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It's been said that soul food is our passport to the past, our heritage born from hominy. American soul food rose from the same muddy waters as the Blues, often complemented by a preacher at the head of the table or a Gospel choir praisin' the Lord.
While the fundamentals of soul food — barbecue, pulled pork, fried chicken, catfish, greens, cornbread, okra, black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes — are Southern in their origin, soul food varies according to region: The Creole soul food of New Orleans is not like the soul food of Memphis; crab shacks are as important in the outer banks of Carolina soul food as the inland barbecue joints.
Unlike other culinary cultures that build their skills on a venerable history and learn to cook according to formal paradigms, the chefs and cooks of soul food tend to be unbounded by rules: This is food cooked with inspiration; with love from handed-down recipes, with spice and, well ... soul.
Cincinnati, despite its share of chain blandness, dishes out some snappy soul food, from a lone Smoky Joe in a parking lot, slow cookin' ribs coated in the family sauce served with a side of slaw and white bread, to restaurants with names like Country Preacher, Goodies Barbecue, Ike's and Junebug's offering menus from the comfort food hall of fame. Here are a few others around town we plated up for your grooveable feast. (Donna Covrett)
Soul Food Lightens Up
Fatback, salt meats and lard are the basics of soul food cooking, and few would argue that a steady diet of this food is good for you — soothing, yes, healthful, no. But what if you could retain the simple spirit of soul food and shed its fatty image? Wouldn't it be possible to make healthful soul food?
The proprietress of NEGESTI'S KITCHEN (at Shaker's In Town, 711 Main St., Downtown, 513-361-0777) thinks so.
"My mother cooked soul food in kitchens of clubs and restaurants all her life and I was right there with her," says Negesti Tafari, "and although she forwarded in 2000, her spirit is here in my kitchen today. I am still cookin' with her."
Negesti, one of nine of her mother's children and mother of nine children herself, offers the traditional soul food served up with a heap of warm motherly lovin' — liver and onions, cornbread, greens, mac 'n cheese, stews and ribs.
But with her faith firmly planted in the Rastafarian lifestyle that embraces a vegetarian diet, Negesti (her name means "queen") intends to move soul food gracefully forward while still retaining her culinary heritage. Considering the cuisine's meaty reputation, this might seem curious, but Negesti has had great success with using tofu and seitan in place of meat. Liver and onions get transformed with seitan; meatloaf becomes tofu loaf; and even fried catfish gets the "mock" treatment.
Negesti's Kitchen is easy to miss: It's actually part of a club and has no visible signage except for a menu taped on the front window on Main Street. While it's possible to dine in, the dark environment of the bar seems unwelcoming on lovely summer days. Pick up some carryout and head around the corner to the library's courtyard. A gorgeous day, a good book and healthy food are good for the soul. (DC)
True Grits
Guests are like family at AUNT FLORA'S COBBLER HOUSE (3618 Warsaw Ave., Price Hill, 513-921-7437), so don't be surprised if Katrina Mincy, the owner/chef, pulls up a chair. Katrina and her husband, Ronald, have created a homey environment that feels like a living room. The restaurant is named after a great aunt and a great cook who portrayed Aunt Jemima in the 1940s.
I ordered the catfish dinner, perfectly cooked, tender inside with a tasty, crunchy breading. My companion, a soul food aficionado, chose the wings dinner, which had a light, flaky breading. Entrées come with a choice of two sides. Red beans and rice and the cabbage were hearty, flavorful and fresh tasting. My companion pronounced the macaroni and cheese and the greens bland; however, she liked the hot-water cornbread, a griddle-cooked, pancake-like version.
For dessert, Aunt Flora's serves outstanding deep-dish cobblers. We had sweet potato and peach, both warm from the oven. Boy, were they good. I know where I'll order my holiday pies this year.
Hickory smoke occasionally wafts through PIT TO PLATE (1527 Compton Road, Mount Healthy, 513-931-9100) from a gigantic smoker that turns out some of Cincinnati's finest BBQ: authentic Texas hickory-smoked, slow-cooked, and resonating with tenderness and flavor.
I ordered the pulled pork, while my companion tried the beef brisket. Both were eye-rolling, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We also tried Pulled Chicken, a lighter but still full-flavored alternative. To spice things up, five delicious homemade barbecue sauces sit on each table.
Each plate come with a choice of two sides. Although the candied yams and cinnamon apples were tasty, the greens and macaroni and cheese were average. For dessert we had a peach and a blackberry cobbler that were doughy and uninspired. None of this mattered, however. The BBQ was so good we were already plotting a return visit by the end of our meal.
Ambiance is fun fusion kitsch: Native American-meets-Southwest-meets-Cincinnati. Food is served on picnic ware, with paper towels for napkins. The staff is friendly and attentive, and owner Diane Creech is likely to stop by your table to say hi. (Craig Bida)
Soul Train To West Chester and Back
A TASTE OF JULIA'S (8095 Beckett Center Drive, behind Arby's on Route 747, West Chester, 513-942-1800) is hard to find, but worth the trip. This is generous food: flavorful, large portions served on melamine plates, straight out of an old fashioned diner. What it lacks in frills, it makes up in Southern, home-cooking authenticity.
We ate at Julia's on a Wednesday night when meatloaf and liver-and-onions were the specials. Mostly families and regulars who knew each other by name occupied every table. There's no alcohol service, and while a beer would have been perfect on this hot summer night, I tried Julia's Delicious Tea Punch. This mix of iced tea flavored with lemon and fruit is unique, but super sweet.
Fried chicken seemed to be the most popular item, and I have to admit my mouth watered when I heard the man behind me order smothered pork chops, but I decided to try the meatloaf special. This was a church-supper, blue-ribbon dish. I loved the addition of green pepper and onion, and the rich tomato sauce topping. The fried potatoes and onions and the black-eyed peas I chose for my sides had me mopping the plate.
My companion settled on the Fried Tilapia with two sides: collard greens and a mix of okra, corn and tomatoes. The only disappointment was the dry, uninspired cornbread, served without butter. The fish was excellent: three nice, thick fillets breaded lightly with cornmeal.
We loved the sweet potato cheesecake and managed a few bites of delicious peach cobbler before we had to surrender to the long drive home.
Closer to home (my home, anyway) is FISH KING (Greenup and 20th streets, Covington, 859-431-5200). This carryout specializes in fish, obviously, but also seems to be popular for its chicken wings.
Fish King offers whiting, perch and cod. The dinners are served with fries and slaw or potato salad. I chose the sampler platter, a pretty fair overview of what this hardworking cook has to offer. My favorite of the three cornmeal-crusted fillets was definitely the thicker and juicier cod. I went for an upgrade on the tiny side dishes, too, and the greens were really meaty and delicious. If you are of the school of thought that creamier is better, the macaroni and cheese was a disappointment. With a new Ollie's Trolley down the street, the King has a challenge to his throne. (Anne Mitchell)
