The new Vince Vaughn Netflix movie, Nonnas—which began streaming today—shines a spotlight on a rarely-filmed borough of New York City: Staten Island.

Directed by Stephen Chbosky and with a screenplay by Liz Maccie, Nonnas is inspired by the true story of the Staten Island restaurant, Enoteca Maria, where the meals are prepared not by professional chefs, but by grandmothers, or “nonnas,” from various countries. Vaughn plays Joe Scarevella, who was motivated to start the restaurant to cope with the loss of his recently passed mother. The Nonnas cast also includes Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Joe Manganiello, Linda Cardellini, and Susan Sarandon.

However, Staten Islanders might be surprised to learn that much of the Nonnas movie wasn’t actually shot on the island. Continue reading to discover more about the filming locations for Nonnas.

Where was the Vince Vaughn Nonnas movie filmed?

While the story is set on Staten Island, the majority of the Nonnas movie was shot in New Jersey. According to a local New Jersey news report from 2023, Vaughn was spotted filming in Bayonne, New Jersey, at 44 East 14th St. The filming also took place in Paterson, New Jersey, including scenes at the Paterson Great Falls National Park and downtown Paterson.

Other Jersey filming locations included Hoboken, where Vaughn became something of a regular in town over the summer of 2023. Hoboken filming locations included Judicke’s Bakery and around East 14th Street. The movie also reportedly filmed in Jersey City.

Nonnas was not filmed at the real Enoteca Maria in Staten Island. Pictures of the real restaurant depict a much smaller space than the restaurant featured in the film.

The movie version of the Enoteca Maria was filmed at 714 3rd Avenue in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The building located at that address, which was transformed into Enoteca Maria for the movie, is a now-closed Italian restaurant named Spiritos, which the movie paid homage to by writing Spiritos into the script. The film even features a shot of the real tile floor, which reads “Spiritos, Est. 1932.” The beloved restaurant first opened in 1932, but shut its doors during the 2020 pandemic. Perhaps the Nonnas movie might help revive it?