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Posts about Openings + closings
Soul Daddy NYC closes; Jamawn moving here
Posted by: Lee Svitak Dean Updated: June 15, 2011 - 10:33 AM
Cities home after having checked out the other cities. “Too much traffic and horns,” he said about both places. “This location is a benefit for me and my family. Everything is a lot cheaper here, too.”He will be doing his year-long management training here – and tweaking the menu, adding Hoppin’ John (blackeyed peas and rice), corn on the cob, and warm yams (that cold sweet potato salad wasn’t making everyone happy). And he’ll be at the Mall of America store everyday; stop by and you’ll see him.
And then he got the email that the New York City Soul Daddy will close. “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” he said about 4 p.m. Tuesday. “It’s put a real damper on the day.”
This is the press release that went out Tuesday:
"The realities of running a restaurant are very difficult, more so with multiple locations in multiple cities. After a careful review of the business model and the performance of the restaurants, we have decided that our best opportunity for Soul Daddy’s success is a more focused operation. We have decided to close our restaurant the South Street Seaport in New York, effective today. While it has certainly been a difficult decision, we believe this is the best approach as we work towards ongoing success for Soul Daddy."
New food at the state fair
Posted by: Lee Svitak Dean Updated: August 24, 2011 - 3:00 PM
Just a reminder of the new foods at the State Fair, which starts Thursday (see below).
Clearly the Minnesota State Fair was not checking out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new MyPlate icon when it agreed to the 14 new foods that will debut this year. Not unless there’s a portion on the plate for "fried foods" and "dessert."
Start your cross-training now. You'll need more than 10,000 steps to work off these calories.The fair runs from Aug. 25 through Sept. 5. Here are the new foods, only three of which are on-a-stick.
• Chocolate covered jalapeño peppers (at left)
• Mexican horchata (cold drink made of rice, almonds, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar)
• Jamaican jerk fries
• Crab fritters (at left)
• Northwoods salad (a portable caprese salad)
• Dirt dessert (Oreo cookies, vanilla pudding, whipped cream, cream cheese and gummy worms)
• Sweet-corn ice cream (at left)
• Coushari rice with lentils
• Grilled chicken pita
• Deep-fried cookie dough (at left)
• Terijaki chicken on-a-stick
• Pretzel dog on-a-stick
• Grilled Yankee apple pie and chocolate sandwich (brioche filled with apples and spices covered in chocolate, grilled and topped with powdered sugar) (at left)
• Breakfast lollipop (sausage patty deep-fried on-a-stick with a side of maple syrup) (at left)
Hmm. I can almost smell the fragrance of grease wafting over the sweaty crowd.　
Soul Daddy's Jamawn Woods stops by
Posted by: Lee Svitak Dean Updated: May 14, 2011 - 2:50 PM
Soul Daddy himself was at the Mall of America Wednesday welcoming guests to the restaurant, many of whom were surprised -- and overjoyed -- to see him. When Paula Hubbard of Woodbury and her family visitors from Oklahoma walked into the restaurant and saw Jamawn Woods, she jumped up and down in excitement, before grabbing her cell phone and taking pictures. "I watched all the episodes," she said, beaming.
Paula wasn't the only one clicking away. Erin Vande Steeg of Minneapolis was lunching with friends and had her picture taken with him, as did her friends.
It's been like that in all three of the cities where Soul Daddy operates: Hollywood, New York and here.
Wearing khakis and a black short-sleeved polo shirt, looking trim and fit, Jamawn worked his way around the room, chatting with guests, greeting people at the door, handing out menus, before heading behind the counter where he talked with staff.
"I'm getting a lot of good feedback," Jamawn said. "They like me as a person."
Indeed, he is a likeable guy. Even on the NBC reality show, "America's Next Great Restaurant," Jamawn appeared to be a friendly sort, and in person that's even more apparent: very Midwestern in demeanor, personable and polite, humble and straight-forward, lacking (thankfully) the arrogance and over-the-top brashness seen on other reality shows. Let's hope he stays that way.
But make no mistake, he's making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a really big change in his life, from a forklift operator in Detroit's Chrysler plant who made waffles and wings in his basement for friends to a businessman with three restaurants and a website. "I want to be bigger than Chipotle," he said with a smile.
For the next year he will be part of an apprenticeship program to show him the ropes of running the Soul Daddy chain. He expects he will move to California in June to work in the Hollywood outlet.
