Soul food is more than just a meal. It’s kinship and history piled high on a plate. It’s about the people who make it and the community it brings to the table. That’s the philosophy behind Signature Soul, Shaun Jenkins’ new restaurant in the former Umma’s location.
As the eclectic sister to Jenkins’ Soul Food Joint on Rio Road, Signature Soul offers the same essence of down-home dishes, with origins rooted in the walk-up window, but here they’re elevated in an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of a rustic home.
“We missed being downtown and thought Charlottesville could use our soul food again,” says Jenkins, referring to Soul Food Joint’s former home on Market Street.
Jenkins, who takes great pride in running a family-owned restaurant in Charlottesville, has been hanging around his family’s kitchen since he was “hip-height,” and credits his mother, Chef Honey, who has her hands in the recipes. “It’s like I inherited her taste,” he says. “I’ve eaten this food my whole life.”
Jenkins wants to expand his menu, but for now Signature Soul is leaning on the Soul Food Joint classics—fried fish and chicken, collards and candied yams—to anchor the menu while experimenting with daily specials. Fried chicken Alfredo, creative sliders, Cajun fried deviled eggs, and jambalaya are dishes that could become staples. “When people think of this kind of food, they think of the meats, like collard greens with ham hocks,” he says, going over a full menu of vegetarian sides. “We want everybody to be able to come in and find something they’ll like.”
The new soul-food speakeasy offers a happy hour in a loungey decor that invites you to stick around. And the bar brings a new late-night option to downtown, a place where Jenkins hopes patrons will stay to enjoy local music, DJs, and comedy shows.
Come spring, the patio will open with a brunch menu that includes signature drinks, chicken and waffles, and brisket and eggs. “If I could choose ribs or pulled pork over bacon, that’s what I’m getting,” Jenkins laughs, “I don’t care what time of day it is.”
Standing over a bowl of brined chicken broken down by hand, Jenkins pulls back the skin of a drumstick and dunks it in Chef Honey’s seasoning, sure to get every bit dredged. “Soul food is infused in every dish in the world, because that’s how all food started,” he says. “If you’re missing something in your life, if you’re missing something in your food, you’re missing soul food.”
Shaun Jenkins adds new dining and late-night options with the opening of Signature Soul in the former Umma’s space. Photo by BJ Poss.
