It’s always a beautiful day in this Brooklyn neighborhood eatery
In April 2008, when Michelle Mannix and her brother bought a small space with a crimson storefront in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill, they had no idea it would become the neighborhood institution it is today. Three years later, Ted & Honey is now a favorite for local moms and their kids.
At this quintessential neighborhood joint, everything is homemade, organic, and local—down to the bread and the coffee from other Cobble Hill businesses. As Mannix explains, becoming the go-to restaurant for the stroller set was not their initial intention. “We’ve always had a kids menu, but we really started making organic baby food and catering to moms after my niece, Sophie, was born, and I got pregnant with Jackson.”
As a culinary professional, Mannix is highly attentive to what she feeds Jackson. She thinks that families should eat the same thing as much as possible. “If you and your husband are having salad niçoise and the kids are having chicken fingers, it sets up an awkward precedent and affects the kids’ relationship with food.” So what’s a go-to family meal, we ask. “Definitely pasta with a good meat ragù. It’s easy to make, delicious and a great source of vegetables and iron for the children.”
Mannix describes the birth of Ted & Honey as a magical mistake. After years of working corporate jobs, she was laid off and decided to pursue her passion for food at culinary school. Now, she is doing what she loves only two blocks away from her charming brownstone and her two-year-old.
When asked if she has any advice on how to balance a career and motherhood Mannix says, “it’s essential that you know exactly what kind of businesswoman you want to be, and what kind of mother you want to be, and then be comfortable with your decision and stick to your personal belief system. Everyone’s make-up is different. I personally couldn’t stay home full-time. I find that I am more loving and attentive with Jackson when I’ve had time away, doing the things that make me happy.