrow. - Yeah, you gotta keep drinking some water.
- Water! - Water!
- One of these, six of these. - Drink this water.
- Try some more. That's it. One more. - Oh!
- Oh my. - Yeah, okay. There you go. Okay.
[laughing]
Look at-- Oh.
- What? - Are your-- Are your breasts real?
- Oh, my God. - Yes.
[giggling]
- [Gia] Yes. - Oh. Really?
- No. - [Teresa] No.
[chuckling] No, they're not. Here, feel. Here.
[gasping]
Oh! It's like-- They're like gummy bears!
[laughing]
[speaking Italian]
Fake breasts. I don't like them.
[Teresa] No.
Oh, I don't know. After a double mastectomy, I kind of--
They grew on me.
- Oh. - [Antonella] Oh, my God.
Mi dispiace.
- No, don't be sorry. - I'm sorry.
[Gia] Don't be sorry, I'm not.
You know.
- They're gonna be perky forever. - [laughing]
- Forever. - How about you?
- Well, they're... - No, no. [laughs]
- What? - Not your breasts. What's your story?
Oh.
[all laughing]
I'm sorry.
- You know, I had four kids, and... - Uh-huh.
Well, they, yeah...
They don't talk to me. I don't talk to them.
Why?
I'm a strong mother.
I brought them up to be strong like my mama taught me.
[Antonella] Hmm.
I would've...
I would've done it different.
I... I would've loved them
differently now.
I understand.
[cries softly]
It's okay.
Do you have children?
- No, no, I never married. - Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, no, don't be. No, I mean, I love men. I do.
I love all kinds of men.
But, you know, for me, the idea of one man for the rest of your life,
for your entire life, that just seems like, I don't know,
just so impossibly boring, you know?
I never had a problem finding a man. It was the women I had a problem with.
Women? Women? Why?
Well, I don't know, maybe I guess the way I look and the way I am,
women were afraid that I would steal their man.
That's crazy because I would never steal another woman's man.
Well, you know, if my Gianni was alive, which he's not, God bless his soul,
you wouldn't be my friend. [laughs]
See?
Have you ever seen her wash dishes? She's so sexy.
Oh. Angelo, I would have paid you to take him.
[laughing]
Whatever you wanted, I would have paid you.
[laughing]
You didn't deserve to be treated like that. That wasn't right.
'Cause she's like a warm piece of sweet Italian bread.
- [chuckling] - Aww.
Grazie.
[exhales] Well, what about you?
Uh, who was the great love of your life? Was there one?
Yes. There was one once.
- Hmm? - [gasps]
What was his name?
Isabella.
Yeah, Isabella.
What happened?
Nothing. Nothing happened.
It was a sin. I left the convent.
And that's when-- Oh.
It's not easy to live in a world that rejects what you are.
[softly] Yes.
Oh, my God.
That's terrible.
[Teresa cries]
No, no. Here. To Isabella.
- To Isabella. - [Antonella] Isabella.
- [Roberta] Isabella. - To you, honey.
- [Roberta] To you. - [Antonella] You deserve it.
Thank you all.
[Gia] To you.
[Roberta] And Teresa.
- [Antonella] Bless you, darling. - Oh.
[Gia] Hmm.
Hmm.
[gentle music playing]
And what about your family, Antonella?
Well, my Gianni has been gone for many years.
But we had three beautiful children.
They live all over the country now.
Nine grandchildren.
- [gasps] - Beautiful.
I don't see them very often,
but I'm very proud of them because they're living their lives very well.
And that makes me very happy.
And, uh, thank you for today, because this has been great, hasn't it?
- Here's to living our lives very well. - Indeed.
- Yes, yes. - Indeed!
Yes.
- So good. - [Teresa] I've never stayed up all night.
["Questi Stivali Sono Fatti per Camminare" by Eileen playing]
- [Olivia] Gorgeous! - [Joe] Wow!
Grazie!
