SOUL FOOD TWIST

The Four Way Soul Food Restaurant

By Alex

Soul Food Twist

HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA

Chef Joanna “Jojo” Williams remembers vividly when the first seeds of a culinary future were planted.

“I used to always watch my daddy cook his mac and cheese and help my mother peel fresh potatoes for the potato salad,” Williams said. She was determined to one day have a food truck or restaurant of her own, as she honed her skills at the popular restaurant chain Waffle House. Williams took the first steps toward realizing that goal four years ago when she began cooking out of her Huntington, West Virginia, home.

Her opportunity came at what might seem to some like a decidedly inopportune time: during the COVID-19 pandemic. She opened her restaurant Soul Food Twist when other establishments were closing, and it flourished amidst the chaos. Williams attributes her success to the element of surprise.

“What makes us [different from] any other soul food restaurant is the name itself, because I always throw a twist out,” she said.

The menu changes constantly, with new options added daily. But even with a menu in a state of flux, there are some surefire standouts.

“The [meal] people must try when they come to my location is the barbecue meatballs and smoked pull pork,” Williams said. She also recommended their succulent salmon, which is paired with a creamy alfredo pasta, tender smoked ribs and the signature “mac attack,” which has been voted among the top 10 best dishes in Huntington for three years.

FACEBOOK.COM/SOULFOODJOJO

A TOUR PLANNER’S GUIDE TO HISTORY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD.

Mama J’s Kitchen RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

A trip to Mama J’s Kitchen is akin to Sunday dinners at grandma’s house: filled with warmth, love and good food. It’s a replication of Velma Johnson’s — known locally as Mama J — upbringing as one of 14 children in the West End neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. Johnson grew up sharing the kitchen with her mom and grandmother as they prepared their customary large Sunday dinners. During these formative years, she not only acquired culinary skills but also learned the secrets and nuances of family recipes that now make up the restaurant’s menu. But Mama J’s is not just a rich, soul food dining experience. It is also a key part of a redevelopment of Historic Jackson Ward, one of America’s oldest districts and once a bustling center of African American commerce and entrepreneurship. The Richmond area once known as the “Harlem of the South” was a response to Jim Crow laws limiting where Black residents were allowed to live. Black people had no choice but to create their own community spaces with banks, restaurants and other businesses. Jackson Ward’s music scene also