Enoteca Maria
“The food was excellent…really captured the experience of feeling like your nonna was cooking for you.”
“Seven of us decided to take the SI ferry from Manhattan for good views of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline.”
“The desserts were divine- the pears, the chocolate brownie fondue thing, the tiramisu- all spectacular!”
Enoteca Maria
Takes Reservations: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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We are def limited on the island for great restaurants thank god for this one. Enoteca is authentic Italian cuisine with a super great wait staff. If that's what your craving this is the restaurant you must come to. We started with a bunch of different Italian fair like
Meatballs – you can def tell the food is made with love. Theses babies were fried then simmered in sauce for a couple hours. They practically fell apart. When you broke them open you saw they weren't mixed with bread crumbs they were mixed with real bread awesomeness and super yummy! The sauce is really good..
Next we ordered stuffed eggplant with chop meat, peas and rice. Again really delicious. At this point my belly was some what full but we had 2 more courses oh no! Lol
I think our fault is we didn't order different entrees. We stayed with all tomato sauce. Next we ordered raviolis with the same sauce !! Oye! The raviolis are homemade and Al dente really just the way I like it!
Next we ordered braccioli with a side of potatoes and peppers this was really good. It had great complex flavors something I would def order again.
For dessert our waitress was super cool. She gave us tiramisu and coffee gelato to taste. Both were amazing. I really loved the dessert.
The staff in it self would want me to come back and the food seals the deal. This restaurant is def reasonably priced and so you know it is CASH ONLY! It is somewhat difficult to park so give yourself some time and def make a reservation the restaurant is small.
Enoteca Maria, you have secured a place on my list for top Italian spots I've ever been to!
I'm already trying to plan when my next dinner out here will be (despite the obnoxiously bad roads on Staten Island). The only question remains is who or whom will be dining with me.. hmm….???
The evening started off with a trio of grilled/pickled veggies with crunchy fresh bread (and of course some olive oil for dipping). Nice way to warm up the tummy.
For our spuntino dishes, one of our choices (stuffed artichokes) was 86 so that was a bit of a downer. Instead we went with a recommendation from our server which was the Melanzane Ripiene (stuffed eggplant boats). After having a stuffed eggplant boat experience done Louisiana style, I should have already known that this Italian version was going to rock my socks off. Stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, rice, ground beef, peas and then baked and topped with sauce. So hearty and yet lighter that what I was expecting it to be.
Stufato di Trippa (lamb tripe) was our second choice from their extensive list of spuntini. Beef tripe is a food that I am all too familiar with, especially in Asian style prepared dishes. So, to have a lamb tripe done as an Italian stew was a mouth-watering experience. This dish had the subtle gamy flavor of the lamb with the texture of tripe that I love, mixed with a light tomato broth. If you like tripe, this is a dish worth trying!
The Pappardelle Bolognese was fantastic. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the meaty ragu was hearty and super flavorful. And for our last dish, we went with the Branzino al Cartoccio. Served whole and wrapped in foil, so all the flavors of the sauce baked into the fish while it cooked. Didn't need any additional seasoning and the sauce was so light, lemony and perfect!
Dessert: Pan di Spagna all'Anisette – sponge cake with anisette mascarpone and ricotta cream. Although the anisette is almost unrecognizable in this dessert, I still enjoyed the flavors in the fluffy cake and sweet creamy layers.
Make reservations to avoid a long wait. It seems people know to do so, and there weren't a lot of walk-ins or people waiting for a table. And even when the place was packed, we never felt rushed by our server. She always kept an eye on our table to check if we were done with our dish so the next one could be served or needed refills on drinks.
A (slightly) spontaneous plan for dinner with my cousin, lead to a 3 hour meal with amazing Italian dishes, dessert, some excellent wine, and 5 star service.
Big thank you to Nonna Christina! All the food you cooked up for us was beyond all my expectations!
(Dinner 4/3/2015)
If anyone asks me which restaurant is my favorite Italian Restaurant, the answer will always be Enoteca Maria! Hands down. I discovered this lovely, wonderful restaurant several years ago, and I fell in love with everything that this restaurant had to offer; food, atmosphere, service, and the owner, Joe Scaravella. It is a small restaurant located just 10-15 minutes walk from the Ferry Terminal in Staten Island.
They have different Nonnas each night, and they cook the "traditional" Italian food, plus other authentic Italian cuisine from where they are originally from. Because of this, their menu is different each day, it all depends on which Nonna is cooking that night. This means that you get to have something different each time you visit. And what is even more amazing? Since Nonna is cooking, everything is made fresh, from scratch! Nothing but quality here, done old-fashion way. Who wouldn't want to have that great, tasty, comfort food cooked by a grandmother? Everything I have tried at this place over the years has been so amazingly wonderful, always leave here completely satisfied (and really full)!
