Mottley Kitchen

On the corner of East 140th Street and Willis Avenue, Mottley Kitchen is the café the neighborhood built its mornings around: a big, sunny room with plenty of seating, outlets and Wi-Fi, local merch on the shelves, and a rooftop deck upstairs when the weather allows. It began as a café and catering kitchen while Mott Haven was changing fast, with the stated aim of being a room where longtime residents and new arrivals would actually sit together.

Breakfast and lunch are the hours to come. The rancheros egg sandwich and the pimento cheese sandwiches are the orders, with a case of pastries by the register and a spiced Moroccan coffee that takes a few extra minutes and is worth them. The brownstone rows of the Mott Haven East Historic District are right outside, on East 139th and 140th Streets — walk them with your coffee.