Following in his father’s footsteps, the Carmelo in our story took over the family restaurant when his father passed away. He continues to carry on his father’s legacy by delighting local residents with farm-to-table dishes that come from his heart and soul. But Carmelo feels that there is a higher calling waiting for him. He knows that it is centered around cooking, but he has yet to discover what exactly it is. He knows that his feeling is rooted in how cooking can bond and bring people together like a family, and wonders if there is something that he can do to help in today's world of pain and suffering. He admires his longtime friend Marco who left the area to craft his own path, and wonders if it is his time to do so. But how does he start?

Marco left Lewiston the first chance he had, which was right after high school. He was determined to create his own path in life and didn’t want to have anything to do with his father’s restaurant. He made his way to L.A. to break into the film business, knowing that his father would be heartbroken over his decision not to come back to run the restaurant. Unfortunately, his father passed away due to a heart attack only a few months after Marco decided to move to L.A. Marco’s mother tried to run the restaurant, but eventually, the once successful restaurant died with Marco’s father as it went out of business. This guilt remained with Marco, but has recently grown more powerful as he has realized that his path to L.A. has not brought much success. He is starting to doubt whether moving to L.A. was the right decision after all. When he sees his longtime friend Carmelo has become a well-known local chef, he finds himself admiring Carmelo for ultimately being less selfish and continuing the legacy of his father’s restaurant.

There was a time when her life was perfect. Her wonderful husband was running a successful restaurant and her only child, Marco, was her pride and joy. But when her husband died after her son decided to move to L.A., she quickly found her world was turning upside down. She was lonely and all by herself, but her pride kept her from grieving throughout the years. Still clamoring to at least bring some of the past back, she has a dream of having her son move back to town and reopen the family restaurant. She struggles to reconcile her desire for her son Marco to live his own life, and her wish for him to come back and revive some of those moments that she cherished before her husband died.

Marco’s daughter, Stella, is a very optimistic and carefree person that truly enjoys life to the fullest. Most of all, she loves coming back to Lewiston to see her grandmother Mamma Maria and savor her cooking. She has always wondered why her father never followed in her grandfather’s footsteps and has fallen in love with the idea of learning how to cook like her grandparents. She also has a crazy appetite and seems to always be eating.

A native of Lewiston, NY, Samantha fell in love with Marco’s ambition and has followed and supported him throughout his endeavors. She has been the most supportive wife and the most caring mother. However, she has started to sense that her ambitious husband has begun to doubt himself, and she worries that his self-doubt could bring changes to their life that she is not ready for. She is also coming to the realization of just how much she has become dependent on her husband. Has the time come for her to be more in control over her own happiness and not depend on others?

Where is Victor from? What is his story? Who knows! Victor is a mystery, and don’t try to ask him any questions because he doesn’t really talk much. In fact, he doesn’t really talk at all. He appeared back in the '90s as an exchange student at Lewiston Porter High School. He started working at Carmelo’s as a dishwasher back in high school and Carmelo’s restaurant has been his only family ever since he came to the US. He is now Carmelo’s main man when it comes to keeping his restaurant orderly, clean, and pristine. He seems like a simple man, but he is complex and full of mysteries. Victor has one shocking big secret that only he knows, but has sworn to never tell anyone. What could it be? It is not what you may think at first glance.

He escaped the tragic genocide that took place in Darfur. He lost his wife and sons in the tragedy, but Ode is the most humble man you will ever meet. He believes that life needs to be lived with a smile. He moved to Western New York as a refugee and became enamored with the local wineries. He soon found himself learning everything he could about wine and found a home at Carmelo’s as their sommelier. Carmelo sees him as an important staff member, but he also sees him as part of his family. Especially since throughout the years, Ode has always been there to help Carmelo through any tough times. Ode believes that since he couldn’t help his family, it is his calling to help every man or woman he meets. But this can also become his biggest burden, especially when he can’t help someone.

Rosalina is a distant niece of Carmelo. She lost her parents and brother in a tragic car accident when she was only an infant. She has lived with her aunt in Lewiston since that fateful night. She always wants to hear her aunt talk about her parents and brother, and ever since learning that they were farmers, she has been living their legacy by soaking up everything there is to know about vegetables and farming. While she's still very young, Carmelo has recognized her amazing understanding of the complexity of all kinds of vegetables and what would pair well with his dishes. Rosalina sees the restaurant as the family she never had. She is a firecracker, and she doesn’t have much patience for stupidity. At times she is willing to take on the universe, as she is bitter about the hand that she was dealt.

Sally comes from an extremely wealthy family but barely knows them since she grew up at a boarding school for most of her life. She moved to Western New York to dual major in business and theater at Niagara University. She began to work at Carmelo’s as a waitress her freshman year and is still working there in her senior year. She loves to entertain guests with her skits and singing. However, her biggest skill is to negotiate on behalf of Carmelo for anything and everything. She dreads the idea of graduating and moving out of the area. She is not sure if she is ready for that next step. Especially since she has finally found people that she can call family.

She is odd and bizarre. She runs a local animal farm and is the butcher that supplies all kinds of local meats to Carmelo. She has been a widow for decades and finds solace with her animals. She names each animal even though she knows they will be a delicious meal at some point. She is very unpredictable, and sometimes you wonder if her mind is all there.

Dr. Jackson was just a young doctor beginning her practice when Marco's father and Carmelo's father passed away so close to each other. Seeing these two young men lose their fathers at an early age, her compassion as a doctor helped them both to deal with their tragedy during their time of loss. The bond that she has made with them built the trust for Marco and Carmelo to go to her with any medical issues that they may be too afraid to share with their families.

Farmer John comes from a line of farmers who, funny enough, were all named John. His father was named John. His grandfather was named John. You get the picture. He is Carmelo's go-to guy for organic seasonal vegetables and was also a good friend of Rosalina's grandfather, who was also a farmer. He envies Rosalina's knowledge of farming and vegetables at such a young age, but most of all, he fears Rosalina, who always keeps him honest and expects nothing but the best vegetables from him.

Mark and his wife Cheryl own a wine and liquor shop named Anchor Spirits and Wine in Youngstown, NY, the town next door to Lewiston. They provide a great selection of global and local wines to their patrons, and it is Ode's favorite hangout place. Here is a fun fact: you can actually visit their store in Youngstown and meet Mark and Cheryl for real.