On this episode of Legacy on a Plate, in the# heart of Overtown, soul food takes center stage.

[music] [music] Hi, I'm Michelle Bernstein and welcome to# Legacy on a Plate.

Join me as I visit the iconic restaurants that have shaped South Florida# history, one plate at a time.

Let's dig in.

Miami's historic Overtown neighborhood was# once known as the Black Harlem of the South.

In 1946, [music] Jesse and Demos Jackson came# to the neighborhood and pioneered the soul food identity that's still known for today.

[music]# The walls of Jackson Soul Food tell the story of community's heritage and resilience.# [music] When you walk into Jackson's, you immediately feel like part of their# extended family.

If only these walls could talk.

So those are more those pictures are older.# [music] Yeah, all of the pictures are older.

There's a lot of celebrity.

That's our# celebrity wall.

This is the family wall.

Our family's been in food industry# forever.

It's a part of our daily life still to this day and I hope to be a# part of it.

It is truly absolutely.

My name is Cartisha Jennings.

I'm fourth# generation Jackson Soulfool legacy.

Our family [music] has been serving the Overtown# area since 1946.

My name is Tares Ingram, Jackson soul food manager, overseer, just a partaker.# My grandparents started serving in the community years and years ago.

Our family always had a# strong history in food.

My grandfather is from Georgia.

My grandmother is from Wildwood.

[music]# So, as you know, that's the country country.

We have the trees.

They're growing their own# crops.

They're doing all those things.

My family came here to Florida and started the legacy# of all the restaurants.

Everything homemade, everything cheap, everything affordable for# the neighborhoods.

We also employed a lot of the neighborhood people.

That's how the legacy# started in Overtown.

Food is a traditional thing that brings people together.

So over# some great oxtail, great grits, eggs, it always makes you happy having a conversation# over it.

They sweat their heart, out, blood, sweat, and tears into the kitchen, into# serving the community and to be connected.

So that's the best thing they had# always the connection with the people, how they treated them to make them come back.# [music] When they came to Overtown back then, blacks couldn't go to the other areas and# open restaurants.

So this is where all the black musicians, [music] all the black actors,# actresses, this is where everyone came to eat.

They came [music] over town.

So this was# the perfect place to build a food legacy.

There's not a lot of black owned business still# stay afloat, especially mom and pops.

So it means a lot by [music] still here 40 something years on# the corner and we've been all over second, third.

So my uncle came, my grandmother, my grandfather,# and my mother came on this corner and then made it made it right for the community still to# stay stand tall and stay strong in Overtown.

Food kind of defines the migration of black# families.

These are down south traditions.

Homemade biscuits.

A lot of times you go to a lot# of restaurants that's Georgia and down.

They have fresh biscuits.

They have the gravy.

[music]# You know, things that make people feel whole.

In the kitchen today, I'm meeting with Chef# Garmani Samuels, better known as Chef G. Chef G, how you doing?

Chef Bernstein.

[laughter]# Nice to finally meet you.

It's such a pleasure.

Thank you for inviting us into your kitchen.# Definitely.

Anytime for a fellow grad.

Oh, we both went to the same That's right.

the same culinary# school, which I love.

Her and Chef Emerald, which I love.

Y That's right.

Emerald went there,# too.

Yeah.

We're the three of us, the three famous graduates.

[laughter] So, what are you going# to make for us now?

Um, I came up with this is my take.

Basically, my shrimp sauce is a take on# lobster bis.

Okay.

Instead of putting the tomato, I just kept it a little bit.

I put cream instead# of putting tomato paste in it.

So that's my little take on lots of bis.

It actually became one of our# best dish.

What do you call it?

Shrimp and grits.

It's basically our shrimp and grits.

Just Jackson# shrimp and grits.

But ours served with a cream sauce.

Okay.

I call a little creme sauce.

You know# how it is.

Creme, you know.

You got to give it.

You're getting fancy.

Fancy.

Got to give it a# little name.

Creme, you know.

But it's something just a little taste.

Bring them up.

Get your# pallets rocking.

Sure.

You can't miss.

I mean, it hits every notes.

Hit every note that you need.# Well, I'm excited to try it.

So, we going to start off.