[Joe] Look at these. You guys look beautiful.
[giggling] Grazie!
- You can thank Gia for this. - It's not the painter. It's the canvas.
I got drunk, but I don't have a hangover because I had water.
Smart!
["Questi Stivali Sono Fatti per Camminare" continues]
[Roberta] Hey, Joe, tonight we feed the world.
- Sì? - Se!
Whoo!
[applause]
[Gia] It's showtime!
[thunder cracks]
Opening night and we get a thunderstorm.
[thunder cracks]
Hey, sorry we're late. It's crazy weather out there.
- [Stella] God. - [Bruno] There she is. Our legal counsel.
Look at you.
- It's like we're back in high school. - Oh, you wish you were in high school.
- Hello. Oh! - Hello.
Oh, my God, Joe. It really looks beautiful. Hmm.
Yeah.
You. You did good, you. Come here.
Yeah, it was nothing. Now, hey. [clears throat]
- For good luck, brother. - Hey.
Thanks so much for coming, guys. It's great seeing you.
Nice.
So is the, uh, dinner rush over?
Over? [mocking laugh]
- It didn't start yet. - Yeah, it's been kinda slow.
How slow?
You are actually our first customers tonight, so...
[Teresa] Joey, my brother, and his family, they were gonna come here,
but I think they're afraid of getting stuck in the storm.
They're from Philadelphia, so...
You know what? Here's the good news. We got two lovely customers.
Let's give 'em an experience they'll never forget, right?
- Right! - Yes!
- Spoil 'em! - I'll show you to your table.
All right.
So... [clears throat] Does this mean we have to pay?
Absolutely. Thank you so much for coming.
Okay...
[Bruno] Hmm.
Ladies, you have completely outdone yourselves.
This is the greatest meal I've had since...
last night.
Truly. This really is the best Italian cooking I have ever had.
Yeah, it's, uh...
It's getting kinda late. I think we should call it here,
but, uh, terrific job. It's great.
[melancholy music playing]
[melancholy music continues]
[typing]
If you're around...
[melancholy music continues]
Thank you, Aunt Teresa.
Thank you for coming.
[exhales]
[Joe] There we go. Here's the news.
- For you. - Joe!
- These are your paychecks. - The restaurant hasn't earned a dime.
- Wait until things kick in, that's crazy. - Absolutely not.
Every two weeks, you get a check. It's been two weeks.
You're not working here for free. That's your money, okay?
We'll figure it out.
- Joe. - [Roberta] Why isn't anyone coming?
- Shame on you! - Hey, what'd you do that for?
You're telling people not to come? Is that what you're doing?
It ain't just me.
The entire neighborhood wants that place gone.
I don't like that he's not from here,
and I don't like how he's using you ladies as a gimmick.
[Antonella] Using me as a gimmick?
He's not using me! He's celebrating me, you stunad.
- Come on. - How dare you? How dare you?
- Antonella, hey! - [Antonella] Shut up.
- Antonella, hey! Vieni cà. - [Antonella] Leave me alone.
Joe's a good man.
He's not trying to take anything away. He's trying to give something back.
Night, Joe.
- [Joe] Good night. - Night, Joe.
- [Joe] Night. - Good night, Joe.
- Night, Joe. - [Joe] See you later.
- Have a good night. - Good night, Joey.
- [Antonella] How was class? - [Olivia] It was good.
[Antonella] That's good.
So, how bad?
I think it's all over but the crying.
I've done everything I can think of. I can't get anyone to come down here.
I've called the critics, emailed the critics. I've done it twice.
I'm gonna end up on a restraining order from some of these guys.
So, I was gonna wait and maybe, you know, tomorrow,
just let everyone know there's no way to keep this place open anymore.
Oh. No, no, no, you can't say that.
Wait a minute. If they won't come here,
maybe you should... you should go there.
Take it to them.
Maybe.
Oh, come on.
Sweetie,
the only thing at the end of the day that you're gonna regret
are not the mistakes you make. You can make your peace and move on.
