Giving soul food a new meaning, Mary-Brennan Faucheux, owner of Mj’s Café, dedicates her life and work to provide farm-to-table dishes for local vegans and gluten-free lovers, using locally grown ingredients.
Working at Mj’s Café during her years at LSU, Faucheux decided to carry out its legacy after the previous owner was ready to sell. Her passion for farm-to-table inspired Faucheux to keep the spirit of Mj’s alive.
“I really fell in love with the whole magic of it all,” Faucheux said. “Sharing food with one another is an almost spiritual thing. I just wanted to keep the connection from touching the vegetables to seeing people’s reactions and essentially bringing them joy.”
After taking over Mj’s Café two years ago, Faucheux created a modern chic spot to serve the Baton Rouge community. Her goal was to create a middle ground for people disinterested in vegan dishes to experience a meal that does not sacrifice flavor but instead incorporates more whole foods to enjoy.
Attempting to end the thought that meat is required in diets, Faucheux creates dishes with immense flavor which prove meat is not the star of the food world.
“It’s about trying to wake up a society that’s eating meat all the time and just asking them to do small switches [from meat to vegetables] and that’s a win,” Faucheux said.
Having people be more open-minded to vegan dishes gives Faucheux hope people will fuel their bodies with whole foods that are fresh and keep them energized throughout the day.
Faucheux’s most popular dish is the Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap, which consists of cauliflower and chickpeas tossed in buffalo sauce, avocado, sprouts, pickled red onions and vegan ranch wrapped in a white pita.
Cooking without meat allows dishes to be created with more ingredients, giving them a tremendous amount of flavor that is unique and delicious. Faucheux and her team enjoy creating scrumptious plant-based dishes using the local farmers market.
“It’s about trying to wake up a society that’s eating meat all the time and just asking them to do small switches [from meat to vegetables] and that’s a win,” Faucheux said.
Having people be more open-minded to vegan dishes gives Faucheux hope people will fuel their bodies with whole foods that are fresh and keep them energized throughout the day.
Faucheux’s most popular dish is the Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap, which consists of cauliflower and chickpeas tossed in buffalo sauce, avocado, sprouts, pickled red onions and vegan ranch wrapped in a white pita.
Cooking without meat allows dishes to be created with more ingredients, giving them a tremendous amount of flavor that is unique and delicious. Faucheux and her team enjoy creating scrumptious plant-based dishes using the local farmers market.
MJ's Cafe operates during regular business hours on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2019, on Government Street.
