Mama's Food Shop

Soul food, home cooking / $

200 E. 3rd St. at Ave. B
F, V trains to 2nd Ave. & Houston St.
(212) 777-4425
mamasfoodshop.com

7 days noon-10 PM
Limited seating, counter service
Takeout, delivery, catering available
Cash only

The meatloaf we've been searching for all our lives is the one we found at Mama's, a dark and inviting space with, oddly enough, an all male staff and seating for two or three dozen people. Mama's meatloaf is not gun-metal grey but golden brown with a dark brown crust that's a delight in itself. More loaf than meat, we suspect, and a little bit sweet, it has a lightness that made us feel almost virtuous by the time we finished eating it. After this we'll never be able to go back to some ugly slab of low-grade gristle and fat. Also on offer is an excellent macaroni and cheese that actually tastes somewhat like cheese. Our sides of choice were red-veined whole leaves of spinach and thin slices of roasted turnip—you could do well here eating nothing but veg side dishes. The apple cobbler and chocolate banana bread pudding look impressive but the cakes taste best.

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