Dear Foodie Fam,

Oh, my sooooul! 😍⠀

Soul food as we know it today originated in the 1960s- around the time soul music did. During the Civil Rights movement, the term "soul" was used widely to reflect African-American identity and culture.

Soul food really is the benefit of an act of love! It takes a very... VERY looooong time to prepare most of the dishes! So when you eat soul food, know you're partaking in a special culinary gift. As a Filipina who grew up around food with similar ingredients and preparation techniques, I am EXTREMELY comforted by soul food.⠀

Dutch, our Canadian nephew and I visited Tori's place. They serve soul food in a hard-to-miss blue building facing Grant Union High school where it’s been serving Del Paso Heights for the past 6 years.The owner, Victoria runs it with her family. I have a soft spot for family-owned restaurants because I've come from that background, myself.

Entering a family-run restaurant to me is like literally entering someone's second home. You get that family feeling immediately at the order window when spotting a letter from Victoria's grandson taped up proudly behind the Cristal sauce.⠀

We got to meet some of Victoria's family and share their (omg delicious) catfish as we talked about the business. We were even graced with an official invitation to Victoria's birthday party- where I fear I may eat all the food before any actual relatives get to enjoy it!

DEETS:

MAIN DISHES:

• All come with a side and cornbread.⠀

• Fried chicken- juicy with dense, slightly spicy, crunchy skin. (SWIPE to see it)⠀

• Riblets - saucy, given in generous proportions. ⠀

• Fried catfish- BEST I've had in Caliornia. Broke apart with ease. Flaky, soft and definetly not dry like most fried catfish I've had. It was tender, luscious- played well paired with crispy, textured breading.

SIDE DISHES:

• Collard greens are green leafy vegetables flavored with a rainbow of pepper (white, black pepper and red), salt, vinegar and onions.⠀Collard green broth is called "pot liquor" and super rich in nutrients! Soak that cornbread in pot liquor to take care of your body AND soul. I LOVED Tori's collard greens! It had a deep red taste- not tomatoey, savory (collard greens are also flavored with smoked meat).⠀

• Cornbread can be traced back to Native American roots. It gained popularity during the Civil war for it's ease in preparation. Tori's cornbread was in fluffy pancake form- just a bit more dense. It also had a buttery, mellow sweet corn taste. This is called Chicago Hot-Water Cornbread cake, says my friend Illyanna Maisonet, writer at the SF Chronicle who tracked it down for me! The edges of the cornbread were our FAVE! Delectable, crispy and caramelized!⠀

• Yams were amazing. Could've eaten them on my own- and I did! Soupy, supple and more "candy" than any candied yams I've ever had. Wasn't too cinnamony or sugary. Could definetly taste a dash of that nutmeg and a kiss of that clove.

Safe to say our nephew enjoyed his first soul food meal as he left with a big smile. Tori's is now one of my new favorite spots to eat and chill in Northern California.⠀