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L&G Southern Soul Food
317 S. Dupont Hwy., New Castle, 322-7774, landgsoulfood.com
Lester and Geri Simmons strive to put the soul in soul food.
The titular husband-and-wife “L” and “G” opened their Southern-inspired restaurant in 2009. Their Christian faith, Lester says, is the driving force. “That’s why we’re here,” he says. “That’s what is most important about this business. We put that first in whatever we do, and we put our whole selves into it.”
Reverence, family and tradition carry the weight at L&G, where humongous portions of fried whiting fillet and rich macaroni and cheese are considered house specialties.
“Most of our recipes are from our ancestry, from either our parents or grandparents,” Lester Simmons says. “So that’s 70 years at least. And we make them as close to the way they taught us as possible.”
The whiting arrives in generous three-piece portions cloaked in a crispy outer-crunch. Simmered collard greens and kale—spiked with smoked turkey—join the long list of popular side items, alongside slow-baked mac and cheese, which utilizes a secret blend of cheeses. Customers often double up on the rich, buttery mac. “It’s one of the more expensive items to produce, but the results are worth it,” Simmons says.