MAE MAE CAFE BY GREAT PERFORMANCES

The city's culinary landscape became a bit greener with the April 2022 debut of Mae Mae Cafe as The Bronx's first plant-forward restaurant and potted plant emporium. The cozy 22-seat rustic urban eatery's vegan menu is Latin-inspired as a nod to The Bronx's culture and community. Mae Mae Cafe is operated by Great Performances, the catering and hospitality company that was an early embracer of plant-based dining.

The taco-and-quesadilla-centric menu features ingredients grown on Great Performances' own organic Katchkie Farm in upstate New York. In fact, the restaurant welcomes neighbors to participate in Katchkie Farm's CSA. Taco options include Mushroom Mole and Guajillo Nopal, while huitlacoche with corn, lime, and radish is a quesadilla favorite. Among the tempting starters you'll find Grilled Pineapple with avocado, baby kale, sesame seeds, and negra vinaigrette or a Crispy Tortilla Salad with romaine, black beans, watermelon radish, and cilantro vinaigrette. The warming Ital Stew is made with plantain, pumpkin, and callaloo.

"Opening this neighborhood cafe was in our plans 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 reflect 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."