[Daley's and] Soul Food in Chicago

Hi! After a recent meal at Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster in Harlem, and with memories of Georgia Brown's in DC, PigEars and I got to wondering about soul-food in Chicago, especially upscale, experimental, or nouveau soul (not to get into any authenticity battles here). Is there such a thing in town? (Do we count Big Jones?) Additionally, what is the forum consensus on the best old school places? Searching the site, I see some places that have closed (Doggy's) and that have modest reporting (Pearl's) -- if there's a thread I've missed, please merge. Thanks!

annak wrote:(Do we count Big Jones?)

What Fehribach is doing is certainly in the same general family as soul food, but it feels more "upscale" though not "noveau" or "experimental" (quite the contrary, as it seems he's trying to be as true to traditional forms as possible).

I'm intrigued by chefs like Fehribach who, like Bayless, take an anthropological approach to menu development, and I appreciate when chefs try to take us to somewhere else.

For by-the-book soul food, you might consider B.J.'s Market (8734 South Stony Island).

Not sure what soul food means these days or how it's distinguished from generic non-Louisiana Southern. For this Son of the South, my rule of thumb is anyplace with collards and grits in regular rotation counts. Maybe too obvious, but Feed, Wishbone, Table 52 are all places that make some New South version of Southern food that overlaps with traditional soul food, in addition to Big Jones and the Southern. I think any are as much Soul Food as that Swedish guy's place in upper Manhattan.

Chicago has some of its own very unique soul food traditions, like the vegetarian African Hebrew Israelite community's rock Soul Vegetarian East or its newer neighbor, Yah's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_He ... _Jerusalem

The place that is most like the ideal meat-and-threes of the Mid-South (eg, Arnold's) in menu and setup is probably Priscilla's in Hillside, well worth a visit to set your baseline.

http://www.priscillasultimatesoulfood.com/menus.htm#Ent

Or how about Daley's, maybe the oldest Soul Food place in the world, hard by the 63rd Street L since 1892. The thought of grits, greens, eggs and salt pork or a hot link has me thinking I'd better get down there soon.

http://daleysrestaurant.com/menu/daleys-dinner.pdf

The real expert on this topic, as with most others, is ReneG.

But my favorite Chicago soulfood is a pile of corned beef or a porkchop on a big bowl of grits at Moon's.

Don't want to hijack, but I missed my Army and Lou's window - they are closed, right?

I was raised by Mississipians, and don't really consider "Southern Food" "Soul Food," but that's me. I kinda associate cheap, cheap, stuff with "Soul Food" - again, just me. That said, my question is - anyplace around have chitlins on offer every day? The only place I knew of that did was Army and Lou's if I'm not mistaken.

seebee wrote:Don't want to hijack, but I missed my Army and Lou's window - they are closed, right?

I was raised by Mississipians, and don't really consider "Southern Food" "Soul Food," but that's me. I kinda associate cheap, cheap, stuff with "Soul Food" - again, just me. That said, my question is - anyplace around have chitlins on offer every day? The only place I knew of that did was Army and Lou's if I'm not mistaken.

Yep, Army and Lou's is closed, and that's the last place I had chitterlings in the States. I have them every decade, hoping they'll start to taste better...and they do!

seebee wrote:Don't want to hijack, but I missed my Army and Lou's window - they are closed, right?

Army & Lou's is closed but reportedly a new owner will reopen it in June "as a blues-themed restaurant with an updated look and menu."

David Hammond wrote:

seebee wrote:Don't want to hijack, but I missed my Army and Lou's window - they are closed, right?

I was raised by Mississipians, and don't really consider "Southern Food" "Soul Food," but that's me. I kinda associate cheap, cheap, stuff with "Soul Food" - again, just me. That said, my question is - anyplace around have chitlins on offer every day? The only place I knew of that did was Army and Lou's if I'm not mistaken.

Yep, Army and Lou's is closed, and that's the last place I had chitterlings in the States. I have them every decade, hoping they'll start to taste better...and they do!

They have more of a smell than a taste (as odd as that sounds to say since those senses are so intertwined.) Other than that, it's all about the flavor of the hot sauce and the seasonings they were cooked in. And, oh yeah, the texture, and the fact that it's intestines.

seebee wrote:They have more of a smell than a taste (as odd as that sounds to say since those senses are so intertwined.) Other than that, it's all about the flavor of the hot sauce and the seasonings they were cooked in. And, oh yeah, the texture, and the fact that it's intestines.

