LUDLOW, Vt. – The Italian word for grandfather is “nonno.” “Cucina” is Italian for kitchen, but the word holds meaning beyond being just a place to cook. In Italy, the kitchen is the heart of a home, a place for family to spend time together sharing meals, stories, and love.
When Mark and Jim Etheridge hung the sign for Nonno’s Cucina at the front door of 47 Depot Street in Ludlow, opening during a snowstorm in January, the community showed up, eager for some authentic Italian family recipes. The brothers did not disappoint.
Serving New York-style pizza, calzones, 16-inch grinders, pasta, and sweet treats like cannoli and Italian pastries, Nonno’s Cucina uses selectively chosen, fresh ingredients, and their bread and pizza dough are made in house.
Mark, Nonno’s chef and the creative wizard behind the menu and kitchen operations, said, “We focus on the food, the freshness, [and] the quality. Most everything is scratch, like our pizza dough [and] meatballs – all of those things are made daily.”
Mark and Jim’s grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Italy. The original meatball recipe came from their grandmother, and Mark said hers were the best. “Second best was our mother’s,” he added.
While most recipes have been passed down through the family, the pizza is Mark’s creation. “The pizza is me,” Mark stated. “It took me probably six years to get that pizza to where it is today.” The result: an award-winning recipe for a deliciously crispy, thin crust, New York-style pie. Some of the special ingredients are super-secret and somewhat difficult to source, say the brothers, but for now they have that figured out.
Growing up in Barrington, R.I., the brothers worked in pizza places as young teens washing dishes and bussing tables. Mark said when he was barely 15, he went to the restaurant owner and gave him an offer. “I will work for free if you teach me how to cook in the kitchen.” His proposal was accepted, and he stayed on for several years, eventually earning a salary and honing his skills.
Rhode Island’s pizza is traditionally a Greek-style pan pizza, but Mark wanted to introduce a different method, which became popular locally. Other menu items come straight out of Rhode Island too, like Nonno’s Famous Pizza Chips, crispy, bite-sized mini-pizza snacks that sell out every day.
A regionally specific type of hot dog called a “New York System Wiener” is a menu highlight and has prompted customers to ask, “Are you guys from Rhode Island?”
The recipe originated in Providence, and has likely never been served within the Ludlow, Vt., restaurant scene. A mix of quality veal, pork, and beef, the hot dog is cooked on a flat griddle, served in a steamed, buttery bun with mustard, and topped with a kicky meat sauce, chopped onions, and celery salt. “That’s considered ‘the works,’” said Jim. Customers are welcome to try any combination.
In Rhode Island, Mark and Jim were active members of their community, working with local Little Leagues and soccer organizations to offer discount pizzas dropped off at the field right after games, and they are bringing that spirit with them to Vermont.
“It’s been great,” said Jim. “The people are awesome in this town…and the surrounding towns.”
Jim is a 29-year retired Army veteran, and the restaurant offers a discount to vets, as well as police and fire department personnel.
Jim was the first to hear about the restaurant for sale in Ludlow, and he called Mark with an idea. It was not long after that the brothers moved with their families to the Green Mountain State and opened Nonno’s Cucina.
Just three months in, Mark and Jim are already planning to grow the business. They want to expand their catering services and potentially purchase a food truck. Jim said eventually he would like to be able to offer their freshly baked bread to other restaurants, and one day move Nonno’s to another location while keeping the spot on Depot Street open as a bakery.
Mark added, “We are always looking [to hire people], and I’m willing to train from the ground up. I think it’s important to get out there that we are a viable business that gives year-round employment.”
Looking forward to summer, the brothers are ready to set up tables and umbrellas outside, which will double the restaurant’s seating capacity from 12 to 24. Inside, there are three large-screen televisions that air a variety of sports programming.
Nonno’s does not serve alcohol, but allows BYOB, and customers are directed to the Wine & Cheese Depot across the street or Brewfest, the liquor store on Main Street.
Mondays at Nonno’s are “Pizza Mark Mondays,” where Mark creates a variety of specialty pizzas and serves large slices.
In case you were wondering, Nonno is Jim. As grandfather to a 17-month-old granddaughter, Jim admitted, “For whatever reason, when she was born, I was not ready to be called grandpa. I thought, ‘Why not Italian? Nonno sounds cool.’”
Nonno’s Cucina is open seven days per week: Sunday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.