By James Kent
Walter and Lynn Manney, owners of Mendon’s Maple Sugar & Vermont Spice and Rutland’s Jones’ Donuts, like to go out to eat on Monday nights. There’s only one problem: a lack of options in downtown Rutland. Some restaurants are open in Rutland on Monday evenings, but not enough. The Manneys devised a perfect solution: create a restaurant downtown open on Monday evenings.
Timing is everything
When Taso’s on Center announced it was ceasing operations at the end of October, the Manneys wasted no time in securing the spot for an Italian restaurant called Nonna’s. Nonna’s opened on Nov. 8, less than two weeks after the Manneys took over the lease.
Walter Manney was looking for a new opportunity to bolster the Rutland economy, and the timing of Taso’s closure created the perfect opportunity to open his third food-service business.
“I retired from the car business four weeks ago, and knowing I was retiring this year, there was an opportunity I kind of wanted,” Walter Manney said. “I recognized the downtown, needing another restaurant, or two or three. There’s definitely multiple needs down here.”
Manney, a car salesman for over 21 years, in addition to his work with Sugar & Spice and Jones Donuts, cited former Italian dining establishments The Palms and Sal’s as inspirations for choosing an Italian restaurant for downtown Rutland. However, the lack of restaurant options in the area, worsened by the pandemic, proved the driving force in opening Nonna’s.
“Our purpose is here to supply a need, and that’s probably what fueled my fire more than anything,” Manney said. “We need a place to go to.”
Fresh ingredients are the key to success
Nonna’s offers a menu with all the classic Italian fare. There are traditional pasta dishes, chicken Parmesan, meatballs, lasagna, chicken piccata, seafood Fra Diablo, antipasto, Caesar salad, vegan and gluten-free options, and a limited kids’ menu. Nonna’s fully stocked bar has multiple beers and cider on tap, Italian wines, and mixed drinks for those coming in after work looking for a quick drink and a bite. And while the chicken Parmesan and lasagna are already proving to be perennial favorites, it’s a unique appetizer that could soon prove all the rage.
Nonna’s entices diners with a different take on the standard fried mozzarella sticks that will get people’s attention. The fried provolone is a generous, thick slice of lightly breaded and fried provolone cheese surrounded by Nonna’s homemade tomato sauce, crostini for dipping, and a delicious swirl of green pesto. The Mountain Times got to sample this table starter, and let’s just say—we’ve been dreaming about it ever since. It’s fantastic. Former Taso’s head chef, Jeff Saunders, and new executive chef, Gavin Tyson, designed the menu. Saunders will be setting out on a non-food-related business venture but has agreed to assist with the transition. Tyson, a Castleton native who worked in restaurants in Florida and at Leunig’s on Church St. in Burlington before returning to Rutland, sees the secret to success at Nonna’s lies in offering homemade food with fresh, not frozen, ingredients.
“Everything we do is like from scratch,” Tyson said. “There’s not one thing that comes pre-frozen that we do. The sauce is something where everyone else kind of does like the same bagged sauces. Me? I like robust. I like flavor. So the point of this place is to be to stand out. We use really good olive oil in our sauce. So the flavor profile: it has fresh oregano and fresh basil. It’s about freshness; you can taste it, and that’s really important.”
Tyson works with suppliers in Boston to bring fresh seafood up to the restaurant several times a week, and that desire and enthusiasm for making the customer’s taste experience as good as possible makes Tyson a chef to watch.
It’s early days for Nonna’s, but word is already getting out about the high-quality food, and customers are returning for seconds. Bronwen Warner, a hairdresser at A Signature Day Spa in Rutland, has already taken her family to Nonna’s twice. And for Warner, it isn’t just the tastiness of the food that she appreciates; it’s the value of the food. “They give you a delicious green salad with your meal that comes with homemade Italian dressing. Who else does that these days?” Warner said. “And they give you this delicious crusty bread with really good olive oil and garlic to dip into. I loved it.”
Warner attested to the great taste of the Alfredo, which she had with shrimp, the chicken Parmesan, which she had on a different visit, and the seafood Fra Diablo and chicken picatta, which her husband and son enjoyed.
A Bright Future
Currently, Nonna’s is open Thursdays through Mondays from 4-9 p.m., and Walter Manney envisions those days/hours remaining for the foreseeable future. Nonna’s takes reservations by phone after 3 p.m. on open days only, but walk-ins are always accepted and available. The restaurant can seat 90 and is available for private functions.
Manney said they already have several holiday parties booked for December and believe there will be a full slate in the lead-up to the new year.
As for the future, Tyson envisions Nonna’s becoming a staple of the community for years to come.
“I want this place to thrive,” Tyson said. “I want it to be talked about the way The Palms or Sal’s was. I want it to be a staple, not just for two years, and neither does Walt. It’s supposed to be a generational thing where those people who are still in the community, who are 60, 70, or 80, who remember those other places, come here because they taste those flavors. I have friends who now have children and want them to come here. I want this place to be a staple of the community. Rutland’s on the rise, and it’s a perfect time for this place. It’s marrying perfectly.”
Judging by the community enthusiasm and response, Nonna’s has received in just a few short weeks, it’s clear they are well on their way to achieving that goal.
For more information or to book a reservation, call: (802) 772-7316.
