November 22, 2023 • 21 mins
Join Maxwell as he talks to Chef Melanie & Andre Stewart, the owners of A Mother's Touch Bistro & Catering, the first Black owned restaurant in Livingston, NJ! For more info, visit AMothersTouchBistro.com Powered by Toyota and Prudential
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(00:00):
So here's the thing. You didn'tsee the outside. You seen the food.
You you couldn't smell it or tasteit. But on this episode of
the Building Black Biszess podcast, weare here with family now. Yeah,
and I I gotta say that witha capital I mean, it's it's in
every fiber of what happens here inJersey, in Livingston, New Jersey.
(00:21):
We got mail, we got andreCan we do a Ronald boss from the
building here? Yeah? Yo,So I think we need to start with
how did it start? You knowwhat, what's the story? How did
y'all know that feeding the community foryou know, for a couple of years
now was gonna be what it was, that was gonna be your life's mission.
(00:45):
Well, that has always been mydream, Yeah, to to own
a restaurant. Who knew it wasgonna be a Livingston I didn't know,
But so I started out, youknow, I went to culinary school,
did all of that, and wedid catering for ten Okay, we had
a catering company for ten years.It was called The Mother's Touch Catering.
(01:06):
And when COVID hit, this buildingbecame available. Yeah, so that was
the perfect time for us to stepout on faith and to go for what
you believe it. Yeah, yeah, and to have this be such a
family. I mean again, Istarted off the conversation with that being that
capital f knowing that y'all was gonnado it with those who had your back
no matter what. Let's go backto those days when it first started out
(01:29):
as a catering business. Out ofthat feel, well, I could tell
you. You know, my deangirlfriend now wife, one of the very
first conversations we had was that shewanted to have a catering business eventually have
a restaurant. Yeah, and shesaid it was a dream of hers.
And right away, I'm a bigdreamer. My mother always pushed that in
(01:52):
me, for sure, big dreams. And right away I'm like, okay,
we working on logos, we doingthis, We get in business guards
right away when we're doing that.Right away, and we was doing it.
You know, it was a grindfor some years. And like she
said, uh, you know,she's been a bit modest, uh right
now, just here, just alittle bit. But like you know,
it was just all God's time,like you said, right, yep,
(02:14):
yeah, it was all God's time. A situation her job. We didn't
know which way she was gonna goat the time, and it just so
happened. Like I'm in real estate. My co worker had this place listed
okay, and I called her.We came, we looked, we looked
at it, and I'm like,can you make this? Can you make
this place work? She was like, what yeah, apartment. I called
(02:38):
my colleague. She said, Igot two other people that wanted. But
if you want it as yours,So you know, that's just God's work.
It was meant to happen when itwas meant to know that you had
that dream and to watch that firstlet's say, those first few orders on
the catering side come in. Howdid that feel knowing that you were a
business owner, knowing that you wereproviding a service and you were delivering with
(03:00):
love, and to see people thosevery first orders come in? How did
that feel? Though? Amazing?Amazing, Like I said, we did
it for ten years. But justhaving a stapleton of a place of business
now, yeah, to call myown y you know no more me.
Well we do deliver still, wecan do. You can come and pick
it up. Now I don't haveto just deliver to you. I have
a place of business it was ait was a feul grade. So making
(03:24):
that accomplishment of reality. Yeah,and let's start at you know that part.
Uh, when you think about startingyour own business and stepping out,
who do you who do you relyon? Other than family? Were there
other mentors? Were their friends thatalways had your back? Were there people
who you know, continue to pushyou along the way, uh, to
give the encouragement besides the the theboyfriend Fyonce now husband, and you know,
(03:46):
and and the mother and everything.That's really honestly, that's really who
it was. It was outside ofAndre, my mother, my grandfather,
Yes, my grandmother. They pushedme. Mm, they pushed me.
How was the fielding other y'all makingthem proud? It was amazing. I
(04:08):
love this. I love this.The reason why I love this is because
again there is there's so much lovein not only the building, the room,
the food. We're gonna we're gonnaget to that party because we done
taste it. We don't put ourfoot, you don't put your foot in,
your elbow, your knuckles, allparts of what we had the chance
(04:29):
to taste. But I want totalk about what it took to become a
successful business owner and to achieve thosethose goals despite some of the tough times,
because there was our shout out toour love and our family and our
brother David behind here. But itwas COVID that kind of put a wrinkling
things. Huh yeah, absolutely,yeah, I mean listen that you say,
(04:50):
what it takes, it's just perseverance. Yeah, and you know whatever,
the first and only black restaurant inthis town's history, right, coming
from a background where it's a predominantlyuh you know, Jewish neighborhood and Italian
and uh, it took us ayear. I'm not gonna lie. We
(05:12):
went through a lot of optimals.Small place, and we went through and
we probably should have. Yeah,yeah, but we we wanted to quit.
