Mera Kitchen Collective

There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing a talented group of people get the permanent space they deserve. Such is the case for Mera Kitchen Collective, a worker-owned cooperative that empowers refugees to tap into their culinary heritage through cooking. What started as pop-ups throughout the city, and morphed into a support system during the pandemic, is now a bright and colorful restaurant on a Mt. Vernon corner. Expect the same Middle Eastern, African, and Latin staples we’ve come to know from Mera: creamy hummus and tabouleh, barely fried cauliflower fritters with lemon-tahini sauce, crispy yassa chicken wings, and bowls piled with falafel, Burkina-style plantains, and chicken kabsa. Plus, sip on a housemade bissap with mint and ginger or a cocktail with local gin and orange blossom. Dine inside the mural-filled, two-story space knowing your dollars are helping support the future of international chefs.