Credit: The Soul Food Lounge
Upscale restaurant expands to the South Side, revitalizes block
One year after opening The Soul Food Lounge in the Dr. King Legacy Apartments in North Lawndale on the West Side, chef Quentin Love has launched a second location on the South Side at 10701 S. Hale Ave., in the Beverly Hills community, also known as Beverly.
The Soul Food Lounge has earned critical acclaim from diners and culinary critics for Love’s reimagining of traditional southern dishes and comfort foods. Love cross-pollinates cultural favorites from Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean, Cajun/Creole and Asian cuisines to create unique dishes such as Creole seafood stuffed dressing, Korean short ribs, fire maple glazed fried chicken, and grilled pound cake with Cajun fried catfish etouffee.
“Every culture has its own version of soul food,” Love said. “I enjoy tweaking standards to expose people to a combination of flavors they haven’t experienced before.”
The new location opens Saturday, October 28, and reservations are highly recommended at thesoulfoodlounge.com.
The first Soul Food Lounge at 3804 W. 16th St., has been credited with signifying a renaissance and a revival in North Lawndale, providing an upscale, sit-down dining experience within walking distance for community residents. Love hopes to spark a similar revitalization in Beverly, continuing a journey he began 18 years ago to heal communities through food. Love, a Chicago native with roots on the South and West Sides, is an Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm.
The restaurant can seat 30 patrons at a time, providing a feeling of luxury and exclusivity. Inside, the stylish décor mirrors the West Side location only in black and gold versus green with gold accents. Love also has rolled out a sleek new logo.
The Soul Food Lounge is Love’s latest restaurant concept, following fast-casual chains Quench and more recently Turkey Chop Gourmet Grill, which continues to operate at 3506 W. Chicago Ave. That establishment has been the site of Love’s philanthropic efforts, including giveaways of Thanksgiving turkeys, holiday dinners, clothing, children’s toys, and closing three hours every week to operate as a community soup kitchen.