But it's that old saying when youlook around and you realize you're doing
it for your children. Yes,it's like we can't do this. They
can look and say mom and pop, yeah they did this. They went
through all of this. You know, it should have took us ninety days
(05:33):
to open, but because of thered tape, it took us a year.
And that you couldn't quit, thatyou had to be persistent quit and
now you have those repeat customers toknow that you had those new customers,
to know that you're doing something forthe very first time as a successful black
business in the community. You knowwhat, Yeah, what are those feelings
(05:55):
like when you get to come inhere and sometimes you think I'm too tired
to go to work. Man,I don't feel like but he says that,
but not for me, Not forme, because I'm honestly, guys,
I'm living in my dream. Yeah, the beginning of it, okay,
and I would love to have multiplelocations and all you gonna have a
whole list, but yeah, it'sthe start, yes, is the start
(06:17):
to be able to build this foundationfrom here to know that we're gonna have
this conversation now. But then let'sfast forward five years and the kitchen is
double the size, the event spaceis double the size, the the catering,
uh, you know, reaches notonly throughout here in Jersey. We're
gonna to you to tell us alittle bit about where we can make sure
that we get the delivery too.But when it starts to become those orders
(06:38):
that are happening Upper east Side,or you know, you're going to Connecticut
maybe for something, or you're hoppingon you're hopping on a plane and you
don't want to do it. Yeah, to have those that's God's called for
men. I'm doing it. I'mnot gonna I'm gonna do it. What
are some of those goals that y'allas we were, you know, kind
of mentioning that you really look forwardto accomplishing in the next couple of years
with the mother's touch, Like Isaid, at least having few locations.
(07:02):
Yeah, so while not just Jersey, I would like to go to Georgia,
just anywhere and everywhere, anywhere,everywhere, anywhere and everywhere. Yes,
you know, if the situation isright, the vibe is right,
and it makes sense. Yeah listen, uh you know, as she told
you earlier, Like you know,I was born in Jamaica. Yeah,
so you know, my mother said, we came here with just a little
(07:23):
small bag, but if you kickus out, we got a whole lot
to go back with, you know. So that's the situation if it makes
sense, Yeah, you know itwith there, you know what I'm saying.
But we both big dreamers. Iskind of like our attracted to each
other. Mm let's u let's askthis question, why Livingston, what was
it about this particular. Where areyou living? Mm? So that's it.
(07:46):
We've been here for uh what eightyears? Eight years? Yeah?
Okay, when we first put oursign out, maybe that rough with a
few feathers hashtag what Livingston has beenmissing? You know, had three times
(08:07):
a week? Yeah? Yeah,wow. To be able to call the
mayor of the of the city afriend now, to be able to really
be a staple in the community,to be to be someone, and to
be a business that others can lookto and say this is what we wanna
do at some point in time.What kind of advice do you want to
(08:30):
give to any other upstart business.Maybe not just a catering or a restaurant,
but yeah, anyone else. Ifthose are your dreams, go go
for them. Go for them.Don't let anybody tell you. People are
gonna tell you not to do itbecause they're scared for you. Yeah,
but you have to just step outon faith. That's not their dream,
it's yours. Yes, So yougotta live in your purpose and that's you
(08:50):
know. Y'all are doing this guysthe limit I'm saying I I want to
get into. As we are herein the holiday season, we got orders
of Thanksgiving birds going now and lookingat here, mind us and I'm gonna
grab one of these to be ableto turn to this here menu. Yeah,
y'all see this. We're gonna makesure that y'all have access to all
this on social media and everything.I'm gonna make y'all pick one your favorite
(09:13):
thing on the Mother's Touch Beestro andCatering Things Giving Day menu. What is
it that we gotta make sure thatwe have my mac and cheese? All
right, smoke turkey and the smoketurkeys. But the Things Giving package we
do the smoke turkeys on it.Now. I see the barbecue spears on
the side. On the side.Now when when they even comes around,
(09:41):
who's cooking and who's cleaning? I'mdoing both. Okay, we're gonna stay
on at least watching some football.Cleaning up a little bit maybe MO,
but I keep the kids in atack a little bit. You know,
(10:03):
he'll put something on the grill.Let's talk about the things giving it,
the holiday menus, and what itis to be able to provide for families
that can't do with themselves or theywant to because they've heard through the pod,
through the videos, what's been happeninggoing viral on TikTok. They need
to get a piece of it.How awesome is this to be able to
provide this for the community here yougot everything on this menu and I'm loving
(10:28):
it. I'm placing my order beforewe leave and I know that. But
yeah, to be able to providethis, what does that mean? To
to make families things given day withtheir fam personally? Like what the things
given menu? Right? Because peoplecare to thanks given all the time like
that. But it's just like theslogan says, just like mom's cooking.