You're gonna regret the moments that you did not take,
and this is your moment, Joe.
[hopeful music playing]
- Mr. Durant? - Oh?
Hi.
Uh, no.
Oh, let me start off by saying it's wildly inappropriate to come barging in on you.
- My apologies. - Who are you?
- I'm sorry. I'm Joe Scaravella. - You can't just walk in. What's going on?
- I'm not walking in. - I'm gonna call security.
- I'm opening an Italian restaurant. - Hey, Michael.
Instead of hiring professional chefs...
- Taylor? - ...I hired nonnas to do the cooking.
Sure.
When people come in, I wanted them to feel like when they were younger
and have the person who loved them the very most in their life cook for them.
- Grandmothers are cooking for you? - Yes, Italian grandmothers.
Uh-huh. Are you some kind of insane person?
I'm a little bit crazy, but not in a scary way.
Just passionate about food, and I wanted to share this with you.
- No, don't-- - Can I just show you these dishes?
Look at this. This is strangolapreti.
This right here, this has heirloom.
- Oh, my God. - It has spinach, right?
- Ricotta. - Oh boy.
Burro fuso and sage. It's just simple.
All from all different places in Italy made by all different nonnas,
and they have cannolis here for dessert.
And it's all homemade. All from nonnas. All from the grandmas.
All right.
Enoteca Maria.
Yes, Enoteca Maria, after my mom.
[tuts]
Staten Island.
Yes.
Um...
Yeah, Joe,
you realize I review restaurants here in Manhattan.
You know, three-star, two-star, one-star Michelin restaurants here and abroad.
Exactly. And that's why I'm here.
If you could, I'd love if you could review Enoteca Maria this weekend.
Well, this weekend...
I am booked up until January.
So, next time you decide to open a restaurant, maybe...
plan better.
I can admit that.
There isn't a great business plan in place for this place.
You're right about that.
But I do have a really good plan for the restaurant.
Okay, 'cause it's not a restaurant.
It's really more about family, and experiencing family.
Especially for people who may not have family anymore.
The nonnas that are doing the cooking, they're tremendous chefs.
I'm not coming in here asking you to do us a favor.
I just want you to come down and experience the restaurant
and just give it a fair shot.
I think it's pretty special.
[phone line calling]
- Pick up, pick up, pick up. - Don't worry.
- Pick up, pick up, pick up. - [beep]
Ah, straight to voicemail, again.
[somber music playing]
- [Roberta blows raspberry] - [Teresa groans]
I hope Joe's okay. That he's not hurt.
That he didn't fall or hurt his leg. Maybe he's in the street.
Joe isn't hurt. He's just not showing up.
Oh, I know what you're saying.
And I don't like it.
Joe will be here!
[Antonella] Really?
What did I say?
No one cares about us, about our cooking, about our stories.
Nobody cares.
We are discarded old artifacts. Do you understand?
- That's what we are. - Uh-uh-uh. You speak for yourself, woman.
- I don't believe that's true. - We've been open for more than a month.
Who has come in other than friends and family? We're unimportant.
Insignificant.
And no one is gonna remember us for anything.
Okay. See the door?
Don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out!
Because I'm something here!
This means something to me!
I'm not discarded, and I don't feel discarded like you feel!
- Don't start with me. Enough already. - Get out! We don't need you!
Silenzio! Please! I'm so ashamed of you.
We are not quitters. We do not walk away.
We're intelligent, strong women.
We're beautiful women with Italian blood in our souls.
And we've been through too much together, and I'm not gonna let this end in anger.
Well said.
- Grazie. - [exhales]
All right.
- Okay. - Okay, Bologna, come on.
[door opens]
[Joe] Hey.
- Joe! - [Joe] How are you?
[Roberta] Hey, Joe.
- [Joe] Hi. - [Antonella] Hey.
Okay, whatever it is, it's gonna be okay.