The service was really great, our server took a very good care of us. It is such a warm, cozy atmosphere, where you are invited to enjoy the great dishes cooked by grandmothers, and just enjoy the dinner time with your loved ones. So many of us go through days with such rush, it is important to remember to have these quality time with your family and friends, the way it used to be back in the days. Please bring your loved ones (and cash, as they are Cash Only establishment), leave your phones and other electronics devices off, and enjoy the delicious food with amazing company! Read my full review of this restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.
I absolutely adored this restaurant. I was so intrigued with the concept that I made the trek from Connecticut out to Staten Island, and I would do it again! We had Nonna Adelina, originally from Naples, Italy, cooking for us. She was tiny and working hard in the small open kitchen. The restaurant is small and unassuming, and looks like it could barely seat 30, and had a steady stream of people in and out for dinner. The menu is unlike any Italian restaurant I've been to, but not unlike having dinner at grandma's house. This place truly captures the feeling of a home cooked meal at nonna's. For starters, we had the Funghi in Crosta – baked mushroom cap stuffed with roasted red peppers, zucchini and eggplant, wrapped in a pastry shell. It was HEAVENLY – the flakiest, most buttery pastry filled with yummy veggies and mushroom. We had a spaghetti side that had just the slightest spicy kick – yum. The Coniglio della Casa – rabbit slow cooked in white wine and fresh herbs with porcini mushrooms in a light cream sauce with side vegetables was delicious. Even the veggie side (broccoli) was just so simple and delicious. The dishes were all simple and straightforward and perfectly cooked. The Braciole di Carne was my absolutely favorite – veal filled with eggplant and mozzarella cheese cooked in red sauce served with side vegetables. The gravy was incredible – sweet and meaty, and the veal was so tender it just melted in your mouth. We had a delicious homemade sponge cake for dessert. The whole vibe was warm and fuzzy, and I left feeling full and sleepy. Nonna Adelina came out after the meal to check on how everything was, and she was so sweet. I can't wait to come back here and try the other nonna's cooking. The concept here is so unique and well executed – just wish it was closer!!
Hey Staten Island! Your nonna can cook my dinner anytime.
Four people who had never been to Staten Island before embarked on a great adventure. From the moment we arrived at the ferry, realized it was not only free, but that you could buy beers in paper bags for the commute, we were all sold. Instantly riffing on commune-like duplexes where we could exist with yards, buy dogs, become super Staten, etc. Though all of this was also a lovely five star experience, I have to shout it out loud to Enoteca Maria, the hope diamond in the crown jewels of the island.
Their thing is that different Italian Grandmas in the hood take turns coming in and choosing specials and cooking the menu basics. From clams, to meat pastries to pastas to wine choices to desserts and back again, the entire experience was a hit. Their Grandma gimmick is good, and their their food is better. Each dish was so homemade it hurt, and their wines were all reasonably priced .
Have you been to Staten Island yet? Go. Everyone is so god damn nice and you're going to get drunk and have a great time. There's magic beyond Manhattan and bites beyond Brooklyn, pal. Go to. Go to!
This place was a blast and the food was delicious. Affordable wine list with a few decent picks. I would definitely go back, although the price point was a bit eye. The trip out to Staten Island though was great as well.
Recommend
Enoteca Maria has been on my "to try" list for a long time, so I'm glad I finally got here. I'd say it's worth the boat ride over from Manhattan!
The concept of having menus conceived by "grandmas" on different nights of the week can seem a little gimmicky but the execution is good. My friends and I stopped in on a Thursday night when Nonna Adelina was in who prepared most Neopolitan-type cooking (I come from a Southern Italian family so the test was on!). With that, we ordered a mix of some very good items – standouts included the burrata salad, linguine with clam sauce, the meatballs and the porchetta (OMG, that porchetta!). Everything is served in very large, shareable portions so we definitely over-ordered but it was all great!
They have an interesting, quite extensive wine menu to go with the food which is always good. The restaurant itself is decorated in a spare style but it's obviously a friendly and local neighborhood spot. We didn't get a chance to chat with Adelina as she ambled around the dining room, but I'd look forward to that upon future returns. The service was friendly and patient since my friends and I took a long time to decide, and lingered over our meal for a while. Just keep in mind that Enoteca Maria is CASH ONLY, so come prepared, but otherwise an interesting homey spot virtually in the shadow of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, so easy enough to get to, even for the Manhattan-bound (like me).
Nonna, you know the way to a lady's heart. After waiting years to visit this spot, I finally arrived with a few friends in tow and a rumbling stomach. It did not disappoint!
The pasta is handmade, the booze is reasonably priced, the bread is great, etc. I'm not Italian, but I can imagine this is what a homemade Italian meal tastes like! My favorite was the meatball, you MUST get it. It was absolutely divine.
My only complaints? It can get a little slow and portions are on the smaller side. But otherwise, worth the ferry ride for a culinary adventure.