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Food 4 The Soul

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TracyBasham

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Food 4 The Soul

by TracyBasham » Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:32 am

Anyone tried this place? Its on 5th St behind WHAS.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by Robin Garr » Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:42 am

Is it the storefront just north of Pesto's on Fifth Street that has housed a long string of places? I still miss Manoosh's. :(
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Steve Eslinger

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by Steve Eslinger » Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:52 pm

Hi Tracy. Many months ago, this place moved me to want to post a brief review, so I went about the trouble of retrieving my password (thanks Roger!). Alas, time elapsed and I never got around to it. Now that you've opened the door, please excuse me if I throw it open and proclaim "GO!"--at least if you are in the mood for some highly authentic southern soul/comfort food. I know the cliche "grandma's recipes" (I'm looking at you Anselmo's thread!) may be tiresome, but these recipes scream for generational reverence.
First off, there is the chicken. Easily some of the best fried chicken in the area (at least that I've tried). Perfectly cooked (seemingly to order, even though they are fairly quick), with a lightly seasoned coating. It actually seems sort of a cross between deep fried, and pan fried, so I'm not 100% sure how that it's prepared. Regardless, it is moist, flavorful, with a nice crispy crust. For around $10 you get two pieces (even two breasts if you wish) with a couple of sides (more on the sides in a second). Be forewarned, the size of the chicken breasts may be alarming--on my first visit a co-worker received one the size of a catchers mitt, but the quality has never suffered (i.e. not dry on the outside-pink deep down).
I thought that I would never stray from the chicken, but I then saw a patron's order of catfish and decided to give that a try on a subsequent visit. I was not disappointed to say the least. The chicken has met its match because quite frankly the fried catfish is the best I have EVER had, and I've spent my fair share of time in the south. Absolutely no muddy flavor (perhaps some may prefer that, but me? Not so much), and the cornmeal crust again is simple perfection--just the right amount of black pepper for my taste without at touch of grease. The person doing the frying is an experienced hand.
Finally, the sides. These seem to be uniformly made from scratch and all that I've sampled have been fantastic (except the onion rings--my only disappointment). The mac and cheese is delicious--rich, cheesy and buttery. In a twist, they blend their greens (can't recall which green) with cabbage. Sounded unusual at first, but the combination works surpisingly well. Seems I always have to order those. Their homemade cornbread dressing is also top notch. Finally, they have the best sweet potato casserole that I've ever had--which is both easy and hard for me to say because I don't even like sweet potatoes! Here's a tip: Tell them this is your first visit, and they will let you sample all of their sides. At least they did that for us.
Finally: On one visit they had a buffet (I'd suggest ordering off the menu even though most the items held up surprisingly well) and the waitress kept raving about the peach cake. Not being much of a dessert eater, I only sampled it because it was a buffet. Well, everytime I go in I now ask if they have any of their peach cake. Might as well call this peach crack because it was unbelievably delicious. Just a simple glazed cake, but it is so redolent of fresh peaches that even before the first bite hits your tongue, you can almost imagine taking a bite out of a fresh, Georgia peach. Wonderfully moist, as well.
Confession: I want this place to survive because they are an easy walk from my workplace. But also, the owners are extremely nice people. I'd hate to lose if from my rotation, and I'd love to see them succeed. But no, I'm in no way affiliated.
I have a feeling if some of the hotbytes community were to give it a chance, the place would garner a little buzz. One bench mark: I went to Merric's this weekend (h/t to the hotbytes community for the recommendation) and it was very good. I had the country fried steak and my spouse sampled the chicken fingers. We'll go back. But, I can honestly say I prefer Food 4 the Soul when I am in the mood for good, old-fashioned southern comfort food.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by Robin Garr » Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:36 pm

Thanks, Steve! Great review! Let the crowds begin trooping in that direction!
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TracyBasham

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by TracyBasham » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:40 pm

Yes, Robin. That is it.
Steve, Im sold on just your review of the place. I'll be heading that way this wknd. THANKS!
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Steve Eslinger

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by Steve Eslinger » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:54 pm

Thanks for the kind words, Robin. And Tracy, I don't think I will have jinxed the place. It has been consistently good the four or five times I've been. Go with the catfish or fried chicken, and you should be pleased. Oh, I did forget that my only other gripe is that they sweeten their cornbread, so be forewarned. If my Tennessee-bred mother were still around, she'd not approve.
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JustinHammond

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by JustinHammond » Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:31 pm

"The idea is to eat well and not die from it-for the simple reason that that would be the end of your eating." - Jim Harrison

https://www.facebook.com/Louisville-Eat ... 129849554/
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Holly Hill

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by Holly Hill » Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:59 pm

The menu looks great, but what are their hours? Did I just miss the listing on their website?
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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by Steve Eslinger » Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:53 am

I don't think you missed the hours on the website, Holly, because I couldn't find them listed there either. However, I have a printed menu here at my desk and it says Monday-Thursday 10:30-7:00; Friday-Saturday 10:30-8:00; and buffet on Sudays 10:30-7:00.
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Holly Hill

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Re: Food 4 The Soul

by Holly Hill » Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:45 pm

Thanks, Steve. Am going to try to hit them this week after a riverboat cruise ;-]

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