2. Food That Feeds the Soul

It is almost 6 p.m and the sun has not yet set in New York City’s Greenwich Village. It is a perfect winter afternoon for New York’s trendiest people to stroll around the residential neighborhood. Along the picturesque streets, one cannot help but notice a cute little place on Grover Street right off the corner of Bleeker. Its name, The Pink Teacup, suggests a coffee shop, yet the unfamiliar passerby may be surprised to find out that it in fact serves mouth-watering, succulent, lush Southern soul food. From smothered chicken wings, to heavenly pancakes, to sweet potato pie, one cannot leave this restaurant any less than delighted.

The Pink Teacup’s utterly rosy pink interior is covered with autographed photographs of famous people, predominantly African Americans, such as Dave Chapelle, Whoopi Goldberg, and Oprah Winfrey. Contemporary artists such as Rihanna, Jay-Z, and Beyonce have all eaten at the restaurant this year. “Run Simmons was here this Sunday. We were on the paper,” Nadine says, one of the waitresses, as she hands me the most recent copy of the New York Post opened to page 6. “The Pink Teacup is the best soul food place downtown,” Simmons, one of the founding members of the hip hop group Run- D.M.C, tells the New York Post, “Their fried chicken and macaroni is amazing. I still have 10 more pounds to lose, so I better stop talking about it!” Despite its vast recognition and fame due to its enchanting soul food, the restaurant’s atmosphere remains homey and unpretentious. It has preserved its small-business traditions with its crowded small wooden tables, its no-reservation-cash only policy, and its modest price range.

Mary Raye, a Florida native, opened the restaurant fifty-four years ago. She had a profound passion for cooking and had worked as a chef in many houses and hotels. She finally decided to pursue her dream by opening her very own restaurant. “Pink was the owner’s favorite color,” Glover Glander, the restaurant’s current chef, tells me as I indulge in her heavenly pancakes. In 1989, Mary Raye’s husband Charles handed the business over to their niece Seretta Ford with only one request: to conserve the restaurant’s original recipes.

A friendly black waitress greets me with a pleasant smile. Her name is Nadine and she is a young Jamaican woman, who has been a waitress at the Pink Teacup for eight years. Every week, Mondays through Thursdays, she works twelve-hour shifts from 10 a.m to 10 p.m. “I’m so tired!” she says in her Jamaican accent to one of the older male workers. Every night after work, she takes the train back home to Brooklyn where her husband and children await her. “The shifts are exhausting, but we all love our jobs. Working here is quite fun! That’s why we’ve all been working here for so long! The guy before me, Russell, had worked as a waiter here for twelve years until he finally retired,” Nadine recalls.

Nadine came to New York City when she was a teenager and lived in Brooklyn with her mother. “At first I didn’t like it here. I am used to people greeting me in the streets, say ‘good morning’ to me. Here everybody looked so serious. And the streets were so crowded!” Yet the hubbub and alienation of the city was not Nadine’s main concern. “I hated the food here! My mom did not have the time to cook for me since she was working two jobs. I looked for soul food restaurants on the Internet and this is how I found this one. Luckily for me, the moment I came, there was a job opening for a waitress. And that’s how I’m here! Funny story!” Nadine’s love for her job is reflected in very single one of her actions- from her smiles, to her chatty behavior, to her talks about the celebrities she has met at the restaurant, to the free lemonade and tea drinks she so kindly served me. Little does she know that she is actually one of the Pink Teacup’s many charms. This charismatic woman would be reason enough for a customer to return to the restaurant anytime.

Of course, the Pink Teacup would not be anything without the work of another great woman. Glander Glover, a New York native, has been a chef at the Pink Teacup for thirteen years. She is an older African American woman of a medium built and height. She has short gray hair and a kind yet strong face. Not too long ago, no other than singer Aretha Franklin asked Glander for her autograph, mesmerized by her delicious cuisine. “I couldn’t believe Aretha Franklin was asking me for my autograph! I love her! It was a true honor.” Unlike some renowned chefs in New York City, Glander displays no sign of arrogance. She still finds it surprising when people admire her as a chef. “Thanks for your interest. I really appreciate it.”, she says after I ask her about her work and congratulate her for her delicious pancakes. Her dedication to her job transmits to every single one of her scrumptious dishes, which she prepares with pride.

The Pink Teacup is, without a doubt, more than just a good restaurant. It is a place of hardworking and humble people whose genuine mission is to feed the souls of every single one of their customers.