Woézõ West African Cuisine Hosting Thursday Night Pop-Ups In Baguetteaboudit

Starting tomorrow (June 26), Woézõ West African food will be moving into local French cafe Baguetteaboudit on Thursday nights.

Locals can stop by the cafe, located at 270 Vanderbilt Avenue (between Lafayette and Dekalb Avenue), from 9pm-2am for traditional West African polenta. Woézõ owner Mitch Bloom launched his food stand at Smorgasburg this past April, inspired by his experiences serving in the Peace Corps in Togo and his passion for sustainable and locally-sourced food.

“It’s continuing the mission of the Peace Corps, sharing the culture of the country where you served,” Mitch says. “What better way to share the story of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met than through their food?”

Mitch said he plans to serve polenta with a ginger onion stew, yam fries, and a choice of garlic sautéed oyster mushrooms or meat. He said he is still deciding between a maple pork butt or a fennel beef stew.

Mitch met Baguetteaboudit owner Keith Goldberg while sitting in the cafe, working on plans for Woézõ. “I asked Keith to take a look at the menu, and we decided it would be a good idea to help each other out,” Mitch said.

Keith said he is applying for a BYOB license, and plans on showing movies while Mitch serves his polenta.

Mitch said he discovered his love of cooking by working at Bare Burger while pursing his Masters in f

t NYU.

“Your hands are creating the product that sustains your business,” he says. “You have the power to have people come through your door, forget about the outside, and enjoy themselves.”

Photo via Woézõ West African