As for the judges, he's got their contact information when he needs advice or help. "It was a great experience working with Bobby Flay. I look up to him. I watched him all the time on TV." As for the other judges/investors: "Lorena is like a mother, Curtis is like a brother, and Steve is like the brains. It was a great experience to have a chance to work with these four people."
His winning concept for soul food with a twist -- a healthier version of the traditional fare -- hasn't won over die-hard fans who appreciate the flavor of ham hocks and bacon grease. "There are some haters out there," he acknowledged. "I can't please everyone. Soul Daddy isn't for everyone. But if you care about what you put in your body, this is the place to come." He says he is open to "constructive" suggestions. And that includes tweaking the menu to please those waiting in line. (He noted that the "collards" on the menu -- which right now are actually kale -- will be the real thing in the future. And he'd like to make the ribs with four, rather than three, bones in the future.) But for now, he's a manager in training in a real-life classroom.
His favorite sides on the menu? The cornbread waffles (mine, too) and the blackeyed pea salad.
Now that he's been at all three locations, he can see the difference among clientele. "In LA, people are laid back and watching their figures," he said. "In New York [South Street Seaport] they love the concept. They are crazy fanatics. In Minneapolis, it's more like a family feel."
Jamawn has no qualms about talking about how emotional he was on the show. "What people don't realize about reality TV is that it's stressful. You are away from your family and cut off from them. There's no outside world, no phone, no TV or computer. I was missing them," he said. "But I would do it all over again."
Jamawn has stayed in touch with other contestants, but especially Joey Galluzzi of the Brooklyn Meatball Co. concept. "I talk with him all the time. He visited me in Detroit on my birthday."
Where does Jamawn want to be in five years? With at least six Soul Daddy restaurants. "I want to be successful. I want the employees happy and making decent money," he said.
"And I want to find a way to add fried chicken to the menu. Everyone is asking for it, but there's no equipment to cook it now."
Update on Friday, May 13: NBC decides against renewing "America's Next Great Restaurant," making Soul Daddy the sole Next Great.
Jamawn Woods visits Soul Daddy today
Posted by: Lee Svitak Dean Updated: May 10, 2011 - 3:42 PM
Soul Daddy himself -- that would be Jamawn Woods -- will be at the Mall of America site all day Wednesday to check out the Minnesota version of his new restaurant, one of three (the others in Hollywood and in New York City) that he won in the NBC reality competition "America's Next Great Restaurant." He'll be around all day, we're told.
Soul Daddy (the restaurant) opens at 11 a.m. and is located on Third Floor South (#344), between Tony Roma's and Noodles.
For more behind-the-scenes, the Denver Post reports on the company that made the signs (Colorado is home base for Chipotle).
A taste of soul food at MOA
Posted by: Lee Svitak Dean Updated: May 2, 2011 - 11:17 PM
Is Minnesota ready for soul food? It seems to be, judging from the long line Monday when Soul Daddy opened its doors at the Mall of America as the winner of the nine-week TV reality show, "America's Next Great Restaurant," or as it's referred to on Twitter, #angr. At lunch, diners waited patiently, snapping photos as the line snaked its way outside the restaurant and along the mall's hallway, Most, if not all, were fans of the TV show -- and of the winner, Jamawn Woods.
Anyone expecting a traditional taste of soul food will be in for a surprise since the premise of this restaurant is soul food with a twist -- a healthier, lighter version -- or as the subtext of the restaurant says, "new home cookin'." There's no mac-and-cheese or fried chicken here, but you'll find ribs, roast pork, pulled pork, baked chicken, biscuits and buns, albeit whole wheat ones.
You'll find them in a setting reminiscent of a Chipotle restaurant, which isn't surprising given that judge Steve Ells is the founder of the chain (something that followers of the TV show heard repeatedly). That means a long aisle at the entrance that channels guests to the counter, from where they choose their side dishes the way others at Chipotle do the makings of their burritos. It's an efficient model for a fast-casual restaurant. Like Chipotle, there's a vaguely industrial look throughout (cement block on a wall, metal light fixtures), but Soul Daddy also has a touch of country: sturdy wooden communal tables and dark oak plywood wainscotting and booths (instead of the metal of Chipotle). The most striking feature (photo at left) are two walls of what appear to be chalkboard drawings -- actually a wallpaper graphic -- of Jamawn Woods and the Minnesota connection to the restaurant (including a walleye, Mary Tyler Moore and MOA). The restaurant doorway looks far more refined, a montage of maple, fir and cherry strips in the horizontal pattern that's de rigueur these days. Followers of the show will be relieved to know that Jamawn's desire to paint the place purple was kept, though just barely, limited to a small wall and the color of the T-shirts worn by the staff. Motown, too, has taken a back seat from his original concept. Stevie Wonder sings quietly in the background, but so does Dionne Warwick. A patio out front offers some extra dining space.
