MJ’s Brings New American to the Owego

Back in my bartending days (last year), a new hire came along with some unusually impressive credentials. She kept a low profile, gracefully mixing perfect cocktails and exhibiting easygoing yet exacting customer service. Meghaan Velasco was slinging drinks for the time being, but she had bigger plans in mind: she and her husband, Jorge Velasco, were going to open a restaurant.

Today, MJ’s Bar and Restaurant has been open for two and a half months in a refurbished Owego location that overlooks the Susquehanna. They serve cuisine that Meghaan describes as “New American, multi-cultural,” with a heavy Mexican leaning. “Jorge’s family is Mexican, so he’s got a big influence from that side, but we try to keep it rounded out.”

The balance of clever cuisine, expertly concocted cocktails, and a clean and creative atmosphere, is a pure manifestation of the couple who brought it to fruition. Meghaan, an Owego native, met Jorge out in his home state of California (he’s from Fresno). He recalls how they met: “I walked into a bar - [I was] working out in San Jose in the Bay Area - stood next to her, ordered a drink, and she turned, looked at me, she said ‘hello’…”

“I hit on him,” Meghaan cuts in. “I picked him up. And then I proposed to him.”

“A year later,” he smiles.

“And then we got married in Santa Cruz.” Meghaan recalls how their relationship led to a brainchild: “After we got married, we were just, like, what are we gonna do? We’re not going to stay in the Bay Area - it’s way too expensive. I worked at some startups, but I kept going back to the restaurant [industry].”

After working at several bars and eateries (usually more than one at a time), Meghaan was approached by a restauranteur who wanted her help opening a new spot. “So, I realized that’s when I wanted to do my own. And [Jorge and I] talked about it; we started talking about ideas, and then he got fed up with work, with his job, and he called me. He was, like, ‘I wanna quit,’ and I was, like, ‘Okay, let’s do it. Let’s quit.’ We talked about moving back here, and…”

“Put our two weeks’ in,” he interjects, “sold as much as we can, bought a trailer, packed everything in there, and we set across the country.”

They used the journey as research: “We started with menu ideas, and the whole trip from California to New York we stopped at the best-reviewed restaurants all along the way,” Meghaan recollects. “We found the hidden gems in every city, trying to get more ideas.”

Along with what they gleaned on their trip, both halves of the couple bring something different to the table, quite literally. Although Meghaan wasn’t raised in a food-centric household, she’d always worked in restaurants. The opposite was true for Jorge. He grew up on traditional Mexican food, “Plus,” he reminisces, “my family was really foodie, so we traveled a lot. We would go to Los Angeles to eat at some places, you know, for the whole four hours driving there, and then drive right back. We would go to San Francisco; we’ll go up north, we’ll go to Sacramento, just go travel, just to eat and come back.”

“We didn’t want to limit ourselves,” says Meghaan, explaining why they opted for a multi-cultural menu. As for favorite dishes they had in mind: “We definitely wanted to do the sopes - that was a big one because you don’t see that around here. They’re handmade tortillas, and we deep-fry them so that they puff up, almost pastry-like, and you put the refried beans on them; meat; we use goat cheese, we did try queso at first, but we liked the flavor of the goat better with it; and pico de gallo. We make fresh pico de gallo every day.”

I order the sopes with chicken, and - at Jorge’s urging - Paulie’s Quesaria (a house-made cheese dip) on top. The dish - technically a “small plate” - fills me up and tastes authentically Mexican.

“We basically just take everything that we like and make it our own,” says Meghaan.

MJ’s is a great place to branch out if you’re not into ethnic food; their menu was designed with the local palate in mind. Jorge tries out all the dishes on Meghaan’s parents (native Owegans who are not food adventurers) before putting them on the menu. However, if you are anything like me (on a perpetual hunt for good Mexican food), MJ’s still hits the spot. Everyone wins, and the kitchen is happy to modify dishes. As Meghaan says of their ingredients: “If we have it, we can do it.”

During my visit, I also try one of their most popular cocktails, Lime in the Coconut. Delicious and refreshing (and named for a song by the great Harry Nilsson), it is made with fresh ingredients, as are all their mixed drinks. They also have ten beers and two wines on tap, one of which is from Seneca Lake’s Glenora Wine Cellars.

The made-from-scratch ethos (they have fresh-cut fries!) transcends the bar and kitchen to the structure itself, which was once a doctor’s office. Jorge explains that he designed and built “the bar top, the tables, the backsplash - myself, and Meghaan did ninety percent of the deck.” A garage door leading to the deck serves as a back wall of the restaurant. They leave it open during fair weather, blending inside and outside so seamlessly that, sitting at the bar, I feel like I’m right on the water.

The deck is the perfect setting for brunch, a weekend tradition that Jorge and Meghaan are hoping to establish. Currently, it’s only on Sundays, but they’d like to bring it over to Saturdays as well. The brunch menu includes their twist on poutine (it has tots instead of fries - can you say hangover cure?), as well as brunch sopes, and a grilled peach salad. And of course, there are brunch drinks (because, as their t-shirts say, brunch without booze is just a sad, late breakfast), such as house-made sangria and three types of mimosas.

For all its ambience, the ultimate focus at MJ’s is good food. They are currently dreaming of expanding the menu to include tamales, edamame (with a Thai twist), and a cheesesteak. They’ve also been running steak specials on the weekends, which have been a favorite among customers. “It’s funny,” Meghaan reflects, “People ask me - because I’ll be out here bartending sometimes - and they’re, like, ‘what’s your favorite thing?’ I’ll be, like, well, they’re all my favorites. That’s why they’re on the menu.”

“If I’m not gonna eat it,” Jorge declares, “I’m not gonna have anyone else eat it.”

MJ’s Bar and Restaurant is located at 596 Fifth Avenue in Owego. They are open Monday through Thursday from 11am-10pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am-midnight. Sunday brunch is from 10am-2pm, Sunday dinner from 2 to 8pm. They can be reached by phone at (607) 223-4842/4868, and at mjsbarandrestaurant.com.