East Village, Manhattan, NY Restaurant Review: Mara's Homemade

If you are looking for great Southern cuisine in New York City, try Mara's Homemade. This is probably my favorite restaurant in the East Village. I have to unsubscribe from their email newsletter, which is sent out almost daily and features mouthwatering images of crawfish and crab.

Mara's Homemade is small, but the staff -Mara herself and family, is so gracious and courteous that the close proximity of strangers really does not much matter.

If you plan to make the trip, I warn you: skip lunch. Get an early dinner here and wear comfortable shoes because you will have to walk your meal off.

First, the appetizers: the Gator Bites and the Crawfish Stuffed Bread or the Crawfish Cheese Toast are simply heavenly. As are the Crab Fingers, the Cornbread Etouffee, and the Crawfish Cheesecake. As you might have guessed, they are heavy on the crawfish.

The entrees: the "land" dishes - Chicken Fried Steak, and Fried Chicken, not to mention the Barbecue, are all above average. But they have fresh seafood, and this is their strength. Crawfish comes in 3 or 5 lb. buckets. If you do not want to crack shells all night, order the Crawfish Mara, which is pasta with Crawfish, or the Crawfish Pot Pie. I also highly recommend the Fisherman's Platter: catfish, shrimp and oysters, as well as the Combination Platter - Shrimp Creole, Jambalaya and Red Beans and Rice. For sides, the Collard Greens with Andouille Sausage is a winner, as are the Smoked Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

For dessert, the Beignets are delicious. They also have an excellent Bananas Foster and Apple Pie. The Hot Buttered Rum is inadvisable if you are very full. It is delectable and is so well mixed that you may not notice that it is heavy on the rum until a cab driver is cursing you for having to clean out the back seat.

Mara's Homemade is not cheap, with entrees ranging from $14.00 to $22.00 on average. But it is excellent food and a warm and laidback atmosphere. I was born and raised in New York, but I have gone out with many a Southern friend who appreciates the authenticity of the place.

Mara's Homemade is located at 342 E 6th St between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue. You can get there by taking the 6 train to Astor Place, the R or W to 8^th Street-Broadway or the F or V to 2^nd Avenue-Houston Street.