Let's get in.

Let's fire up this fire up this# stove real quick.

A little bit.

It's simple.

It's It's a very simple recipe.

Put a little bit of# grease in the pan.

Let it get hot.

I love that you call that grease.

[laughter] So, we going to# take our onions.

Start with the onions.

Start with the onions.

The pot the pan is very hot.

You# going to start seeing a little bit of flame, you know.

See the smoke?

The smoke is okay.

Add# in your peppers and your onions.

Let that going.

Get a little bit of flame on there.

It's okay.# Turn down your flame.

Just you want to get that little bit of lucid.

You'll see what I mean.# A little bit of color on there before you add in the shrimp.

So, as you see, we get is a# little bit is where we needed to get right now.

Little bit of color on my onions and peppers.# Easy.

Like I said, simple dish.

Throw it in there.

Maybe add a little bit simple more grease.

So,# like we're we're ready, right?

We're ready.

We're ready to plate now.

All right.

So, I'm going to# slide real quick.

Let me get my grits.

You go get your grits and I'll be right back.

I'll be right# here.

I'm not going to eat any of this.

[laughter] So, you know, we're going to plate now.

Simple# simple plating.

Now, what we have here is, like I said, my shrimp sauce.

It's my take on# lobster base.

I love it.

I feel as though lobster der is very warm.

I haven't met anybody that eat# lotba that does that doesn't like it.

I mean, it's very warming on a nice chilly night.

I'm# from I'm from New Jersey, by the way.

Exactly.

On a night on a nice warm night.

Cold.

You can't# beat it.

I don't care if it's 90° outside.

I'll have lobster bis or your shrimp bisk, by the way.# Thank you.

I I got to come up with a name for it.

So, basically, just simple.

You pour it# in seasoning.

No, no, pour over it.

Me, I'm a showman.

I like to just put it on there in# the middle of my grits.

Okay.

I really And then I let my shrimp do all my work for me.

Wow.# Put this all to the side.

Can I just I wish that we could encapsulate the smell in here.# It smells so good.

Oh, man.

I I try, you know, usually, you know, but for the show, I'mma just do# it like this, you know.

Usually, you and and me, I'm, like I said, I'm simple.

I just like to throw# it on top so people know like, you know, just came off the stove.

If it ain't something that was# pre-made, you know, it just came off the stove and it's going to be good.

It's going to be hardy.

And# this became our number one dish out of everything.

And I love it.

Your pleasure.

Thank you so# much, Chef.

Thank you, Chef G. You're the best.

Nish, I'm very excited.

First of all, this# plate of food that your husband Yes.

[laughter] Chef G made for me.

It is beautiful.

And you# have to tell me a little bit about the biscuits.

Well, the biscuits are a family tradition.

My# grandparents made them.

Our great grates made them and they passed it right down to my mother.

And# the crazy thing is my mother didn't learn how to make them from them after they passed.

Then she# went and tried to learn it herself and and figure it out.

And that's what that's what we have here.# And she gets up four o'clock in the every morning and make these biscuits fresh.

So tell [music]# me a little bit cuz you were just telling me what parts of your family work where# because I guess I just met your cousin.

Yes, it's a lot of cousins here and in# Opalaka we have a lot of uh grandkids, a lot of uh cousins, everybody.

One of# my s my mom's sisters work there too.

Born and raised in the kitchen.

I love being here# when I'm off work or if I have anything else I need to be done, you know what I mean?

They call# me.

Love being here, my father here.

Love being coming here and doing whatever I have to do# to help my family.

It's a beautiful thing.

And you know, it's funny cuz I grew up coming to this# neighborhood.

I grew up coming to this restaurant and you [music] can feel the history within the# walls.

Absolutely.

You can feel the love and I feel like everybody that works here doesn't really# work here.

They're family, right?

Yes.

Absolutely.

The legacy [music] personally,# it means to me, it means family.

It means my kids.

[music] It means something for# my kids to call home.

Even if we're not here, it leaves a footprint in [music] the history# of Overtown.

It leaves a footprint in the history of Miami, Florida, [music]# and hopefully other cities to come.

I'm Michelle Bernstein and# this is Legacy on a Plate.

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