"At this point, the NYC restaurant scene is approximately 90% all-day cafe, and Cafe Mado technically belongs in this category. The Prospect Heights spot—from the team behind Place des Fêtes, in their old Oxalis space—is open from 8am to 8pm, serves coffee and breakfast sandwiches in the morning, and a vegetable-forward menu at lunch and dinner. It's a familiar, six-to-seven-small-plates format, and yet Cafe Mado stands out—and not just because it looks like a greenhouse in a secret garden. Everything on those small plates tastes absolutely field-fresh. The menu changes seasonally, with the help of a forager-on-contract, but you can expect things like Japanese cucumbers with gooseberries and kelp, chewy homemade pici with a grassy-green pesto, and, when the time is right, life-changing peas. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte In one corner, a mother and daughter who’ve just walked over from the Brooklyn Museum marvel over a sesame seed-studded mortadella sandwich, which drips with mayo and oozes with cheese. In another, three friends on their regular Friday lunch date squeal over a strawberry sorbet. Pools of sauce and dressing collect on beautiful little plates, which you’ll want to wipe clean with excellent bread, all of which comes from their bakery. The sopping of sauces takes place under a skylight, in an atrium-like dining room that feels like an extension of the garden behind it. To get there, you’ll pass an open kitchen (the back of house is literally in front), where chefs pause mid-swiss roll assembly to say hello, and then through the coffee bar area. It’s an enchanting setting for an early dinner or a boozy lunch—with a spritz, perhaps. Or a bubbly wine with a snail on the label: a playful reference to the fact that the grapes it's made from ripen very slowly. You too should feel free to linger slowly over your meal. If you stick around til close, someone might even slip you a leftover baguette as you walk out past the kitchen. Food Rundown The menu at Cafe Mado changes seasonally, but here’s an idea of what you can expect: photo credit: Kate Previte Pissaladière Especially at lunch, your order should revolve around bread. This might seem like a strange choice at a restaurant that loves vegetables, but all the breads and breakfast pastries here are from Laurel Bakery. Hopefully that makes more sense now. Start dinner here with a pissaladière—a puffy, pizza-like round, topped with jammy onions, anchovies, and a lemon squeeze that brings everything together. photo credit: Kate Previte The Tony An ode to Anthony Bourdain, this is the mortadella sandwich you’ve dreamed about if you’re someone who dreams about mortadella sandwiches. It’s layered with thick slices of meat, cheese, and mayo, and served on a chewy, sesame-seed bun with half a pickle on top. If you’re here for a solo lunch, get this and one vegetable dish. photo credit: Kate Previte Pan Bagnat This fancy tuna sandwich is drenched in olive oil, slick with olive tapenade, stuffed with a medium-boiled egg, and layered with salty anchovies. It may always not be on the menu, but if it is, order it. photo credit: Kate Previte English Peas & Fresh Cheese These are the life-changing peas, and by the time you read this, they might be out of season. Apologies. They’re quickly seared and fairly smoky, with squeaky fresh cheese, a tart dressing, and a shower of herbs and edible flowers. photo credit: Kate Previte Pici with Pesto Genovese The most charmingly irregular pici, with so much freshly grated parmesan that even the edges of the bowl are well-decorated. photo credit: Kate Previte Wagyu Skirt Steak with Dried Chili Four perfectly tender slices of wagyu are served on a bed of thick, smoky harissa sauce. This isn’t a big hunk of steak. This is a tasteful, beautiful, dainty steak. It’s also one of the menu’s pricier items, so prioritize it if you’re here for dinner and feeling end-of-the-week spendy. photo credit: Kate Previte Dessert The desserts are fruit-forward, and always worth ordering. A simple dish of macerated strawberries with strawberry and chamomile sorbet tastes like a fragment of the sweetest dream—as does the soft swiss roll, cloaked in gooseberries and saucy currants, which stain the baby-soft cream inside, and also the edges of your mouth." - Willa Moore
