Mama's Food Shop   

200 E 3rd St
New York, NY 10009
212-777-4425

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Unlike most places with relatives touted in their names, Mama's actually has one. And even though none of the staff in this small East Village institution are related, they seem like a family, from the cooks to the delivery people, who are undoubtedly the most colorful and personable delivery staff in the 'hood. The owner, Michael (Mama) opened this location in 1995, when restaurant choices near Avenue B were scant. "I live around here, and I saw it almost as a service to the community. I wanted a place where you could get big portions of fresh food for not much money, not frozen patties for eight bucks." Paintings of motherly types adorn the walls of the tiny, casual space, and outdoor dining is done with fold-down school desks. Two perennial favorites are fried chicken and mac and cheese, with the mashed potatoes coming in at a close third. And the vegetable selections are excellent -- it's perhaps the only place where people rave about the brussels sprouts. -- Dan Glass