Camari Mick Channels Afro-Caribbean Roots at Calabash, Her Debut West Village Bakery-Brasserie

On a crisp Thursday morning in the West Village, Camari Mick stands behind the counter of Calabash, her first solo venture, greeting early patrons with a tray of sweet potato rum cakes still warm from the oven. The four-time James Beard Award semifinalist, whose pastry wizardry shaped menus at the Musket Room and Raf’s, is now weaving her Afro-Caribbean heritage into every corner of this intimate bakery-brasserie on Hudson Street.

Calabash opened its doors this week, drawing lines that wrapped around the block by lunchtime. The menu reads like a culinary passport stamped in Kingston and Port of Spain: saltfish-stuffed buns, guava-and-cheese kouign-amann, and a golden beef patty croissant that’s already been snapped for countless Instagram stories. Behind the glass, Mick’s signature rum cakes glisten under the bakery lights, their boozy aroma mingling with the morning’s first espresso shots.

“I grew up with my grandmother’s callaloo and coconut drops,” Mick tells Made in NYC, arranging slices of cassava pone as the lunch crowd builds. “But for years, I was baking classic French pastry for New Yorkers. Calabash is my chance to bring those worlds together—my heritage, my city, and what pastry can be.”

The 30-seat space hums with the rhythms of reggae and soca, its walls lined with family photos and bold prints from Caribbean artists. On weekday afternoons, students from nearby NYU sip hibiscus sorrel while retirees linger over plantain bread pudding. The effect is unmistakably New York, but the flavors are pure diaspora—complex, comforting, and unapologetically bold.

With the city’s fall food season in full swing, Calabash has quickly become a must-stop for those chasing the next great bite. But for Mick, it’s more personal: a homecoming, layered with memory and ambition, in the heart of Manhattan.