Black restaurant owners show off cuisines beyond well-worn soul food dishes
Taylor Mason is a Black woman slinging Mexican-style tacos. She admits it's an unexpected combination. "I get crazy looks," she says. "But someone has to do it."
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Black restaurant owners are introducing Chicago diners to cuisines beyond the well-worn soul food dishes synonymous with Southern cooking. Some restaurant operators say it's still a struggle to convince consumers that Black chefs can cook Italian or French food, or have fine-dining chops. As such, Black chefs say progress is slow — but it is steady. Evidence is emerging all over the city. Mason, co-owner of Taylor's Tacos, is preparing to open her first brick-and-mortar location on the Near West Side selling Mexican street-style tacos with a soul food twist. Majani Restaurant sells vegan soul food in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood. Bocadillo Market in Lincoln Park is a Spanish restaurant that takes inspiration from Chef James Martin's trips to visit family in South Carolina. Sommelier Derrick Westbrook owns a wine shop called Juice @ 1340 in the West Loop. And the list continues to grow.