You want to be able to enjoyyour family. Sometimes you cooking from sun
(10:52):
up to sundown. Young memory yourparents doing that and they can't even sit
down and really enjoy the meal becausethey kind of beat yep. But just
as you get to get that mom'scooking and enjoy your family, getting to
double the pleasure there? Right?Yes, can we talk about it?
Tastes y? Mom? I loveyou, matter of fact, I'm a
little I love you. But whenI tell you some of the stuff that
(11:16):
I done, taste it today,the corn bread with the colonel still in
it, Mama, just uptown ofie tee though Andre tell us about tell
us about what it means to reallyyeah, cook with love like mom would
do. How does that feels beaable to do that in the kitchen?
(11:37):
Well, that's where I got myname from a mother's touch, because my
mom and my grandmother, I gotit from them. Yeah, it was
passed down generation generation. Here mygrandmother's flowers. Even though she's passed her
she's a lancer right here with me, you know my mom, you know,
right there in the back, soshe in the back right to the
(11:58):
front. N So just pass itdown to our kids too, you know.
Sometimes answer a question you say,to cook with love. You know.
I get to sit back sometimes andkind of watch her in an element,
right, And it's really like watchingthe artists, you know so much,
(12:20):
watching like somebody paying the canvas whenshe and you know always joke beheld
with the kabat dude line, likeyou're an artist and you're sensitive about your
ship, understand it all right?Yeah, So, uh we just sit
back in all her sometimes and justwatching her food just literally touch people's souls
(12:43):
one by one. That's what it'smeant to do. Uh, that's what
we have learned. That's what's beena part of our culture. For so
long and to know that y'all areleaving a piece of who we are in
the community, and y'all are doingit with so much pride, with so
much charisma, with so much energy, with so much love. It's deeper
than just taking a bite of thatbomb ass seven cheese bacaroni. She said,
(13:05):
we don't take our teeth into talkabout that recipe without giving away secrets.
Please. Well, you know,I really well, my mom has
started fiddling with mac and cheese,and then I think I I took that
recipe and I tweeked it and madeit, you know, out to eat.
(13:28):
Yeah, by the time she tellsthe waiter the waitress what they want,
like mis the whole menu. OhLord, For those of y'all that
have seen what has viral on TikTokand Instagram, what do what do those
moments mean to y'all? How isthat when all of a sudden notification started
(13:52):
to go off like graz I couldn'tbelieve it. We were pulling up and
people were waiting outside before we wereeven in here, Like it was.
It was crazy. We didn't wedidn't know what it was going to be
like that. Be honest with you. I was at the rest of one
day and like you know, somekids around in their young twenties. Yeah,
he just came in like this,what hair. I'm like, okay,
(14:13):
how can I help you? Hesaid, what hair? I'm like
okay. But he was like heturns around. It's like, TikTok.
He's like, you got like sevenmillion views in TikTok. We just drove
from Pennsylvania being like two hours totaste your food. Yeah, And the
next thing you know, we gotpeople driving up from Virginia, Boston,
Maryland and it was just like Icouldn't believe it. You know. Well,
(14:33):
the thing that we've been talking aboutthroughout this conversation this episode of the
pod is what it means to beable to not just the food is delicious,
but the connecting, to be ableto share who you are through your
culinary skills with the world. Tonow know that you have affected in the
best way ever someone who's never evenheard of Livingston, New Jersey before,
(14:56):
and they're taking that home to theirfamily and it had as a little piece
of what y'all have done. Letus again for a bit. Y'all are
doing something that's truly special and That'swhat we love about this pot is is
showcasing black businesses who are doing thingsnot only for us by us. Fubu
shout out. We got you alsodoing it because it's it's who you are.
(15:22):
And you know, I don't wantto go any further with the with
this conversation without saying thank you,you know, as we continue to get
into some of the funky and funconversations here. All right, Yeah,
all so now I wanna I wantto ask We're gonna do like a little
something that we're gonna kind of callmain course, side dish and freezer.
