Maria Lara-Bregatta

You hear Maria Lara-Bregatta in the kitchen before you see her: the music is cranking and the effervescent chef is dancing as she preps her ingredients. “I’m a Dominican-Italian American woman, two very loud cultures, so when I’m cooking, I’m just having a good time. My kitchen is lively and loud. If we’re not having fun, then what are we doing here?”

That joy infuses the Dominican-fusion food she creates at Café Mamajuana in Burlington’s Old North End. Golden empanadas filled with well-seasoned beans, rice, and meats. Jerk and mango glazed wings. Chimi-burger sliders, yuca fries and mojo dipping sauce. Tropical flavors and bright colors. And plantains, of course. “Plantains are power,” Maria explains. “They’re a relic of the diaspora, a Dominican staple by way of West Africa. Plantains speak to the mixture of race in my culture. They offer sustenance and fill people’s bellies.”

“Most people aren’t familiar with Dominican cuisine,” she continues, “so I spearhead the kitchen in order to remain authentic with my food. I haven’t had a lot of people of color work with me yet, but my dream is to represent the cuisine I’m offering through the people who work here, too.”

Maria’s path to restaurateur started back when she was dropped off after school at her father’s restaurants outside Philadelphia. “I helped with whatever I was legally allowed to do as a schoolkid.” She later studied pastry and apprenticed with several bakers. Ironically, baking taught her that she preferred to cook. “I learn to cook by watching and doing, tasting and seasoning as I go. Dominican cuisine is really free-flowing and flavorful, and I found it fluid, easy, and fun.”

While at the University of Vermont, where she majored in religion, Maria worked at Arts Riot. “That opened a lot of culinary doors for me,” she notes. “My boss allowed me to set up a Dominican food stand during Art Hop, and people fell in love with the food.” She did pop-ups at bars around town and quickly gained a loyal following. However, “bopping in and out of other people’s kitchens wasn’t sustainable, so I started a crowd-funding page to help me open my own kitchen.”

“I’m young; I’m flexible; I’m confident. I feel loved and supported by this community. I don’t feel pressured to be the biggest or best chef; I just want to be the best mom and find a healthy balance. I’ve had other business owners reach out to me and say, ‘Wow, you’re taking bold steps to carve out space and make decisions that I wish I had been able to do.’ Some people say I’ve motivated them to re-evaluate their lives, and that’s rewarding enough for me. Accolades are great, but inspiring people is more fulfilling.” –Maria Lara-Bregatta

Benjy Adler of The Skinny Pancake connected with Maria and encouraged her to consider a space located at 88 Oak Street in Burlington’s Old North End. “He wanted this building to support community-based businesses. Matt Crop helped organize several of us in a cooperative, and I became a founding member and tenant in February 2019. Café Mamajuana opened in November 2019, and I share this space with Poppy Café. All Souls Tortilleria is our third tenant in the back of the building. Poppy uses it for lunchtime service, and I have access to it for the evening.”

The past few years have been a crazy blur for Maria. She pivoted to take-out during the pandemic, became a new mom, and was nominated as a James Beard award semifinalist in the winter of 2022. Talk about a trio of life-changing circumstances!

“After we got the James Beard recognition, the place blew up. My staff and I were feeding 100 people a night out of this shoebox café, and it became unsustainable. That’s when I decided to change gears. At the peak of my success last summer, I stopped restaurant service. The reality was yeah, the bills are paid, the money was fine, but everything else was falling apart. I was worried about my staff’s well-being, and I also wanted to spend these most formative years making sure I raise my daughter right.”

Maria now runs a one-woman show. She’s catering, teaching cooking classes, and open for dinner service several Fridays each month. “To reduce overhead, I became the sole chef. I have the flexibility to come in and prep throughout the week when Ayla is at daycare. Having this co-op status has afforded me the ability to be flexible. Because we all split the rent three ways, that reduces the pressure on me to be in service daily.”

So what super-power (beyond plantains) allows Maria to stay energized and hopeful? “I tend to thrive in chaos,” she laughs. “I grew up in a chaotic household with a new immigrant father who was a chef juggling the demands of his restaurants. I’ve carried that energy into my adult life. I also like running the show.”

Maria pauses for a moment. “I’m young; I’m flexible; I’m confident. I feel loved and supported by this community. I don’t feel pressured to be the biggest or best chef; I just want to be the best mom and find a healthy balance. I’ve had other business owners reach out to me and say, ‘Wow, you’re taking bold steps to carve out space and make decisions that I wish I had been able to do.’ Some people say I’ve motivated them to re-evaluate their lives, and that’s rewarding enough for me. Accolades are great, but inspiring people is more fulfilling.”

• cafemamajuana.com