COMMUNITY PROFILE THE RELEVANCE OF SOUL FOOD IN DENVER STORY BY KHALEIGH REID IN DENVER, finding authentic soul food can feel like a missing link. As someone from the South who grew up eating traditional meals of greens, gumbos, and other southern staples, I was surprised to discover a lack of familiar or comforting tastes in such a large metropolitan area. Soul food has no simple definition. Instead, it is a history told through spices, aged pots, and cherished recipes, passed down through generations. In Denver, soul food is a bridge between southern cuisine and the innermost parts of Colorado’s largest city. There’s perhaps no one better equipped to talk about soul food in Denver than two-time James Beard Award-winning author and culinary historian, Adrian Miller, aka “the Soul Food Scholar.” Miller studies and writes about the historical aspects of cuisine and its connection to the African diaspora. He also speaks on the relevance and roots of soul food in Denver. Serving as executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches, Miller lives in Denver, but he recently curated the “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History” exhibit at the Museum of Boulder. Miller believes that Denver’s soul food culture largely stems from the Great Migration, which brought with it diverse cooking techniques, traditions, and a strong sense of pride. “[When people migrate], they try to recreate home, and food is often a great way to do that,” Miller said. According to Miller, Black people have been in this area — especially Denver — since at least 1859, when Clara Brown arrived. “There were others before her, but she’s the one whose name we know,” Miller said. Miller explained that Black-owned restaurants have also been part of Denver’s landscape since the 1860s, including the People’s Restaurant, which was run by a man named Barney Ford. The significance of cultural food and its history has not changed, nor have the ways it has nourished communities everywhere. According to Miller, while many ingredients were not always accessible, soul food was easy to cultivate in various cultures and places. “It’s more about class and place than it is about race,” Miller said. “People of the same socioeconomic status were pretty much eating the same foods, [but] because of racism, they didn’t eat together.” At the time, redlining was at its highest, forcing neighborhoods to create their own community despite their struggles. This dates as far back as slavery. There was always food to help create a safe haven and sense of togetherness. That togetherness also brought stories and appreciation for what people could bring to the table, no matter where they were from. “Soul food is much more complex,” Miller said. “It brings THERE’S PERHAPS NO ONE BETTER EQUIPPED TO TALK ABOUT SOUL FOOD IN DENVER THAN ADRIAN MILLER, AKA, “THE SOUL FOOD SCHOLAR.” | PHOTO COURTESY OF ADRIAN MILLER together the food traditions and culinary techniques and ingredients of three places: West Africa, Western Europe, and the Americas, and this all interacts and comes together in the American South.” “I believe that any cuisine tells a story, and soul food is the journey of African Americans,” Miller said. So, it really asks, ‘What did Africans, particularly West Africans, bring to this part of the world?’ How were those foods embraced? Things like okra, black eyed peas, watermelon, hibiscus, types of sesame seed, just a few to name a few. All of those foods were introduced here.” So, where can you find soul food in Denver? Although the best soul food always begins in the home, Denver does have restaurants that offer good soul food, one of which is Welton Cafe. The prominent restaurant has been around since 1999 4 DENVER VOICE August 2025 and has caught the attention of local news and the Food Network. In 2021, Welton Café was voted Westword’s Best Southern/Soul Food Restaurant. Another standout restaurant is Mattie’s Soul Food Bar and Lounge, just off East Colfax. Mattie’s is a family-owned restaurant that serves its take on soul food to the Denver Metro area with catfish, fried chicken, and various other dishes and sides. Miller will continue to focus on his work, acknowledging the significance soul food has for America and the community. “I am on a mission,” Miller said. “Whenever somebody critiques soul food, I just really implore them to take a more nuanced and comprehensive view because soul food is the celebration food in the South.” by
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