HONESDALE, PA — In major cities like New York City, healthy lunch options are popping up on every street. “Fast casual” restaurants serving salads and grain bowls have become as ubiquitous as Starbucks. Now, we can have a slice of the pie here in our area. Bà & Mẹ founder Nhi Mundy has opened a new vegetarian cafe in Honesdale.

Emmá Eatery offers salads, sandwiches, quinoa bowls, smoothies and more—all vegetarian and all can be made vegan friendly. The cozy cafe, tucked away in Maude Alley next to the Honesdale Bà & Mẹ location, is the first vegetarian restaurant in the area. Mundy wanted to open it because “there needed to be more healthy options” in terms of what local restaurants offer. “Two years ago I was craving a kale smoothie and a salad in the dead of winter,” she said. And there was nowhere to go, besides making it yourself, of course. So she set out to make her own.

Coming off the success of two Bà & Mẹ locations, Mundy wanted to continue to introduce people to cuisines they may not be familiar with. Bà & Mẹ is a Vietnamese restaurant offering bánh mì sandwiches and noodle and rice bowls, as well as pho, summer rolls, and Vietnamese coffee. “There was a bit of education,” Mundy said, in explaining Vietnamese fare to her customers. Now, with Emmá, Mundy thinks that the education will continue, as most people are not vegetarians or even aware of vegetarian cuisine.

“Bà & Mẹ” means grandmother and mother in Vietnamese, and “Em” means sister, so it’s a literal sister site of Bà & Mẹ. “It’s the young, cooler shop,” Mundy says. The space was designed by John Erik Karkula, and the decor is clean and hip, featuring large mirrors to open up the space and add light, and a palm tree mural on one wall. There are small tables to sit at as well as a bench for communal seating.

Some of the menu options are “California toast”—sourdough bread with sliced avocado, sunny side up egg, red chili pepper and lemon; and the “Emmaculate bowl”—roasted sweet potatoes, portobella mushrooms, white quinoa, mixed greens, kale, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled red onion, chopped parsley, toasted seeds and an herb vinaigrette. There is also ginger chili, autumn veggie soup and house-made beverages like lemonade and a kale smoothie. And kids can try it too, with a special kid’s menu including grilled cheese. “The food is fresh and flavorful,” Mundy said. “And it’s prepared in an interesting way.” She wanted to focus on real, whole ingredients and not just meat substitutes.

“I want everyone to try it,” Mundy said. Although she still eats meat, she said her diet is shifting in the vegetarian direction. “I want to spread the word, eating meat isn’t necessary for good food.”

Emmá is located at 1023 Main St., Honesdale, PA. Find it on Facebook and visit www.emmaeatery.com, or call 570/253-1985. It’s open Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 6 p.m.