Maisonetta in the Bronx puts a French spin on Mexican cuisine | Neighborhood Eats
MOTT HAVEN, Bronx (WABC) -- This week's Neighborhood Eats visits Maisonetta in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx.
The owner and his family have called this neighborhood home for more than 15 years and they've put a French spin on Mexican cuisine.
It really is a family affair; parents, sisters, and brothers all work together to bring their restaurant to the community.
"A really nice thing about being a family business, everyone has their functions - my brothers handle accounting, my sisters handle social media and I handle every day activities here. It's a beautiful thing that your siblings are all involved in this thing that is growing little by little," said Victor Calixto, the owner.
Calixto shared that they often have late-night creative sessions with the chef, Daniel Aguilar, to come up with new recipes. That's how their Branzino dish is conceptualized, with some leftover butternut squash and brussel sprouts.
"There's plenty of Mexican restaurants in the area, when we were opening up we wanted to think of something different and then of course we have Danny who has been cooking French food, Latin food and Asian food. So we thought might as well just give it a spin, try both things," Calixto said.
His father has owned a woodworking business down the street for 30 years, which came in really handy as they were building the interior.
"There's people literally that come in specifically for certain dishes and once they come in they say I've been thinking about this all week which is kind of funny but it makes me feel good, Danny feel good, that a lot of people are really excited and love to have our food," Calixto said.
"We are proud to be a part of the south Bronx, proud to be a part of the change that's coming in right now but we also want to be here for many years, we'd like to be a pillar of the community," he added.
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
