Women's History Month: Nonna Dora proving age is nothing but a number by opening restaurant at 85
NEW YORK - As we celebrate Women's History Month, we bring you the story of an 85-year-old grandmother who just opened a new restaurant in Manhattan.
She explains to CBS2's Cindy Hsu why she has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Nonna Dora's Pasta Bar opened just a few weeks ago on the East Side. Dora Marzovilla's the queen of making nearly 20 different types of pasta by hand.
"This is orecchiette with rabbit ragu," Dora explained.
"That's what you were making in there?" Hsu asked.
Dora told Hsu it's her favorite.
Dora even had the patience to teach Hsu how to roll gnocchi (Hsu joked that she can barely boil water). Dora showed Hsu how to use three fingers to shape the delicate dough.
Dora grew up in Italy and immigrated to the U.S. in 1970 with her husband and children. She worked as a seamstress in a factory. But when her son Nicola opened a restaurant, she left, and started working alongside her son.
When he recently closed his restaurant I Trulli after 27 years, she still wanted to work.
"What am I to do now? I can't stay home and do nothing," she said.
During COVID, she continued to make pasta out of her home and her son would come pick it up. They started to make pasta kits that come with everything you need and ship them around the country. But being home alone was not for Dora.
"She worked out of her apartment for a year. She hated it," Nicola said.
So the feisty grandmother of six opened her own restaurant: Nonna Dora's. Her food has attracted celebrities like Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy, and she has her own Instagram account.
"She does it out of love and care for us," Nicola said.
"Because I want to help him, I want to help all my grandchildren," Dora said.
"She's amazing for what she does. She's amazing because even for her grandchildren to see her doing this. I think she's a role model for them," Nicola said. "All the girls are very accomplished go-getters and you'd like to think that somehow she has something to do with that."
Every Sunday the family eats together as a family, and Dora continues to prove that age is just a number.
"Being relevant, being needed, feel like you're giving is the real fountain of youth," Nicola said.
Dora turns 86 on March 28th. So how does she want to celebrate?
"I don't know. With the family," shesaid.
You can catch Dora at her restaurant everyday but Sunday when they're closed.
