MAE MAE CAFE by Great Performances Opens in NYC-A Vegan Eatery and Plant Store

New York City's culinary landscape just became a little greener with the April 13 debut of Mae Mae Café as the Bronx's first plant-forward restaurant and potted plant emporium (among the city's first in the city) in Mott Haven at 2417 Third Avenue, in the Bruckner Building. The cozy new 22-seat urban rustic eatery's vegan menu is Latin inspired as a nod to The Bronx's culture and population. Mae Mae Café is operated by Great Performances, the catering and hospitality company, that was an early embracer of plant-based dining.

Its taco-and-quesadilla-centric menu features ingredients grown on Great Performances' organic Katchkie Farm in upstate New York. Taco options include the likes of Mushroom Mole, white onion, cilantro, sesame seeds and Guajillo Nopal, red cabbage, cilantro, radish. Among the quesadilla and burrito offerings are Huitlacoche, corn, lime onion, radish and Mushroom Mole, Spanish Rice, stewed black beans, guacamole. A selection of starters whets appetites, including: Grilled Pineapple, avocado, baby kale, sesame seeds, negra vinaigrette; Crispy Tortilla Salad, romaine lettuce, black beans, watermelon radish, lime onion, cilantro vinaigrette; and Ital Stew, plantain, pumpkin, callaloo.

Situated on the street level at the Bruckner Building, home to Great Performances' commissary kitchen and offices, Mae Mae Café also presents an array of plants for sale, the display of which complements the space's natural wood decorative accents. Additionally, the new restaurant offers the opportunity for local residents to participate in Katchkie Farm's CSA. They can sign-up at the café now and pick-up weekly produce shares there every Wednesday, June through November. Farm flower bouquets will be available throughout the summer season.

"Opening this neighborhood café was always part of our plan when we moved Great Performances to The Bronx in 2019. As we settled in and got to know our new community, we decided it should be plant-based to symbolize our long-standing advocacy of delicious, affordable and healthy eating in an area with few choices," said Liz Neumark, founder of Great Performances. "Adding the plant store and Katchkie Farm CSA is our way of bringing more green to Mott Haven."

In addition to offering Latin-inspired food, houseplants and CSA shares, Mae Mae Café will forge relationships in Mott Haven by offering summer internships to neighborhood high school students, connecting with community gardens and strengthening the bridges Great Performances has already built with the nearby Dream School. The Mae Mae Café space will also be made available for community gatherings and for food education.

"There is no question that our small businesses are the lifeblood of our Bronx economy, and I am proud to join our community today to welcome the Mae Mae Cafe, which will bring delicious and high-quality plant-based meal options to Bronx residents. This is a space that exemplifies the future of our collective recovery and marks a new step in our efforts to reverse the legacy of adverse health outcomes that has affected our Borough. I look forward to working with Liz Neumark and Great Performances in activating the full potential of this space and ensuring that every Bronx resident feels welcome here," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.

Gibson attended the cafe's April 12 ribbon cutting and presented a Citation of Merit to Neumark saluting what she and Great Performances and already done for The Bronx, since the company's move to the borough in 2019.

The Bronx Mae Mae Café is a reprise for a Great Performances' restaurant with the same moniker, Neumark's daughter's nickname. In operation from 2001 to 2019, the former Mae Mae was also situated on the ground floor of what was then the company's headquarters building in Manhattan's Hudson Square. While not solely plant-based, it had a vegetarian bias throughout its run.

The new Mae Mae Café is currently open for breakfast (with the likes of Hot Quinoa Porridge and House Baked Vegan Breakfast Pastries), lunch, house plants and Katchkie Farm CSA shares, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2417 Third Avenue. Expanded evening and weekend hours are on the horizon for later in the spring. The phone number is 212-337-6098 and Mae Mae Café is posting at https://www.facebook.com/maemaecafe. A website will launch in sync with the expanded operating hours.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Mae Mae Café and Great Performances

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