Miguel with his grandmother and mother, Jessica
Talavera. Photo courtesy of Café Miguel
Café Miguel has opened its doors to 636 Grand Street! Owner, Miguel, is bringing traditional Mexico City inspired dishes and a variety of Latin American coffee blends to Williamsburg with his brand new Café. Miguel aims to make his new business a place that you can work at, relax with friends and family, while also having a really good bite/cup of coffee. Most of Café Miguel’s food offerings are centered around maíz (corn) and are plant based, Café Maíz being the alternate name for the Café. Various dishes involving masa (corn dough), sopa (soup), and nopales (cactus) are offered on the menu, with proteins like chicken and ceviche to be rotated in occasionally. The focus is on the corn and the coffee; Miguel’s vision for the Café is to be health focused and vegan friendly. Their coffee blends are imported, with oaxaca coffee beans from Mexico, Guatemala, and Central America. They offer various lattes, espresso, and everything in between that you’d want from a coffee shop.
Miguel has years of experience in the food and service industry, managing an Italian restaurant for over 8 years. He’s brought this experience and passion for his home country to Café Miguel, adorning the business with various trinkets and artwork inspired by Mexico City. Two walls are covered with talavera, a hand painted tile that’s common in downtown Mexico City. Miguel has fond memories of his mother, Jessica, bringing him to restaurants that were covered in talavera growing up. Jessica is the head chef of Café Miguel, bringing years of experience cooking traditional Mexico City dishes for her family and in restaurants for decades. She, alongside her mother, have helped Miguel with the food preparation and cooking; it’s a family effort where everyone is chipping in.
Miguel’s love for his business and family is clearly shown all throughout Café Miguel; He’s excited to “be able to have my family and not have to work for someone else. Being able to implement all ideas, and flavors of Mexico City and share it with Williamsburg”. Stop by Café Miguel for a coffee or a bite and experience Mexico City right here in the neighborhood!
Photo courtesy of Café Miguel