Chef Todd Richards is slated to bring a second restaurant to the Eastside Beltline, following the opening of his Soul: Food & Culture today at Krog Street Market.
Richards, along with chef Josh Lee, will open Kuro, “formed out of a respect of Japanese cuisine and desire to honor those recipes while fusing its traditional ingredients with soul food twists,” according to a press release.
Kuro, which means “black” in Japanese, will focus on fresh seafood and the makimono sushi experience. The menu will feature dishes including vadouvan spiced cauliflower steak and Richards’ popular collard green ramen.
“Bringing this unique style of food to the Beltline while expanding its list of Black-owned dining opportunities is something to be proud of,” Lee said in a prepared statement.
Ligaya Figueras
Ligaya Figueras
The restaurant, which will be located at 75 Airline St. SE, will replace wine bar Hazel Jane’s, which closed in September 2020 due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kuro and Soul: Food & Culture, along with barbecue restaurant Lake & Oak, are part of the Soulful Company restaurant group founded by Richards and Lee.
“Opening three restaurants in a pandemic, in nine months’ time, was not the plan,” Lee said. “It’s an honor to employ members of our community during this time and bring comforting options to the rest of our neighbors.”
Soul: Food & Culture, which replaces Richards Southern Fried in Krog Street Market, will feature a variety of soul and Southern classics including deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, crispy chicken wings with a variety of sauce options, four different chicken sandwiches and dishes like chicken or catfish and waffles. Sides include mac and cheese and collard greens with smoked chicken, and frozen cocktails will be on tap. Several recipes from Richards’ 2018 cookbook, “Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes,” are featured.
“Soul: Food & Culture is based on my cookbook, Soul,” Richards said in a prepared statement. “Bringing Soul food items into Krog Street Market while offering an additional option for takeaway services is something we are looking forward to. We hope that our recipes bring much needed comfort as we all continue to battle the pandemic from home.”
Soul will be open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Both Richards and Lee encourage guests to follow all Market rules including wearing masks and keeping a safe distance between each other while ordering.
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