Amy Ruth's

Amy Ruth's is one of the last places I enjoyed a meal with my Nana. It was my college graduation and I took my family to try the incredible chicken and waffles. I'll treasure those celebratory days I had with my family. They loved the food – even my mostly vegetarian mom couldn't help trying some of the fried fish. We had a wonderful time. My Nana died a few weeks later.

Throughout college, Amy Ruth's provided comfort and solace. Back when I still went to Easter Sunday service, my friends and I would go to Amy Ruth's after church. It became a tradition, those annual Sunday meals. We'd dress up in our Sunday best and order their famous chicken and waffles. My freshman roommate, who was from Connecticut, had never heard of such a thing and marveled at the combination.

One of my favorite things about going to college near Harlem was its proximity to black folks. I'd grown up in predominately white neighborhoods, but my being around people that look like me feels like home. Growing up in St. Louis, all three of my grandparents were southern transplants whose voices, stories, and cooking were distinctly of the south. Soul food is the de facto heritage food of Black Americans throughout the country, and the southern influence in Harlem is palpable. That Southernness is comfort. It's family. It's home.

At Amy Ruth’s the walls are decorated with murals of famous black artists, sports stars, performers, and leaders. 20+ years in West Harlem has given the recently remodeled and expanded restaurant the right to be called an institution. The restaurant is named for the founder’s grandmother and serves many of her authentically Southern recipes. Her grandchildren spent many summers with their grandparents in in Alabama and one grandson, Carl S. Redding, was especially drawn to her side in the kitchen.

From the restaurant’s website:

“Grandad” Elijah Bass would often chastise Carl for staying in the kitchen, and chase him out of the house. But Carl always found his way back to grandmother’s side. It was there that his knowledge of and deep love for the southern culinary experience began and was nourished. In Amy Ruth’s kitchen, Carl learned how to can and freeze fruits and vegetables, to make jellies, jams, and preserves, and to prepare wholesome, delicious meals with great skill, care and love.”

You can still taste that love in the food. It makes me yearn for the love of my own Nana, with her soft hands and low laugh, who loved to eat, who let me stay up late and watch shows I was too young for, who used to bounce me on her shins when I was little. Enjoying a meal at Amy Ruth's, one of the last she was able to savor, is a special kind of tenderness.

There's nothing like a plate of Amy Ruth's chicken and waffles. They offer several different waffle dishes with names like The Rev. Al Sharpton (a classic chicken and waffle) and the Jennifer Holiday (with fried shrimp). If you're not in the mood for chicken and waffles, their extensive menu offers southern staples like smothered pork chops, mac 'n' cheese, collard greens, and homemade corn bread and sweet honey butter. If you can save room for dessert, don't miss their fresh baked pies and cakes. Wash it all down with a glass of sweet tea and you've got yourself a down home southern meal.

Now, COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on the restaurant industry. Some small businesses may not be able to re-open when we are able to return to our new normal. At Amy Ruth’s and at your favorite local restaurant you can purchase a gift card for later use. Order an Amy Ruth’s gift card here: https://www.giftrocket.com/gift-card/amy-ruths-new-york

I think they have the best soul food north of the Mason Dixon. But don't take my word for it, go ahead and order -- during the pandemic they're open for delivery on GrubHub: https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/amy-ruths-home-style-southern-cuisine-113-w-116th-st-new-york/1053776

And who doesn't need a little comfort right now?