I appreciate that.
Uh...
Well, honestly, I wish I had better news because you guys were all terrific.
Honestly.
And you all definitely deserve to keep this thing going.
Um...
You know, I think it's safe to say no one wanted this thing to fly more than I did.
You know, not just for myself, but for my mom.
But also, really, because of all of you.
And just how special and how much you all mean to me.
But, uh...
The truth is, we're just not gonna be able to keep these doors open.
[voice breaking] And I say thank you and I'm sorry.
[gentle music playing]
[Gia] You...
You gave it your best shot. And we're very proud of you.
You did good.
We all did our best, Joe.
Your mother would be proud.
Thank you.
She would.
Yeah.
You know what? Now we're all like a family. Right?
So, if that's the one thing that we get outta this,
then I think we've won. So, thank you.
[softly] Thank you.
[speaking in Italian]
Yeah.
"The family you choose."
[Teresa] That's us.
[sighing]
Oh, we got a problem. We have a lot of food in that kitchen.
It would be a sin to throw it away, Joe.
Well, let's not.
Why don't we invite our family, our friends, anyone we know,
and let's have one hell of a Sunday night dinner?
- [Gia] Yes! - [Antonella] Great idea.
- Yes, a party. - [Joe] Am I right?
- Yes! - With Limoncello!
- No! - No!
[mellow jazz music playing]
- [Joe] Wingman showed up. Nice to see you. - Nice to see you. Good to see you.
- This is Olivia. These are my MTA guys. - Vito. Nice to meet you.
- You guys sit wherever you want, okay? - We're doing it family style.
- Say hi to cousin Tammy. Cousin Tammy! - Hi! It's so nice to meet you!
- You look great. Nice to see you. - Thank you. This is beautiful.
- Beautiful. My man, good to see you. - Congrats.
Hey.
I just wanna let you know, as soon as I sell the place,
I'm gonna pay you back every penny.
Hey, stop it. No. Tonight's about you. None of that stuff matters.
Yeah. Come on, we're proud of you.
- Wanna show them where they're sitting? - [Bruno] I'm starving. Come on.
Hey, you made it. Thanks so much for coming.
- You look terrific. - Joey.
[Joe] Good to see you. Glad you're here tonight.
- Hey. - Hey.
Uh...
I heard this is your last night. I'm sorry about that.
I'm a businessman too, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody, so...
It's a, you know, kind of an homage.
Part of the history of the building, so we kept it.
It's beautiful. Thank you.
Well...
I... This is for you. I'm just gonna take off.
No, no, no, sit down. Have some food, crack this open,
I'll come and share a glass with ya, okay? Come sit down and eat. Come in.
There's a lot of people out there waiting to experience your hearts. Ready?
- Yes! - Let's go!
- [Roberta] Ready! - Okay.
["Funiculì Funiculà" by Luigi Denza playing]
[sizzling]
That's a lot of salt!
- Coming up. - Pour it.
Those look so good. Delicious!
Here, try this.
[indistinct chatter]
Hmm!
[indistinct]
["Funiculì Funiculà" continues]
[Roberta] Okay, baby.
[laughs]
[man] So good. Oh, my God.
[woman] Oh, my God.
Pass this down.
[laughing]
Hey!
[speaking in Italian]
- Our nonnas would be proud. - To our nonnas.
To the nonnas.
Excuse me.
Could you guys all come out here for a second, please?
[indistinct chatter]
What'd we do?
All right.
[restaurant goes silent]
[applause]
[poignant music playing]
Yeah!
[cheering]
Great job.
[poignant music heightens]
[locks door]
[exhales]
[sighs]
[gentle music playing]
[cries softly]
[gasps]
[gentle music continues]
Hmm.
[rain pattering]
[mechanical clunk]
[gentle music continues]
[knocking]
What's happening?
Well...
Well, I'm sorry to interrupt, and I appreciate your time.
Thank you.
