Que Chevere brings the Lower East Side community together to enjoy classic Puerto Rican cuisine. The owner, Mike Petrovitch, opened the restaurant back in 2018 as a homage to his Puerto Rican Heritage and to bring Autism Awareness to his community to honor his son and grandson. As a true Latin American Restaurant in Action, the restaurant team’s mission extends beyond business and strives for social justice, which made them an ideal partner for us. Mike and his team formed part of the LARiA project, with our shared goal of changing the narrative about Latin food by offering healthier options at Que Chevere. The product of this collaboration was a new menu item, called The Fresqueria Bowl, served with seasonal vegetables, habichuelas guisadas, and rice. Another collaborative creation was the San Juan Bowl, featuring roasted chicken over verduras and plantains, as an alternative to rice-based bowls.
Months after we completed our formal work together, the seasonal vegetables remain on the menu. Moreover, the verduras, along with the Fresqueria and San Juan bowls, are also part of the menu at Que Chevere’s newly opened location in New York’s Financial District!
We asked Mariana Pelaez, NYC-based, Mexico City native photographer and storyteller, to interview Mike and share his thoughts on our collaboration.
Referencing the LARiA team, Mike shared, “They’re just here to offer friendly advice on how to take your cuisine and make it a little bit more nutritious. It helped us tweak our cuisine to where today, the vegetarian options that we have at Que Chevere are one of the most popular.”
The video below, filmed in Que Chevere in The Market Line below Essex Market in the Lower East Side, New York City, captures the essence of the restaurant and our shared work to weave healthful creations into their menu.
Stop by one of Que Chevere’s two locations to try their delicious creations!
- Lower East Side Location: 115 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002, United States
- FIDI Location: 100 Pearl St, New York, NY 10004, USA
Stay tuned for our next blog post, featuring our collaboration with another Latin American Restaurant in Action, La Loncheria!
Video credits: Video/Photography by Mariana Pelaez
Music credits: Music by Omar A. Dauhajre (aka DJ Shabakano); Mastering and co-production by Giovanni Escalera (aka Too White to be Mexican).
LARiAProject 