All business organizations have an ethos, a philosophical outlook on how they relate to the public in their services or products. This ethos is usually set by a charismatic member of the top management in the business. If that person is Sonda Brewster, co-owner with her husband Brian, of Nono's Cafe in Littleton, the result can be magic and maybe even make you a better person. At Nono's this magic is what happens every day they open their doors.

The Brewsters started Nono's on County Line Road in Littleton about 9 years ago. They hail from New Orleans and are enfused with the deep Louisiana Culinary Culture that has added spice and soul to the American cultural landscape. Nono's is an Italian nickname for Grandfather.

A few months ago, having outgrown their rented restaurant space in a strip mall, the Brewsters took the plunge and built a new, stand-alone restaurant about 2 miles west of their original location. Nono's sits on an enclave of land between Lucent and Santa Fe on County Line Blvd.

Our restaurant web site, www.signaturedishesofcolorado.com,
continually searches for places like Nono's and we film a video of the right places and place it on our site. Nono's is a right place. We usually film around 2 pm or so when the lunch crowd has left and the dinner crowd has yet to arrive. This is pretty easy at most eateries. You can't do this 2 pm filming so easily at Nono's.

The customers literally love this place and they just won't leave. They linger over coffee and the great Nono's desserts throughout the afternoon. Many regulars come 3-4 times a week. This is no ordinary restaurant.

While at Nono's, chef Mark Estes made us Catfish Monica which consists of two catfish fillets, blackened on a hot griddle and smothered with a wonderful Monica sauce. This sauce has crawfish and scallions galore in a rich creamy base. Of course, any afficianado of Lousiana cuisine wants Gumbo and Nono's delivers with a wonderful, complex gumbo with okra and Andouille sausage that takes many hours to make but is worth the effort.

Sonda Brewster personally makes Nono's wonderful desserts in the kitchen. While we were there, she made a strawberry cake where she puts two layers of frosting on each cake. She handmakes about 30 strawberry cakes a week because of intense customer demand. When she introduced this strawberry cake, she got a lot of "to go" orders. However, the demand by restaurant patrons grew so great that Nono's isn't able to sell the cakes "to go". If you want to eat Sonda's truly famous strawberry cake, you need to come to Nono's, sit down and eat it in this warm, endearing family place. I know its tough, but you can do it.

Sonda Brewster is a Christian believer and it shows in the deep abiding culture she has created at Nono's. Many of her wait staff and employees have been with Nono's from the very beginning. Etched into one of the bricks you cross to enter Nono's is a scriptural reference, to the Prophet Jeremiah, section 29:11. Sonda understands and practices the Christian virtue of servitude and has witnessed to her employees this ethos. They all are welcoming and gracious, always thinking of others and not of themselves. If you like great food and need the feel of being a part of a loving family, you can say yes to Nono's