Hughley’s serves ‘flavor with soul’

Hughley’s Southern Cuisine started life about six months ago as Ken Nae’s, a mash-up of owner Kenneth Hughley’s name and his mother’s, Renae. But with his wife and daughters also working the restaurant, he recently made the switch to the family name to reflect their collective effort.

What they deliver is what they call “flavor with soul,” which I would describe as mostly Southern with some contemporary switch-ups to take health into account, which will be welcome to some, blasphemous to others.

Having once been engaged to a man from the South, from Florida’s Panhandle near Ala­bama, I’m well acquainted with the full-fat-ahead nature of Southern cuisine, which doesn’t quite mesh with the current push for health-sustaining, life-extending foods. What do you think organics and juicing is all about?

Hughley’s aims for a little bit of balance from offering mini­plates with just a taste of wickedness to collard greens minus the extra heft and pleasure of ham hocks.

Hughley, who grew up in Cleveland and spent 26 years as a Navy cook, learned to cook from his grandparents, who hailed from Arkansas and Mississippi.

“The way that I ate, and the way they cooked back in the day, they didn’t have all the options you have now,” he said of the missing pork in the greens. “I also have a bunch of customers who don’t eat pork, so I don’t put pork in it.”

Not all are pleased by the absence of the smoky pork flavor, but it’s not as if this is all diet food. As Hughley says, “You still want to take a nap afterward.”

The most popular dishes are the fried catfish ($13.99) and fried chicken ($14.99 for wings, $13.99 for thighs). I especially love the home-style fried chicken with a light flour coating, which is airy, crisp and virtually greaseless. Eat it while it’s hot. If fried chicken is on your “do not eat” list but you still crave a bite, a mini­plate with one chicken thigh is $7.50; two chicken wings is $8. The mini­plates come with a choice of one side.

Otherwise, full plates here come with a choice of two sides, with such a long list of options that even if you think you know what you want, you may be swayed. Choose from black-eyed peas, green beans, nongooey fried okra, collard greens, candied yams that might double as dessert, baked beans, hush puppies, red beans and rice, mac ’n’ cheese, steamed rice, mashed potatoes with gravy and cole slaw. Steamed rice isn’t a Southern thang, but was added to accommodate local requests.

The sides are so tempting, if you feel you need more, extras are $2 regular and $4 large.

Among my favorites were the baked beans, red beans and rice, three-cheese mac ’n’ cheese and cole slaw so fresh-tasting it’ll feel like an antidote to the heavier fare you’re ingesting. It’s one of the north-south hybrids on the menu, with less of the creamy mayo you’d expect and more of the tang of lemon juice and vinegar. Although Hughley says 95 percent of the dishes are made from scratch, the mashed potatoes taste like they come from a box.

Smothered pork chops ($13.99) are fork tender, as are spareribs ($15.99 half-rack, $23.99 full), though the latter could use less of the generic barbecue sauce. I ended up scraping off much of it.

Smoky beef brisket ($15.99) is sliced thin and also served with a side of barbecue sauce. For those in the mood for a sandwich, there are catfish or pork chop po’ boys ($11.99 each) or a spicy buffalo chicken sandwich ($11.99).

Many will be happy to note that in spite of the dawning of the “authentic tea” age, no liberties were taken with the Southern sweet tea, which still delivers the expected sugar rush, more sweet than tea.

Although there is enough staff on hand for table service, orders are taken at the counter and brought to the table. Hughley explained that new customers were unfamiliar with all the sides, so pointing them out at the counter was easier. But I find service to be too slow this way because some of the wait staff seem to have trouble with comprehension and writing. If writing down an order is going to take 15 minutes, I’d rather be sitting than standing.

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Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.