Mama Nana’s Pick-Mar Family Restaurant (7276 N. Teutonia Ave.) merits bypassing the chain joints nearby. The TVs aren’t too loud as to impede conversation and for those not in the mood for the African American specialties, the menu is wide enough for most any appetite. But many of Nana’s most soulful dishes number among their most economical and hearty meals. Chicken neck bones or pork chitterlings with a slightly spicy flavor and nearly stew-like consistency are both priced at less than $7 and come with a side of hot water cornbread. Diners hankering for a Southern-style breakfast should appreciate another corn staple, buttery hominy grits; the chicken and waffles combo features a few wings instead of breasts or white meat tenders served elsewhere. It’s likewise a pleasure to have a consistent place to have salmon croquettes, lately most often a feature of special morning soul buffets. As with several other Northwest Side restaurants, Sunday afternoons are all the more about soul food, with midday plates of two or three meats and an array or veggies and starches from which to choose for fixed plate prices. For midweek caffeinating, coffee flows for a mere 50 cents.
