A new soul food cafe that finds many uses for Maryland’s giant chunk crab meat opens tomorrow in Capitol Heights, Maryland. In A Minute Café comes from longtime friends and chefs Reginald Mack and Steven Wilson, whose respective restaurant businesses have dried up during the pandemic.
“When COVID-19 hit, it slowed everything down. All catering contracts have been canceled, ”Mack said.
The two decided to team up and turn the catering kitchen for Wilson’s Minute Events into a new delivery location that sells crab cakes, crab fries, BLT crab cakes on a buttery brioche bun and a LochMess Monster chicken cheesesteak topped with crab dip. The fried or blackened catfish arrives with accompaniments like macaroni and cheese, fried rice, yams, cabbage or asparagus. Wing orders ($ 1 each; five minimum) are brushed with Hennessy, Old Bay, jerk, or lemon pepper sauce. Dessert calls for peach cobbler or freshly baked cookies.
Pickup and delivery times are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday (closed Sunday).
“The food is ready in a minute,” Mack says, explaining the name. “The neighborhood is willing and ready – they were waiting for this. “
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Wilson let Mack use his commercial kitchen for catering concerts. Now the pair have room for around 10 seats if they decide to allow dining inside down the line.
“The kitchen is dynamite. I had a food truck and these are really small inside – now I have two deep fryers, ”says Mack.
Another soul food place, Uncaged Chefs, recently opened in District Heights, Maryland. He’s also known for his over-the-top dishes like Cajun crab fries topped with crab cakes or fried lobster with Hennessy and Teddy Graham French toast.
Mack is happy to see black-owned businesses garnering more attention as part of a growing social justice movement.
“There is no better time than the present,” says Mack.
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