(15:43):
You know what I'm saying. It'skind of like, you know, the
the kiss Mary Kill version, butthe food version here. All right,
So let's say potato salad with raisins, brownies made with black beans, or
ambrosia salad. Which one is themain course, which one is the side,
and which one goes in a freezer? Or do all of them going
(16:04):
to trash? I'm sorry? Yeah, well, I mean the brownies of
the black Man cank that's vegan.Okay, that could be a vegan dish,
all right, so yeah, thatcan go on a frid Can we
talk a little bit about that aboutcatering uh food and designing food in the
kitchen for you know, yeah,for for vegan menu or you have everything
(16:29):
there. We talked about that andhow important it is to be able to
make sure that everybody gets a taste. Everybody can get a taste we offer
a vegan vegetarian. If you seesomething that you don't like, just let
us know. You know, we'rehere. I'm here to I want to
make sure. Yeah. And bythe way, those doors get what they
want, you know, so lovethat that's important. It goes again to
(16:53):
y'all's character of giving and and catering, and that's what's in your heart,
is providing you're not turning folks aroundbecause it's not something that you can't get
in the kitchen and remix, youknow what I mean, to make sure
that everybody is even here with asmile and the full it's truly truly special.
As we put a button on theconversation, what are some of the
(17:14):
things that y'all and I brought thisup a little bit most proud of in
accomplishing you know what has become justthe beginning part of what a mother's touch.
Betro is gonna be about, becausethere's gonna be a whole lot more.
We're gonna have this commercial or thisconversation again. It's gonna be a
full on commercial. Yeah what Imean? So, yeah, what is
the most thing that y'all almost proudof? Like it's going back to the
(17:37):
whole conversation of perseverance, setting agoal, accomplishing that goal, crushing that
goal. Yeah, in order toset new goals now, achieving higher standing
this there, and then just seeingthat the look in my kids face and
beyond our kids' face is just it'scrushes. My daughter come and she just
(18:00):
sees and she's like, my mom, she's like your boss, right,
and she's like coming in and she'salmost like, you know, impersonating her.
She comes in sometimes and she's jokingwith the guys in the back.
She was like, no more pranks, you get back to work, right,
But you don't realize she's soaking itin, you know, and believe
(18:22):
it or not exactly. You know, we can't we can't pride her away
from a seven years old. Wecan't pride her away from her. She
loves being here. You think youwill be boring for a kid, Yeah,
but you don't realize that. Youknow, the kids are soaking in
the knowledge. The pride my sonhas when he goes to school, he
wears the hoodie with this Yes,that's your mom's restaurant. He's like,
yeah, you know, I can'tnever get s I can't get enough.
(18:51):
I'm telling you, yes. Yeah. So that's how about for you?
How about you're most proud of theaccomplishments thus far, I say, because
there are going to be more.I'm gonna buy it off a little bit
what he said, but honestly justpersevering. Yeah, the fact that I
did it. Yeah, you know, that's everything for me. And you're
doing it for the community. Notonly are you're doing it for the community,
you're doing it through one of thebest ways, the most personal ways
(19:17):
to connect with people is through food. And y'all seen the looks on our
face as we had our first bites. Y'all already heard it. My order
for Thanksgiving is in. Y'all alreadyheard it. This is that place where
when the line is wrapped around thebuilding, you're gonna have to go to
the second and third location because it'sand I mean, you'll hold you like
(19:38):
I'm sorry guys, you're not bad. I'm just so gravel and so thankful
that y'all open the doors to ushere this evening so that way we can
share the story, so we couldlet the world know the beautiful hearts and
souls behind the amazing food. Andthat's no joke. I just want to
(20:00):
say again a hearty thank you fortreating us like no problem. I'm the
one that's supposed to be knowing howto talk and I can't right now.
We're here. Here's what we're gonnado. How about we just say this
flood the comments, let us know, tell us about somebody who is truly
special in your life, and we'regonna, yeah, we're gonna make sure
that we get to you the sameamazing energy and food and love from this
(20:26):
beautiful place here and livings in NewJersey. So thank you for checking out
the building Black Buzz Podcast. Letthe comments flow, showing love for those
that you love most and what's yourmost thankful for? And how about that
we make sure that you you geta chance to my gosh, to take
something this banana put strawberry banana.I'm just gonna I'm just gonna run off
(20:48):
these things the fried chicken, wingsand shrimp, the jerk chicken. I
can go on and on and onand on before we go again. Thank
you so much, Thank you somuch, all parts so the building back.
