In Italian, ‘nonna’ means ‘grandmother,’ the true matriarch of the family. Giuseppa “Josephine” Reale Fuda is the nonna who inspired the cuisine at our restaurant.

Born in October 1954 in Grotteria, a town in the Calabria region of Italy to Domenico and Maria Reale, Josephine grew up among the olive groves and vineyards of Calabria, enjoying homemade olive oil and wine and the delicious cuisine of the region. From a very young age Josephine enjoyed cooking with her mama and zia (aunt) for her family, perfecting their recipes using the delicious fresh ingredients available to her in the region.

In December 1970, Josephine married Stefano “Nonno” Fuda and moved from their small town in Calabria to Brooklyn, New York after one year of marriage. There, Josephine and Stefano started their family, welcoming daughter Caterina and son Domenico (Dom). Josephine passed along her love of cooking to her children; Caterina would go on to marry Pasquale Macri, a professional chef, who would later join Josephine in adding new recipes to the family menus, while Dom would go on to establish himself as a leader in the pizzeria and restaurant fields.

In July 1980, Josephine and her husband moved their family from Brooklyn to Albany, New York where she had her own drapery business, but continued her passion to cook the most perfect and genuine Italian cuisine for her family.

During that time, her daughter Caterina would return to Italy (Vigevano, near Milan) after marrying Pasquale. Caterina and Pasquale were the first to make Josephine a true “nonna” with the birth of their children, Domenico and Sara.  Several years later, Josephine’s son, Dom, married his wife Lisa and in 2013 Josephine’s grandchildren grew by two more, twins Stefano and Aubriana Maria.

After spending over 20 years in Albany, Josephine and Stefano moved with their son Dom and his family to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to start another chapter in their lives, which leads us to the newest family restaurant, Nonna’s Taste of Italy, named on her behalf. Dom has over 25 years in the restaurant business and has relied on the help and input from his mother every step of the way. Family is the most important thing in Josephine’s life; feeding them the best dishes made from the best ingredients has always been the cornerstone of her love for her husband, children, son- and daughter-in-law and – especially – her beloved grandchildren.

Join our wonderful, loving nonna, Josephine, as we bring her style of authentic Italian cuisine to Myrtle Beach! And, as always, tutti sono de famiglia da Nonna.

- Domenic & Lisa Fuda