Tucked right inside the corner where Floranada meets Federal Highway, Mom’s Kitchen at 1940 NE 45th Street, has been a staple in the neighborhood since 1992.
George LaMonica, Mom’s Kitchen founder, began his venture in the restaurant business back in 1972. After working in the kitchen with his mother, learning the secrets of his home cooked recipes and favorites of the local clientelle, he found Mom’s forever home at the current location. In 2019, George retired and sold Mom’s Kitchen to current owner, Gil Hyatt.
Gil takes pride in maintaining the same objective: high quality food and service within a relaxing, homey feel, in a family-style environment. In honor of George’s vision and collections, you can’t help but notice the sports, music, vintage toys and train memorabilia that give Mom’s the character that customers have been drawn to over the years.
Expanding on Great Food and Locations
As the building offered a vacant storefront across the hall, new ownership saw the great potential for expanding the location and bringing more options to the community: An outdoor garden seating area (with string lighting and great rock classics), beer and wine selection, delivery services, and a future expansion right across the hall to allow for even more seating. The addition will include a private dining room intended for birthday parties, baby showers, corporate events and luncheons!
Gil is excited to elevate the entire experience of Mom’s to greater heights: “Come as you are, bring your family and friends, enjoy the South Florida weather and home cooked favorites. We want Mom’s to be your “go-to” place and we really mean it”. They even have little dog biscuits and water bowls ready for the furkids!
Dinner Dining
You may have noticed the lines of customers waiting every Sunday morning for a stack of their buttery sweet potato pancakes, but did you know that they have opened up for dinner Wednesday through Friday nights? From 5-8 PM, you can get off of work and sit down to a hot meal without all the hassle of prep and dishes! Once the weather cools down, you might even catch a live band on the patio!
You’ll always be welcomed with a smile and a prompt basket of fresh, steaming hot rolls along with luxurious melted garlic butter. Every customer is seated quickly and welcomed by the chef behind the counter. It is easy to see how some of the servers have been with the restaurant for over 20 years and folks keep coming back, now for breakfast and dinner.
The dinner menu has different items every week, so that the chefs and customers can suggest which recipes should be offered full time. For example, one night the special was the “Real Deal” turkey special, with a slow roasted turkey breast, sliced in house. If you aren’t in the mood for Thanksgiving just yet, they offered plump shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, fried chicken, and delicious Italian Wedding Soup and salads. They definitely do not skimp on the portions and have a fair selection of beers and specialty wines for pairing with your meals.
Lastly, the piece de resistance, not to be missed by anyone, is rotating dessert towers. No one will double guess if you order (or take a few slices home) of both the carrot cake and the blueberry pie with the dark, violet jam.
Of course, breakfast and lunch menu items are available to order when you have your ‘brinner cravings, too. And if you are looking to head out for a nice brunch on the weekend, make sure to sign up ahead of time on the Yelp waitlist for quick seating!
Remembering George
George LaMonica passed away on August 5th, 2022. The doors and windows were hung with a beautiful invitation for A Celebration of Life, which was held at the restaurant on August 14th. Family and friends shared fond memories under the roof that brought so many of them together in the years before. As Gil shared, “Although he is no longer with us, he will live on at the warm place that he built, and we will miss him very much”.
As Mom’s Kitchen develops richer recipes for dinner, opens their doors (and walls) to community events, and keeps delivering the mile-high slices of red velvet cake, they’ll keep their regulars happy and new customers coming back for more.