I mean, I'm telling you,well, the building. Black Busess
podcasts don't get more interactive than this. Now, we got some more eating
to do, by y'all.
So here's the thing. You didn'tsee the outside. You seen the food.
You you couldn't smell it or tasteit. But on this episode of
the Building Black Biszess podcast, weare here with family now. Yeah,
and I I gotta say that witha capital I mean, it's it's in
every fiber of what happens here inJersey, in Livingston, New Jersey.
(00:21):
We got mail, we got andreCan we do a Ronald boss from the
building here? Yeah? Yo,So I think we need to start with
how did it start? You knowwhat, what's the story? How did
y'all know that feeding the community foryou know, for a couple of years
now was gonna be what it was, that was gonna be your life's mission.
(00:45):
Well, that has always been mydream, Yeah, to to own
a restaurant. Who knew it wasgonna be a Livingston I didn't know,
But so I started out, youknow, I went to culinary school,
did all of that, and wedid catering for ten Okay, we had
a catering company for ten years.It was called The Mother's Touch Catering.
(01:06):
And when COVID hit, this buildingbecame available. Yeah, so that was
the perfect time for us to stepout on faith and to go for what
you believe it. Yeah, yeah, and to have this be such a
family. I mean again, Istarted off the conversation with that being that
capital f knowing that y'all was gonnado it with those who had your back
no matter what. Let's go backto those days when it first started out
(01:29):
as a catering business. Out ofthat feel, well, I could tell
you. You know, my deangirlfriend now wife, one of the very
first conversations we had was that shewanted to have a catering business eventually have
a restaurant. Yeah, and shesaid it was a dream of hers.
And right away, I'm a bigdreamer. My mother always pushed that in
(01:52):
me, for sure, big dreams. And right away I'm like, okay,
we working on logos, we doingthis, We get in business guards
right away when we're doing that.Right away, and we was doing it.
You know, it was a grindfor some years. And like she
said, uh, you know,she's been a bit modest, uh right
now, just here, just alittle bit. But like you know,
it was just all God's time,like you said, right, yep,
(02:14):
yeah, it was all God's time. A situation her job. We didn't
know which way she was gonna goat the time, and it just so
happened. Like I'm in real estate. My co worker had this place listed
okay, and I called her.We came, we looked, we looked
at it, and I'm like,can you make this? Can you make
this place work? She was like, what yeah, apartment. I called
(02:38):
my colleague. She said, Igot two other people that wanted. But
if you want it as yours,So you know, that's just God's work.
It was meant to happen when itwas meant to know that you had
that dream and to watch that firstlet's say, those first few orders on
the catering side come in. Howdid that feel knowing that you were a
business owner, knowing that you wereproviding a service and you were delivering with
(03:00):
love, and to see people thosevery first orders come in? How did
that feel? Though? Amazing?Amazing, Like I said, we did
it for ten years. But justhaving a stapleton of a place of business
now, yeah, to call myown y you know no more me.
Well we do deliver still, wecan do. You can come and pick
it up. Now I don't haveto just deliver to you. I have
a place of business it was ait was a feul grade. So making
(03:24):
that accomplishment of reality. Yeah,and let's start at you know that part.
Uh, when you think about startingyour own business and stepping out,
who do you who do you relyon? Other than family? Were there
other mentors? Were their friends thatalways had your back? Were there people
who you know, continue to pushyou along the way, uh, to
give the encouragement besides the the theboyfriend Fyonce now husband, and you know,
(03:46):
and and the mother and everything.That's really honestly, that's really who
it was. It was outside ofAndre, my mother, my grandfather,
Yes, my grandmother. They pushedme. Mm, they pushed me.
How was the fielding other y'all makingthem proud? It was amazing. I
(04:08):
love this. I love this.The reason why I love this is because
again there is there's so much lovein not only the building, the room,
the food. We're gonna we're gonnaget to that party because we done
taste it. We don't put ourfoot, you don't put your foot in,
your elbow, your knuckles, allparts of what we had the chance
(04:29):
to taste. But I want totalk about what it took to become a
successful business owner and to achieve thosethose goals despite some of the tough times,
because there was our shout out toour love and our family and our
brother David behind here. But itwas COVID that kind of put a wrinkling
things. Huh yeah, absolutely,yeah, I mean listen that you say,
(04:50):
what it takes, it's just perseverance. Yeah, and you know whatever,
the first and only black restaurant inthis town's history, right, coming
from a background where it's a predominantlyuh you know, Jewish neighborhood and Italian
and uh, it took us ayear. I'm not gonna lie. We
(05:12):
went through a lot of optimals.Small place, and we went through and
we probably should have. Yeah,yeah, but we we wanted to quit.
