Enoteca Maria

There’s a certain Ellis Island poetry to taking the Staten Island ferry past the Statue of Liberty just to try a grandmother’s cooking. But that’s exactly what the big draw is here. Owner Jody Scaravella had his own version of the Field of Dreams mantra: If you build it, they will cook. It seems he was right, as the linchpin in his daily changing menu is the give-or-take 27 rotating nonne (grandmothers) designing menus inspired by the delights of their home regions of Italy (Abruzzo, Lombardia, Palermo, etc.) or their nation (Brazil, Japan, Syria, etc.). One day, you might take a seat in the slim, urban-sleek dining room and find Sicilian specialties, like a frittata made with fresh artichokes, or pasta con sarde. Another day, you may be presented with a Marche meal of panini draped with sharp arugula, olive oil, and cured beef. Every day is a lovely surprise, as is Jody’s all-Italian wine list, filled with little-known varietals and regional better-knowns. Portions tend toward the demure, but each meal begins with a triple-sampling of complimentary antipasti, and ends with a freshly made sweet, such as biscotti. And if one of the chefs of the day is trying something new, you may end up as a guinea pig somewhere in the middle of the meal. Honestly, you won’t mind.