[reporter] When my editor, Edward Durant, asked me to review Enoteca Maria,
a new Italian restaurant located at 27 Hyatt Street, Staten Island, New York,
I was compelled to see what hiring real-life nonnas
instead of established chefs was all about.
But what I would soon discover
is that this quaint, little, beautifully designed restaurant,
with a warm and inviting decor,
served up far more than just delicious food.
It served family.
[crying] That's great!
- [Bruno] You did it, brother. - We did it.
Beautifully designed, huh? Come on.
[chuckling]
[reporter] It served culture and history.
[applause]
Attaboy, Joey!
[reporter] It served generations worth of traditions and stories.
So if you want just great food, don't go to Enoteca Maria.
But if you want great food that not only fills your stomach,
but will lift your soul, then run, don't walk,
to a little slice of family
where you can let the one person who loved you most in life
cook for you again.
And definitely order the capuzzelle.
[line calling]
[woman] Hello?
Sadie?
Yes, this is Sadie.
It's Mama.
Ma?
Yeah. [sobs]
Hi. Is everything okay?
Yeah.
[gentle music playing]
[Stella] Everybody was skeptical, but not me.
I said I would design this place, and now look at what's going on here.
- "This is beautifully designed." - Can I borrow you for a second, please?
[Joe] All right, let's reload here. Everything good?
- Amazing. - Counselor?
- Look. You did this all. - You kidding me? We did this.
Please. We need to hire another server, because I got finals.
Again with the flowers? Take a day off. Let her miss you.
- How's it going? Everything good? - Couldn't be better, tesoro.
- What's the news, Magical? - I'm in a wool sweater!
I'm sorry with the sheep's head and the eyes, but it is selling.
- You have to admit, she's doing terrific. - I'm working here.
I understand. I'll be right back. I'm just gonna get some air.
- [Antonella] Have a good time, Joe. - Yeah.
Proud of you guys.
["Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel playing]
♪ I'll meet you any time you want ♪
♪ In our Italian restaurant ♪
[music builds]
[sighs]
["Tarantella Napoletana" playing]
[cheering]
["Tarantella Napoletana" continues]
[applauding rhythmically]
[music ends]
["Hyatt Street" by Pink Martini ft. China Forbes playing]
♪ She took the ocean home to you ♪
♪ She saw the lady tall and true ♪
♪ She stood in line at Ellis Island Wrote her name and took the highland ♪
♪ To the red, white and the blue ♪
♪ She found her dream of liberty ♪
♪ And what'd she give us? Italy! ♪
♪ She's our Nonna ♪
♪ She lived on Hyatt Street ♪
♪ She worked hard and found her joy ♪
♪ Then met a nice Italian boy ♪
♪ Her resolve, it never faltered As they knelt there at the altar ♪
♪ And raised their little girl and boy ♪
♪ She found her dream of liberty ♪
♪ And what'd she give us? Italy! ♪
♪ She's our Nonna ♪
♪ She lived on Hyatt Street ♪
♪ So many dreams ♪
♪ So many names ♪
♪ We're all unique ♪
♪ And all the same ♪
♪ So for the millions of the faces ♪
♪ Who built the town And left their traces ♪
♪ You're not alone ♪
♪ You've got a home on Hyatt Street ♪
Buongiorno!
Arrivederci!
♪ We took the ferry home to you ♪
♪ We saw the lady tall and true ♪
♪ We brought the kids to Ellis Island Found your name and took the highland ♪
♪ To the red, white, and the blue ♪
♪ We are your dream of liberty ♪
♪ And what'd you give us? Italy! ♪
♪ You're our Nonna ♪
♪ You live on Hyatt We can't deny it ♪
♪ It's never quiet Come home ♪
♪ To Hyatt Street ♪
[music ends]
["Funiculì Funiculà" by Luigi Denza playing]
["Tu, Tu Sì Tu" by Fausto Cigliano playing]
["E L'Italia" by Vichenzo Orru playing]
[music fades]