By Aldon Thomas Stiles, California Black Media
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and with that comes greens, beans, candied yams, turkey (roasted and deep-fried), dressing, mac n’ cheese, sweet potato pie and all the other soul food “fixins” that make the holiday meal arguably the tastiest meal of the year for many African Americans. We can choose from a diverse menu of food options that we prepare at home, or we can try to enjoy those options dining out.
The city of Inglewood, for example, is hosting a drive-thru turkey giveaway on Nov. 23 with special guest Snoop Dogg.
The event will go from 9 am to 12 pm and is located at Hollywood Park.
The goal is to serve 2,500 Inglewood residents with free turkeys provided by Don Lee Farms.
While many people enjoy preparing and eating that turkey dinner at home, some people prefer to outsource their feast. For those folks, here’s a small sampling of some soul food
restaurants around the state that will be open on or around Thanksgiving.
StreetCar (San Diego)
First up is StreetCar in San Diego. On Nov. 24, they will be hosting a Thanksgiving Feast Event. “Bring your friends and family on Thanksgiving Day for a celebratory feast,” it reads on their flier.
The event is located at 4002 30th St. and will go from 11:00am to 10:00pm. Founded by Ron Suel and RaVae Smith in 2014, StreetCar specializes in southern cuisine and features an all-day brunch menu.
“You will find classic southern dishes and Louisiana favorites,” their website reads. ComfortLA (Los Angeles)
In Downtown Los Angeles, ComfortLA is an option for those who want to eat out this holiday as it’s open on Thanksgiving Day.
Located on 1110 E. 7th St., ComfortLA was once a pop-up restaurant founded by Jeremy McBryde and Mark E. Walker. ComfortLA focuses on taking a clean approach to their menu,
sporting a variety of all-natural soul food options. “We use locally sourced, fresh and organic ingredients and healthier cooking methods to create top-notch, Southern cuisine including ‘Cousin Kina’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese,’ ‘Clean Mean Greens’ and our signature ‘Organic Not Your Average Fried Chicken’ with ‘That Sauce,'” it reads on their website.
They also have an Inglewood location, though that restaurant is not open on Thanksgiving.
Minnie Bell’s (Emeryville)
Minnie Bell’s – a soul food truck in Emeryville up north – may not be open the day of Thanksgiving, it will be open on the 23rd for those who want to celebrate a little early.
Founded by Fernay McPherson in 2013, “Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement” is born out of legacy. “Fernay learned to cook from her great aunt Minnie and late grandmother Lillie Bell,” the website reads. “Fernay’s family arrived in San Francisco during the Great Migration as part of the relocation of more than 6 million African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and West.”
Minnie Bell’s is located in the Emeryville Public Market at 5959
Shellmound St. Hotville Chicken (Los Angeles) The last establishment on this list is Hotville Chicken in Los Angeles.
This restaurant is not open the day of Thanksgiving but patrons can order ahead of time and pick their food up on the 24th.
Hotville, then known as the BBQ Hot Chicken Shack, was founded by Thornton Prince in 1936 in a segregated part of town.
Thorton’s great-great niece Kim Prince now runs the family business. Their website boasts about how spicy their chicken is, as Thorton’s original recipe focused heavily on a fiery flavor. “If you’ve never heard about Nashville-style hot chicken, it’s certainly time to get familiar,” it reads. Prince’s focus is on community, as Thorton’s original chicken recipe “brought people together” even in a divided town. Hotville is located at 4070 Marlton Ave.