Soul Daddy takes the Southern approach to a menu with "meat and three" -- a main dish and, in this case, two side dishes and a bread. Meals range from $7.95 (vegetarian or pork) to $11.95 (ribs). Side dishes a la carte are $2.50 each, with breads (biscuits or waffles) at $1.
Highlights:
Corn bread waffles. If these were what Jamawn was serving from his home catering business in Detroit, no wonder he had a following. The waffles are light and delicious, with a mild flavor of corn. At three inches in diameter, they're just the right size for a "healthy" meal. Wouldn't mind them for breakfast, should Soul Daddy want to open earlier. (Photo, from left: grits, baked chicken, waffle and sweet potato salad.)
Whole wheat biscuits: Warm and light, despite their whole-wheat touch, with a smattering of cracked black pepper atop.
Cheese grits: Very good -- creamy and thick, like cheesy polenta --though I speak as someone who doesn't have a long history with grits. Other diners complained vigorously that the grits were too salty. Ash King, general manager, suggests that these are suitable for a kids' meal, should your child be looking for mac-and-cheese.
Pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw: Moist and flavorful, though the whole-wheat bun is no match for the bread Alex Roberts uses at Brasa in Minneapolis and St. Paul for his Caribbean-based dishes that include pulled pork.
Sweet potato salad: Think potato salad, but sweet, colorful and tasty. Served cold, with a vinaigrette rather than mayo.
Black-eyed pea salad: Too much celery for my taste, but other diners were raving about the simple salad with peas, red pepper and celery in a vinaigrette.
In general: The food is fresh and made on the premises. (There's no freezer at Soul Daddy -- none at Chipotle either.) But the flavors tend to be on the bland side, with the exception of the sauces, which have punch.
Needs work:
Ribs: Soul Daddy is located next to Tony Roma's and a few doors down from Famous Dave's. If you're going to compete with ribs, they better be good. Soul Daddy's were tender, with a spicy rub that carried much of the flavor, but served dry, with the sauces (Jamawn's Hot Sauce, a memorable sweet-molasses mustard sauce, and a bbq sauce) to be added by the diner at the table. At $11.95, it's the most expensive item on the menu and the three ribs don't fit the "value" concept that Bobby Flay, judge and investor, emphasized. You can find better -- and bigger -- slabs of ribs elsewhere.
Chicken: There's nothing wrong with the baked herb chicken. There's just nothing interesting about it. I can make more flavorful chicken at home. You can, too. Bring me the fried chicken and I might indulge.
Wild rice salad: Soul Daddy's version has the optimum crunch of a good wild rice sald, and dried cranberries give extra flavor. But it's not soul food in any incarnation, except for Native Americans in Minnesota. And wild rice is an acquired taste, which may not find a following in Hollywood or NYC. Why is it on the menu?
Hot food vs cold: To the surprise and disappointment of many diners, the side dishes are mostly cold (six of them), with only the collard greens and cheese grits warm.
"Soul food is not cold," said Michael Cole Smith of Minneapolis, an outraged diner who had scheduled his lunch via Facebook with many friends, who were equally unhappy. "I was excited about having a soul food restaurant. But we still don't have soul food. And the food is bland. This is what you'd serve in a hospital to diabetics or those with high blood pressure."
Well, not everyone agrees. Karen Swanson, of Florida (but formerly Minneapolis) was there with her friend Kandace Condon of Shakopee to taste the food. Why? "We're in love with Bobby Flay," they said with a laugh about the judge who hosted the TV program. They agreed the grits were too salty. "In fact, all the sides are on the salty side," Karen said. However, as they sampled each other's food, they grinned. "I love this food," said Karen.
Despite the fact that much of the staff had only a few days training, and some only a single day, service at lunch was smooth and swift, given the potential for chaos at a widely publicized opening of a new restaurant.
Jamawn Woods will be in town next week to check out the MOA outlet. Stay tuned for details.
Photos by Courtney Perry and Lee Svitak Dean
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