With items like burgers and a classic egg breakfast, the food at Mae's in Mt. Clemens is simple, but done right.
"You don't need a lot to make something taste well," says Mae's owner and chef, Paul Jackman. "I wanted to do food that people were comfortable with, that was approachable, but was taken to another level with the quality of ingredients that we use and the fact that it is all made form scratch."
Jackman is no newbie when it comes to restaurants. He's worked at several restaurants across the metro area including D'Amato's, Goodnight Gracie's, The Townsend Hotel, Franklin Hills Country Club, and most recently The Whitney. Opening up Mae's was a way for Jackman to be closer to his family, only serving breakfast and lunch at the cozy diner-like place.
"I wanted it to feel clean when you walked in, and I wanted it to feel timeless," said Jackman. The place is small with white subway tiles, an exposed brick wall and a tin ceiling. You can easily see the open kitchen from anywhere in the dining room, a design choice Jackman wanted.
While it may look like a classic diner, it operates like the modern fast-causal eateries with patrons ordering at the counter, given a number and having their food brought out to them.
Their menu has traditional items like omelets, a Maurice salad called The Hudson, and lots of sandwiches, but some of them have a unique twist. Their breakfast burrito features bacon fried rice inside, and their grilled cheese has tomatoes, honey and basil on it.
If you would like to try Mae's, they are open 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. They are located at 64 Macomb Pl. in Mt. Clemens.