Mille Nonne & Essex Market on our Immigrant NY: Lower East Side Food Tour!

We are so excited that our Immigrant New York Food Tour now starts at Essex Market! And within the market, we visit delicious Mille Nonne! Mille Nonne at Essex Market is a culinary gem that offers a taste of authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of New York City. With its commitment to preserving the traditions of Italian cooking and its warm and welcoming owners, Mille Nonne provides a dining experience that transports you to the kitchens of a thousand grandmothers!

M I L L E   N O N N E 

“After discovering that I was lactose-intolerant years ago, I realized that it was also necessary to explore alternative routes and this vision opened my mind towards experimentation. From there, new recipes were born that now bear the signature of Mille Nonne, and that are very popular with our customers.”

After many years in the restaurant business, Pilar Rigon, Mille Nonne Chef and Co-founder, felt the need for a new approach to Italian food. Mille Nonne means 1,000 Grandmothers. The name pays homage to Italian culinary traditions but without actually getting stuck in those traditions. Chef Rigon instead takes a sustainable, modern and creative approach. Along with her husband, Bernardo Notargiacomo, they created Mille Nonne which utilizes a zero-waste concept where each ingredient is used to its full extent.

“Our grandmothers were explorers, brave cooks able to turn disadvantages in advantages. They were capable of reinventing their world nourishing their communities. Mille Nonne wants to be in their path and push forth the movement.”

“Our Mission is: Bringing Comfort Food out of its Comfort Zone. Our vision is to provide the quality of a fine Italian seat-down restaurant in a take-out environment. All our recipes are developed with this idea in mind. No matter how much time our customers have, they deserve the best quality through the best service, every time.”