A restaurant serving comfort food is opening soon on St. Paul’s East Side.

Chef/owner DeMarco Cavil has taken over a former pizzeria space on Maryland Avenue near Earl Street, where he plans to roll out Momma’s Kitchen (1058 E. Maryland Ave., St. Paul; 612-636-8524; facebook.com) later this month. If all goes well, the eatery will debut Sept. 17.

Cavil, who has been in the business for 15 years including lead kitchen positions with hospitality groups for Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Timberwolves and St. Paul Saints and who has cooked for the likes of Muhammad Ali and Bill Clinton, said he plans to serve comfort food from various ethnic groups at Momma’s Kitchen.

“It’s not going to be just mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese,” he said.

Some dishes will have a soul food twist. Menu items include Southern fried chicken wings, gumbo, chicken and waffles, and Cajun fried or blackened catfish. Other menu items include lamb chops, stuffed meat pastries in the form of sambusas as well as loaded mac and cheese or rice bowls with various protein choices.

Cavil named the restaurant in honor of his dearly departed mother, whose dream in her younger years was to open a restaurant and whose dream later inspired Cavil.

Cavil added that it was important to him to set up shop in the neighborhood where he grew up.

“I’ve worked all over the country and could have opened somewhere else,” he said. “This is where I’m from, and I want to give youth a pillar that they can look up to.”