But it's that old saying when youlook around and you realize you're doing
it for your children. Yes,it's like we can't do this. They
can look and say mom and pop, yeah they did this. They went
through all of this. You know, it should have took us ninety days
(05:33):
to open, but because of thered tape, it took us a year.
And that you couldn't quit, thatyou had to be persistent quit and
now you have those repeat customers toknow that you had those new customers,
to know that you're doing something forthe very first time as a successful black
business in the community. You knowwhat, Yeah, what are those feelings
(05:55):
like when you get to come inhere and sometimes you think I'm too tired
to go to work. Man,I don't feel like but he says that,
but not for me, Not forme, because I'm honestly, guys,
I'm living in my dream. Yeah, the beginning of it, okay,
and I would love to have multiplelocations and all you gonna have a
whole list, but yeah, it'sthe start, yes, is the start
(06:17):
to be able to build this foundationfrom here to know that we're gonna have
this conversation now. But then let'sfast forward five years and the kitchen is
double the size, the event spaceis double the size, the the catering,
uh, you know, reaches notonly throughout here in Jersey. We're
gonna to you to tell us alittle bit about where we can make sure
that we get the delivery too.But when it starts to become those orders
(06:38):
that are happening Upper east Side,or you know, you're going to Connecticut
maybe for something, or you're hoppingon you're hopping on a plane and you
don't want to do it. Yeah, to have those that's God's called for
men. I'm doing it. I'mnot gonna I'm gonna do it. What
are some of those goals that y'allas we were, you know, kind
of mentioning that you really look forwardto accomplishing in the next couple of years
with the mother's touch, Like Isaid, at least having few locations.
(07:02):
Yeah, so while not just Jersey, I would like to go to Georgia,
just anywhere and everywhere, anywhere,everywhere, anywhere and everywhere. Yes,
you know, if the situation isright, the vibe is right,
and it makes sense. Yeah listen, uh you know, as she told
you earlier, Like you know,I was born in Jamaica. Yeah,
so you know, my mother said, we came here with just a little
(07:23):
small bag, but if you kickus out, we got a whole lot
to go back with, you know. So that's the situation if it makes
sense, Yeah, you know itwith there, you know what I'm saying.
But we both big dreamers. Iskind of like our attracted to each
other. Mm let's u let's askthis question, why Livingston, what was
it about this particular. Where areyou living? Mm? So that's it.
(07:46):
We've been here for uh what eightyears? Eight years? Yeah?
Okay, when we first put oursign out, maybe that rough with a
few feathers hashtag what Livingston has beenmissing? You know, had three times
(08:07):
a week? Yeah? Yeah,wow. To be able to call the
mayor of the of the city afriend now, to be able to really
be a staple in the community,to be to be someone, and to
be a business that others can lookto and say this is what we wanna
do at some point in time.What kind of advice do you want to
(08:30):
give to any other upstart business.Maybe not just a catering or a restaurant,
but yeah, anyone else. Ifthose are your dreams, go go
for them. Go for them.Don't let anybody tell you. People are
gonna tell you not to do itbecause they're scared for you. Yeah,
but you have to just step outon faith. That's not their dream,
it's yours. Yes, So yougotta live in your purpose and that's you
(08:50):
know. Y'all are doing this guysthe limit I'm saying I I want to
get into. As we are herein the holiday season, we got orders
of Thanksgiving birds going now and lookingat here, mind us and I'm gonna
grab one of these to be ableto turn to this here menu. Yeah,
y'all see this. We're gonna makesure that y'all have access to all
this on social media and everything.I'm gonna make y'all pick one your favorite
(09:13):
thing on the Mother's Touch Beestro andCatering Things Giving Day menu. What is
it that we gotta make sure thatwe have my mac and cheese? All
right, smoke turkey and the smoketurkeys. But the Things Giving package we
do the smoke turkeys on it.Now. I see the barbecue spears on
the side. On the side.Now when when they even comes around,
(09:41):
who's cooking and who's cleaning? I'mdoing both. Okay, we're gonna stay
on at least watching some football.Cleaning up a little bit maybe MO,
but I keep the kids in atack a little bit. You know,
(10:03):
he'll put something on the grill.Let's talk about the things giving it,
the holiday menus, and what itis to be able to provide for families
that can't do with themselves or theywant to because they've heard through the pod,
through the videos, what's been happeninggoing viral on TikTok. They need
to get a piece of it.How awesome is this to be able to
provide this for the community here yougot everything on this menu and I'm loving
(10:28):
it. I'm placing my order beforewe leave and I know that. But
yeah, to be able to providethis, what does that mean? To
to make families things given day withtheir fam personally? Like what the things
given menu? Right? Because peoplecare to thanks given all the time like
that. But it's just like theslogan says, just like mom's cooking.
