Nonna Notti Opens With Chicago-Style Italian Eats

Geographically, Chris Iannotti grew up in Chicago, on and near Taylor Street, in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood. Iannotti also grew up emotionally in Illinois’ criminal justice system. He was a self-described latchkey kid who learned to cook at age 7 while his mother worked. His father was a veteran who suffered from PTSD and was largely absent. At 15, Iannotti joined a street gang. Not long after, he saw his first friend get killed. 

“I went further down the path of despair,” he says.

Eventually, Iannotti landed in jail. It took a long time, he says, but that's where he figured some stuff out. He got his GED. He found religion and was baptized. And he learned that his past does not define him.

All of that — the good and the bad — came together to help Iannotti create Nonna Notti, a Chicago-style Italian deli and market he opened on Stewart’s Ferry Pike late last month. Nonna Notti is a for-profit restaurant whose proceeds support Off the Chains Nashville, a nonprofit that helps at-risk youth learn cooking (including basics like chopping vegetables), employment and business skills.

“I didn’t have anybody who would bail me out," he says. "There were no mentors. There were no programs like what I’m doing to take a kid at risk and say, ‘Hey, I see you going down the wrong path.’ I had to learn the hard way, and I did learn eventually.”

Off the Chains is Iannotti’s passion project — in addition to the ministry and the restaurant, he also has a full-time job with BP. He has been helping teach kids to cook with Joy Kitchen since moving to Nashville during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand outpaced space, so he started looking for a kitchen where he could offer more classes. When he found the former bakery on Stewart’s Ferry, he thought that would be its primary use, and perhaps he’d sell a few sandwiches to help pay the rent.

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But the more he thought about the potential for a deli and market, the bigger the project grew. People in the neighborhood — near Hermitage, Donelson and Percy Priest Lake — were excited about having a lunch and dinner option in the neighborhood. Iannotti was excited to bring some of his favorite Italian dishes to the area and to show youth in Off the Chains that their past doesn’t have to limit them.

“It’s turned into something much more,” he says. “It’s a fully operational machine, so the kids can see when they come, ‘Hey, this is actually doable. We can open a small business on our own, regardless of our past. This is how it operates, and this is what it takes. This is everything that goes into it.’ They get to see it in real time.”

Classes have not yet started in the new location but are planned for two days a week from 4 to 6 p.m. Off the Chains gets referrals from families, the court system and others, and Iannotti says there is often a wait list.

But even if folks aren’t interested in Off the Chains and its mission, Iannotti is enthusiastic about what they’ll find at Nonna Notti. At first, he thought they’d be open for breakfast and lunch, but the neighborhood wanted later hours, so the deli is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week (closed Mondays). Catering for parties and weddings or sandwich trays for smaller events are available with advance orders. 

The menu includes made-from-scratch sandwiches and salads, including a classic Chicago Italian beef (served dipped or dry), daily soups, desserts and espresso. Sandwiches are made with locally baked bread from Charpier’s Bakery. As any Italian mama would hope, Nonna Notti serves large portions. Iannotti says many people end up taking half a sandwich home for leftovers. The small market stocks Italian pantry staples, such as olive oil, vinegar, dried pasta and giardiniera. Some dishes have fun or meaningful names. The lentil salad is named after Iannotti’s mother, who often feeds that salad to his 4-year-old niece. “I think it is funny to see a 4-year-old get excited about lentils,” he says. The signature Nonna Rose ham sandwich is named after his grandmother. Her essence is essential to the restaurant.

“I wanted Nonna Notti to feel like Sundays when my grandma was alive,” he says. “That’s when the whole family got together. Any beef that we had with each other, it all got hashed out on Sundays. We had dinner together. We would run around outside; there were people cooking in the kitchen. Just the vibe and the energy of people getting around that table together. I want people to experience that, whether they come and get some lunch or buy stuff and take it home and experiment.”