"Enjoyed" rolled and fried pig intestine last weekend at Hong Kong Ladies' Market. They were chewy...and benefitted from hot sauce.

So that was this decade's effort.

So many of the good old places have closed in the last few years. Currently my favorites might be Saint Rest #2 and Morrison's. Both are cafeteria style. For table service I'd recommend Ruby's (the old Edna's).

Oxtails, Saint Rest #2


Stuffed Pepper, Morrison's


Short Ribs, Ruby's


Saint Rest #2 Country Kitchen
727 E 87th St
Chicago
773-962-0700

Morrison's Soul Food
8131 S Ashland Av
Chicago
773-892-1078

Ruby's Restaurant
3175 W Madison St
Chicago
773-638-5875

Haven't tried this place yet but have heard good things about it.

Located in the old Cafe Liguardia West space next to Amarind’s Thai

My Mothers Kitchen

6818 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60707
Main: 773-887-4368
http://www.mymotherskitchenchicago.com/#

JeffB wrote:
Or how about Daley's, maybe the oldest Soul Food place in the world, hard by the 63rd Street L since 1892. The thought of grits, greens, eggs and salt pork or a hot link has me thinking I'd better get down there soon.

http://daleysrestaurant.com/menu/daleys-dinner.pdf

Daley's, City's Oldest Restaurant, Moving After 125 Years In Same Spot

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017091 ... -same-spot

As of May 2018, Daley's has not yet moved, and the staff is still hoping they won't have to at last check-in, even as some new construction is in progress across the street. Fine by me, since I adore that old room and think the kitchen is still putting out some of the best simple breakfast and soul food around. There's some magic to the oldest (perhaps) operating restaurant in Chicago overbuttering its wheat toast, cooking down its chili, serving its hot sauce in big squeeze bottles, griddling up double-smoked ham and runny eggs, breaking down steaks and chops for the platters - a good deal - which come with nice biscuits ("all steaks and chops are butchered in house"). I also highly recommend the waffles. Daley's is worth a stop in its original digs for all Chicagoans.









Daley's
809 E. 63rd Street
773-643-6670
http://daleysrestaurant.com/menu.htm

Santander wrote:the oldest (perhaps) operating restaurant in Chicago

Second oldest, after Schaller's Pump (1881).

nsxtasy wrote:Second oldest, after Schaller's Pump (1881).

I thought Schaller's closed recently, so it's no longer an operating restaurant.

nr706 wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:Second oldest, after Schaller's Pump (1881).

I thought Schaller's closed recently, so it's no longer an operating restaurant.

This is correct, as noted here, here and numerous other places, it closed just over a year ago, on April 30, 2017.

=R=

Santander wrote:putting out some of the best simple breakfast and soul food around.

That last picture with ham, egg and grits is calling my name . . .

Chicago’s oldest restaurant, Daley’s Restaurant, moved into its new location. 6253 S. Cottage Grove Avenue.

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/3/22/182 ... pring-2019

Chatham’s Soul Vegetarian To Reopen As Soul Veg City In March With Remodeled Building, Expanded Menu.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/02/10 ... -in-march/

I had missed the news of the move, so was surprised when I pulled up last weekend for a Saturday breakfast and discovered the new building on the NE corner of 63rd and Cottage. It does take something out of the experience of going to the oldest place in the city when it's in a new space, but the food was the same as it ever was - good enough for diner fare. In this case, it was liver and onions with the liver fried pretty hard (but cut thin and still tasty), dependable grits, sunny up yeggs, and because I'd been a good dude all week, a side of hot links (again, fried hard). Meaningful quibble: the hot sauce could be better! Not sure what they use as it's in squeeze bottles on the table (that I though might be mild sauce) but it lacked both heat and much taste - vinegar or otherwise. Good, jovial crowd including lots of families, and a really sweet waitress that kept my coffee constantly refilled.

I think I like seeing my food at Valois more, but about once every couple years when I'm down in HP or elsewhere south of Sox park, Daley's is worth a run. The old building is still there, with the signage - someone should take it down and put it on their garage or something.

Ms. Biscuit, a legendary South Side breakfast spot, is reopening at last. ‘Our family is mustering up everything we have to keep the dream alive.’

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/c ... story.html