You want to be able to enjoyyour family. Sometimes you cooking from sun
(10:52):
up to sundown. Young memory yourparents doing that and they can't even sit
down and really enjoy the meal becausethey kind of beat yep. But just
as you get to get that mom'scooking and enjoy your family, getting to
double the pleasure there? Right?Yes, can we talk about it?
Tastes y? Mom? I loveyou, matter of fact, I'm a
little I love you. But whenI tell you some of the stuff that
(11:16):
I done, taste it today,the corn bread with the colonel still in
it, Mama, just uptown ofie tee though Andre tell us about tell
us about what it means to reallyyeah, cook with love like mom would
do. How does that feels beaable to do that in the kitchen?
(11:37):
Well, that's where I got myname from a mother's touch, because my
mom and my grandmother, I gotit from them. Yeah, it was
passed down generation generation. Here mygrandmother's flowers. Even though she's passed her
she's a lancer right here with me, you know my mom, you know,
right there in the back, soshe in the back right to the
(11:58):
front. N So just pass itdown to our kids too, you know.
Sometimes answer a question you say,to cook with love. You know.
I get to sit back sometimes andkind of watch her in an element,
right, And it's really like watchingthe artists, you know so much,
(12:20):
watching like somebody paying the canvas whenshe and you know always joke beheld
with the kabat dude line, likeyou're an artist and you're sensitive about your
ship, understand it all right?Yeah, So, uh we just sit
back in all her sometimes and justwatching her food just literally touch people's souls
(12:43):
one by one. That's what it'smeant to do. Uh, that's what
we have learned. That's what's beena part of our culture. For so
long and to know that y'all areleaving a piece of who we are in
the community, and y'all are doingit with so much pride, with so
much charisma, with so much energy, with so much love. It's deeper
than just taking a bite of thatbomb ass seven cheese bacaroni. She said,
(13:05):
we don't take our teeth into talkabout that recipe without giving away secrets.
Please. Well, you know,I really well, my mom has
started fiddling with mac and cheese,and then I think I I took that
recipe and I tweeked it and madeit, you know, out to eat.
(13:28):
Yeah, by the time she tellsthe waiter the waitress what they want,
like mis the whole menu. OhLord, For those of y'all that
have seen what has viral on TikTokand Instagram, what do what do those
moments mean to y'all? How isthat when all of a sudden notification started
(13:52):
to go off like graz I couldn'tbelieve it. We were pulling up and
people were waiting outside before we wereeven in here, Like it was.
It was crazy. We didn't wedidn't know what it was going to be
like that. Be honest with you. I was at the rest of one
day and like you know, somekids around in their young twenties. Yeah,
he just came in like this,what hair. I'm like, okay,
(14:13):
how can I help you? Hesaid, what hair? I'm like
okay. But he was like heturns around. It's like, TikTok.
He's like, you got like sevenmillion views in TikTok. We just drove
from Pennsylvania being like two hours totaste your food. Yeah, And the
next thing you know, we gotpeople driving up from Virginia, Boston,
Maryland and it was just like Icouldn't believe it. You know. Well,
(14:33):
the thing that we've been talking aboutthroughout this conversation this episode of the
pod is what it means to beable to not just the food is delicious,
but the connecting, to be ableto share who you are through your
culinary skills with the world. Tonow know that you have affected in the
best way ever someone who's never evenheard of Livingston, New Jersey before,
(14:56):
and they're taking that home to theirfamily and it had as a little piece
of what y'all have done. Letus again for a bit. Y'all are
doing something that's truly special and That'swhat we love about this pot is is
showcasing black businesses who are doing thingsnot only for us by us. Fubu
shout out. We got you alsodoing it because it's it's who you are.
(15:22):
And you know, I don't wantto go any further with the with
this conversation without saying thank you,you know, as we continue to get
into some of the funky and funconversations here. All right, Yeah,
all so now I wanna I wantto ask We're gonna do like a little
something that we're gonna kind of callmain course, side dish and freezer.
