Back in the day, Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, the Negro League baseball star, was a regular customer at Gladys’ Luncheonette, the famous Bronzeville soul food restaurant founded by Gladys Holcomb in 1946. One of the game’s great defensive catchers, Radcliffe wore a chest protector that read “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” For years he held court in his booth, catching up with old friends, shaking hands with strangers, and occasionally selling an autographed photo. And he wasn’t the only celebrity in the house—local pols and the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Aretha Franklin, and Oprah were known to join the neighborhood folks gathered there. Holcomb retired in 1997, and when she passed away five years ago at age 96, the luncheonette closed (Double Duty died not long after at age 103). Today an encouraging number of the soul food warhorses—Army & Lou’s, Edna’s, and MacArthur’s, to name a few—soldier on, but it’s unwise to take them for granted (Barbara’s, one of the great ones, closed just months ago after a fire). And there are plenty of less famous restaurants that deserve to be better known.
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Sula has written in the past about Turner’s Family Soul Food (8233 S. Ashland, 773-488-5700), certainly one of the great soul food houses in Chicago—their chicken and dumplings is one of the best dishes we ate anywhere, and the smothered pork chops aren’t far behind. But another Auburn Gresham spot is Morrison’s (8127 S. Ashland, 773-892-1078), a superior soul food cafeteria where high turnover helps ensure the freshness of the offerings. The extensive steam table carries a weekly rotation of homey classics, with braised short ribs and roasted Cornish hen among the standouts; other dishes might include rib tips, braised oxtails, and neck bones with potatoes. Sides are excellent, especially the succotash with tomato sauce and the pork-enriched black-eyed peas (steer clear of the overly salty dressing, though). The upbeat old-school vibe of Morrison’s is nearly worth the trip itself, but beware: on our last Sunday afternoon visit we only barely beat the weekly onslaught of well-dressed churchgoers. Good thing, because the line soon spilled out the door. Some people know what’s good for them. —Peter Engler and Rob Lopata
