Luella’s Southern Kitchen

Don’t be fooled by the no-frills interior of this homey little soul food spot. Yes, you order at the counter; and yes, you’ll be helping yourself to utensils, napkins and ice water. However, Luella’s is cooking up anything but fast food. This earnest kitchen makes your order from scratch, and it’s more than worth the wait. The surrounding artwork is half the fun anyway: you might even recognize prints like “Sugar Shack” by artist Ernie Barnes from the 1970’s sitcom, “Good Times.”

The tender buttermilk-fried chicken is a thing of beauty, served with warm collards braised with ham hock. Then pillowy biscuits, cooked to order and served with apricot jam, are pure bliss; as are Mississippi hot tamales stuffed with Slagel Farms beef and melted cheddar cheese.