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Mera Kitchen Collective

@merakitchencollective

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• Tu-Th 11a-9p | F+Sa 11a-10p
• Story-worthy food from around the 🌍 #workerowned
• Dine-in + bar + take-out + catering
• 220k+ free community meals

POSTS STORIES REELS

Mera Kitchen Collective grew from a discussion over coffee @redemmas to informal dinners with our friends, to pop-up dinners with some of the best, kindest chefs in the city (and really the world, if you ask us), to years at the @baltimorefarmersmarket to now our neighborhood restaurant in Mount Vernon. Our success is attributable to the ongoing support we receive from the Baltimore community and the consistency and imagination of our head Chef, @chefimanbaltimore 🎉
We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to share stories through her food to our community, whether dining in, takeout, or catering. When you eat @merakitchencollective, know that the food was prepared with intentionality and love and that each bite tells a story many years in the making. #neighborhoodeats by @merakitchencollective

Why “Mera” Kitchen?
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Our name comes from the Greek word meraki. Both a verb and an adverb, it connotes that when someone is doing an activity — like cooking — with so much care, devotion, and attention to the task at hand, they leave a piece of themselves in it. We hope our food transports you to the streets of Burkina Faso, Mexico, Honduras, Syria, Guatemala and beyond, and into the homes and dining rooms of our cooks and chefs. Our food is an extension of our passion.
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Join us for storyworthy meals Tuesday - Saturday 11 am - 9 pm (10 pm Fri & Sat). #neighborhoodeats #merakitchencollective by @merakitchencollective

Update! Here’s the tl;dr (too long; didn’t read) version: We are adding a 20% living wage service fee to all checks (dine-in, take-out, catering).

Want more? In addition to providing excellent food that keeps you coming back for more, we strive to create an environment for our team where everyone is getting their needs met, mentally, physically, and financially. However, it’s no secret that the food industry doesn’t have a great track record here — kitchens are demanding, strenuous and stressful places to work, people experience burnout and most folks are very underpaid. For a long time, there has been a gap between the rate of pay for dining room staff, with servers and bartenders, earning more than the kitchen team, like cooks and dishwashers. The experience you enjoy at Mera involves EVERYONE working together to produce an amazing meal, and everyone deserves to be compensated equitably for these efforts. We will allocate this livable wage service fee to all members of our team. For as long as we exist as a business, we will always be figuring out how to increase rates of pay for our workers. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator for Baltimore City, the required annual income for one adult with no children is $34,320. It jumps to $70,106 for one adult with one child. Per this same database, the typical annual salary for a food service and preparation job in Baltimore City is $27,007. The math is clear, there is a big gap and much room for improvement! This service fee is one step toward equitably improving wages for our team, and we are pleased to join many other restaurants that have already implemented such practices. Thanks for your ongoing support, and we will see you this week! ❤️

📸 @jfannonphoto by @merakitchencollective

For Chapter 7 of our Storyworthy Food Series, our team came together to create a menu for a week-long observance of Día de los Muertos.

While most commonly observed in Mexico, people in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador also come together to honor and celebrate their ancestors.

Menu sneak peek:

Calabaza Rellena
Tamale Salvadoreño
Pozole Rojo
Pan de Muerto
Atole de Piña
and lots more… by @merakitchencollective

Housemade Jell-O shots for Halloween 🎃
Candy corn, cherry lychee limeade and Negroni.

Costume contest at 7pm tonight 10/31. by @merakitchencollective

Happy Halloween 👻 Join us Friday and Saturday for Halloween specials all weekend long, like our Manzana con Chamoy candied apple, Dulce de Yuca, and a warm Atol de Calabaza to satisfy all your pumpkin spice dreams. And of course some sp👀ky Jell-O shots.

Saturday at 7pm, we’ll have a costume contest led by the amazing @liberianhoneyy of @yamahandco. Show off your costume for a chance to win a Mera gift card! Prizes for the top 3 winners! by @merakitchencollective

Iris’s Barbacoa de Chivo | Chili-marinated braised goat in consommoe, refried beans, white rice, avocado salsa verde.

One of the many amazing things about our Storyworthy Food Series is the opportunity to introduce new dishes, and leave some crowd favorites on the menu for a little longer. Iris’s Barbacoa carries memories of festive times back in her hometown of Cahuatache, and it’s an honor to continue sharing this dish with Baltimore. by @merakitchencollective

Wednesday the 28th and Thursday the 29th we have the last of our National Co-op Month events, and you don't want to miss them! by @merakitchencollective

Baltimore! Join us on October 30 and 31 for two days of Halloween specials! We’re bringing back some favorites from earlier this year, like the birria pizza, Barbacoa de Chivo, elote, nachos and housemade Jello shots! Plus we’ve got a new Dulce de Yuca dessert!

Show up in a good costume and you might win a gift card!

The special menu will be available all day, for dine-in and take-out alongside our usual menu. ❤️👻 by @merakitchencollective

We’ve got another Community Craft Circle! Happening tomorrow, Tuesday 10/20 from 6:30-9pm at Mera Kitchen Collective, lead by @yamahandco ! Free to attend, bring your own craft supplies to share. Join your neighbors, meet new friends and craft together! by @merakitchencollective

Baltimore! Tomorrow is the @baltimorerunfest - either your favorite or least favorite day of the year! But let’s make it your favorite!

Runners, celebrate with us after your race and enjoy a free canned beverage on the house. We’ve got beer and lots of NA options like @drinkmoia and @drinkpalestina!

If you’re not running, join our pals from @atribecalledrun at Maryland and North Ave for their epic cheer crew!

Yes, many roads will be closed, and we’re right in the middle of it. So we recommend you lean into, enjoy the car-free day and walk, bike, scoot, stroll and roll around the city. We open at 11am for brunch! We ❤️ you, Baltimore! by @merakitchencollective

You’ve got tonight and tomorrow to experience Kena’s Storyworthy Menu, including our Housemade oreo with Strawberry soy milk, Githeri & Ugali, Bhajias and Carrot Supreme & Kale Salad.

Kena’s entirely vegan menu honors her journey from Antigua to Kenya to Baltimore and it’s available through Saturday 10/10 for dine in and take out.

📸 @marcelle_g

Githeri & Ugali: stew of beans, maize, sweet potato served with ugali & collard green sukuma | gf, vegan

Bhajias: chickpea flour coated fried potato, served with tamarind chutney & chili tomato chutney | gf, vegan

Carrot Supreme & Kale Salad: kale, raisins, walnuts, balsamic vin, topped with shredded “carrot supreme” | gf, vegan by @merakitchencollective