(15:43):
You know what I'm saying. It'skind of like, you know, the
the kiss Mary Kill version, butthe food version here. All right,
So let's say potato salad with raisins, brownies made with black beans, or
ambrosia salad. Which one is themain course, which one is the side,
and which one goes in a freezer? Or do all of them going
(16:04):
to trash? I'm sorry? Yeah, well, I mean the brownies of
the black Man cank that's vegan.Okay, that could be a vegan dish,
all right, so yeah, thatcan go on a frid Can we
talk a little bit about that aboutcatering uh food and designing food in the
kitchen for you know, yeah,for for vegan menu or you have everything
(16:29):
there. We talked about that andhow important it is to be able to
make sure that everybody gets a taste. Everybody can get a taste we offer
a vegan vegetarian. If you seesomething that you don't like, just let
us know. You know, we'rehere. I'm here to I want to
make sure. Yeah. And bythe way, those doors get what they
want, you know, so lovethat that's important. It goes again to
(16:53):
y'all's character of giving and and catering, and that's what's in your heart,
is providing you're not turning folks aroundbecause it's not something that you can't get
in the kitchen and remix, youknow what I mean, to make sure
that everybody is even here with asmile and the full it's truly truly special.
As we put a button on theconversation, what are some of the
(17:14):
things that y'all and I brought thisup a little bit most proud of in
accomplishing you know what has become justthe beginning part of what a mother's touch.
Betro is gonna be about, becausethere's gonna be a whole lot more.
We're gonna have this commercial or thisconversation again. It's gonna be a
full on commercial. Yeah what Imean? So, yeah, what is
the most thing that y'all almost proudof? Like it's going back to the
(17:37):
whole conversation of perseverance, setting agoal, accomplishing that goal, crushing that
goal. Yeah, in order toset new goals now, achieving higher standing
this there, and then just seeingthat the look in my kids face and
beyond our kids' face is just it'scrushes. My daughter come and she just
(18:00):
sees and she's like, my mom, she's like your boss, right,
and she's like coming in and she'salmost like, you know, impersonating her.
She comes in sometimes and she's jokingwith the guys in the back.
She was like, no more pranks, you get back to work, right,
But you don't realize she's soaking itin, you know, and believe
(18:22):
it or not exactly. You know, we can't we can't pride her away
from a seven years old. Wecan't pride her away from her. She
loves being here. You think youwill be boring for a kid, Yeah,
but you don't realize that. Youknow, the kids are soaking in
the knowledge. The pride my sonhas when he goes to school, he
wears the hoodie with this Yes,that's your mom's restaurant. He's like,
yeah, you know, I can'tnever get s I can't get enough.
(18:51):
I'm telling you, yes. Yeah. So that's how about for you?
How about you're most proud of theaccomplishments thus far, I say, because
there are going to be more.I'm gonna buy it off a little bit
what he said, but honestly justpersevering. Yeah, the fact that I
did it. Yeah, you know, that's everything for me. And you're
doing it for the community. Notonly are you're doing it for the community,
you're doing it through one of thebest ways, the most personal ways
(19:17):
to connect with people is through food. And y'all seen the looks on our
face as we had our first bites. Y'all already heard it. My order
for Thanksgiving is in. Y'all alreadyheard it. This is that place where
when the line is wrapped around thebuilding, you're gonna have to go to
the second and third location because it'sand I mean, you'll hold you like
(19:38):
I'm sorry guys, you're not bad. I'm just so gravel and so thankful
that y'all open the doors to ushere this evening so that way we can
share the story, so we couldlet the world know the beautiful hearts and
souls behind the amazing food. Andthat's no joke. I just want to
(20:00):
say again a hearty thank you fortreating us like no problem. I'm the
one that's supposed to be knowing howto talk and I can't right now.
We're here. Here's what we're gonnado. How about we just say this
flood the comments, let us know, tell us about somebody who is truly
special in your life, and we'regonna, yeah, we're gonna make sure
that we get to you the sameamazing energy and food and love from this
(20:26):
beautiful place here and livings in NewJersey. So thank you for checking out
the building Black Buzz Podcast. Letthe comments flow, showing love for those
that you love most and what's yourmost thankful for? And how about that
we make sure that you you geta chance to my gosh, to take
something this banana put strawberry banana.I'm just gonna I'm just gonna run off
(20:48):
these things the fried chicken, wingsand shrimp, the jerk chicken. I
can go on and on and onand on before we go again. Thank
you so much, Thank you somuch, all parts so the building back.
I mean, I'm telling you,well, the building. Black Busess
podcasts don't get more interactive than this. Now, we got some more eating
to do, by y'all.
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