Stellar Soul Food on Capitol

Jul. 21, 2014

5:38 p.m.

Located inside aformer church, Stella J’s Soul Food (7434 W. Capitol Drive) has beentransformed into a roomy space accented with arched colored brick, the kind ofsetting one may at first mistake for the sort of Greek family eatery. Amidchicken and pork chops fried or smothered (that is, drowned in gravy),barbequed pork ribs and the chicken and waffles entrée (a rising presence amongAfrican American restaurants in the city), catfish makes for a flavorful, lightlyfilling spread. Two long, thin filets, crisply fried in what tastes likecornmeal, served on a large, white plate. Choose from two of a wide array ofsides; greens on a recent visit combined turnip and mustard greens in a mix notsoupy but with a pleasant grittiness. Speckled butter beans come in a uniformlyrich maroon color, unlike the traditional green variety. Yams might be a goodpick to accompany a main dish, too, to give a bit of moisture to thegriddlecake of cornbread.