POSTED: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009

Catrina Bremer: Nona Rosa's serves up family traditions

Walking into Nona Rosa's Ristorante on Magnolia Street feels like you've walked into Catrina Bremer's home. It's likely that Jonathan Bremer, her son, will meet you at the door. Ravioli made by hand by Rosa Cardinale, Catrina's mother, is often on the menu. The photos on the walls show images of Cardinale's youth as she grew up in Sicily. Your meal will likely be prepared by chef Josh Bremer, Catrina's son.

Catrina Bremer talks about what it is like to own a family restaurant.

"Why is it so fulfilling to have a good meal or a nice glass of wine? It kind of fills you up on the inside. And so, in Sicily, eating becomes a sacred time. They always pray before they eat. They thank God for the food that's on the table and they thank God that every one made it back to the table.

"My mother, her growing up revolved around the war. The food she cooked was born out of necessity. There was a lot of work involved just to get water. And even more to feed everybody. And so it gave her this hard work mentality. Talent goes a long way in this world, but not as far as hard work and determination.

"Both her and my dad, they expected a lot from us. You're expected to work with your family. You're expected to be a major contributing part, even at a very young age. We spent a lot of time at the table before and after dinner. Grating cheese, snapping beans. As a result, it gave me this love of the community that the food brings together. That's what my mom gave me: the love for the tradition of family spending time at the table together.

"This really is a family restaurant. I don't know that there are really many family restaurants around anymore. My sister, my children, my nephew, my husband and I all work here. When you have eight family members working together in a restaurant this small, everybody who's here ends up a part of the family. And I think that, when people come into the restaurant, that's what they feel. If you read our reviews on Urbanspoon, they always talk about how they feel when they come in the door. How they met every member of this family. Then, they talk about the food.

"We were able to capture that real family, homey feeling here. We're going to run out of things on the menu. And we're really sorry when we do. But you know, we hand-roll the ravioli in the morning and it's not like I can go find more in the freezer or whip them up for a customer if we run out. It's just not going to happen.

"That's what being this type of restaurant means. I never want to be too big or too commercial that I can't bake the bread or can’t make the cheese or can’t make the pancetta. That's my favorite part and I'm not willing to give that up. So the restaurant is going to always be small.

"That's why we have to close the restaurant when someone in the family is getting married. And that's why we're closed Mondays and Tuesdays. That is our weekend. On Friday and Saturday night, the restaurant is busy and we are all here. I need my whole crew. But a family needs time. Everybody can't be working all of the time.

"Everyone in my family likes being in this space. It feels like home. And I think that's what people feel when they come in. A restaurant needs energy. It needs life. It needs excitement, people laughing and having fun. It should feel like a celebration when you walk in.

"I think my mom is really proud of the restaurant and really proud that we've mastered her cooking. Because it really is a legacy. If I hadn’t done this, her food would have died with her. There's nobody in Bellingham that I know who can cook like my mom."