Soul food is family food. Ask someone for their soul-food recommendation, and they’re likely to direct you to their mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen. “When people come in here for the first time, I always say, ‘Welcome to the family,’ “said Chef Jodie Robertson, co-owner with her husband, Mitchell of Southern Smoke restaurant. ‘If I were going to define soul food, I would say it’s food that brings the family together and warms the soul.”
Jodie credits her great-grandmother for her early education in cooking soul food. Born in Alabama before migrating to Grand Rapids in the early 1930s, her great-grandmother took over cooking for her family while her parents and 13 siblings were picking cotton. “She was a wonderful cook, I was one of the kids who always stayed back in the house, helping her cook, licking the bowl when she made cake, helping cut stuff up, and asking questions. It taught me a lot, and those recipes stayed with me.”
After graduating from the Grand Rapids Downtown Market Incubator Kitchen, Josie teamed with Mitchell to launch a catering business, then their brick-and-mortar restaurant on South Division Avenue. (Southern Smoke is a literal family affair, employing children and grandchildren among its friendly kitchen and counter staff.)…