Are Soul Food Restaurants Dying All Over the Country?
The New York Times notes that many traditional soul food restaurants have closed in Harlem as victims of the neighborhood’s changing tastes. Having been a big fan of a number of the now shuttered restaurants, including Pan Pan, Wimp’s, Singleton’s, Copeland’s, and Wilson’s, I am saddened by this trend. Especially for those of us who love fried chicken, this is a real loss, and these restaurants may not be replaced. (Note: The Times story said that M&G Diner, another fried chicken stalwart, was still open. Were that the case. I believe it closed a couple of months ago, and the phone there was disconnected when I called.) The story made me wonder if this trend is going on in other non-Southern cities with well-established African-American neighborhoods. Are Chicago soul food restaurants also on the endangered (fried chicken) species list? What about Los Angeles soul food spots? Serious eaters want to know.
