The name. It was in honor of her Granny. Sylvia remembered all of the family gatherings at granny’s. The food was always so good. Granny made most of it herself, with the help of her grandchildren. It was like, tradition. There was fried chicken, ham, pork chops, ribs, greens, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, corn bread dressing, peach cobbler, carmel cake, and so much more.
Family gatherings always meant food made with love. Everybody would be together. Aunts, uncles, cousins, everybody. So many joyful times together. Sylvia remembered her granny having her come over on weekends, and teaching her how to cook.
Granny never used a cookbook. She just knew how much of each ingredient to add. A pinch of this, a teaspoon of that, and everything would turn out perfectly. All of this, she taught to Sylvia, as well as giving her advice on “getting along in the world,” as she would put it. Her granny was such a Godly lady.
She never missed church. She served as a deaconess, and she was always volunteering to go visit the sick and shut-in members. Spending so much time with her granny gave Sylvia such a love for cooking, that when she went off to college, she knew that she wanted to one day open a restaurant to share her love for cooking. She would ask her granny if she would come in once, or twice a week to help her. She knew that her granny would just love that.
Sylvia majored in business. She knew how to cook, but she wanted to learn how to start a business. Sadly, her granny passed away a month before her graduation.
It was now ten years after graduation, and it had been a difficult road to opening up the restaurant. She had her business partners, but they had to secure financing, find a building, bring in the right equipment, hire managers and staff, design the interior. Coming up with the menu was the fun part. She was just so thankful to her grandmother, and all she had taught her. “Anna Mae Johnson, thank you.” They had now been open for a little over a month, and business was good, very good. The word was out. Anna Mae’s Soul Food was some good eating.