Eva’s Soul Food: Feed your Soul

As Taylor and I do every Wednesday night, we went looking for a new place for dinner before Swoop’s World, and this time we batted a thousand. We stumbled into Eva’s Soul Food, located at the Cal Bowl on Carson. As we walked in the door, the sign announcing the special of the day to be Chicken and Dumplings let me know right away that I was in for something special. Set up like an old southern diner with a lunch counter and plenty of tables, Eva’s is more than welcoming for any number of people that you want to roll in with.

We found a seat and started to peruse the menu. It did not take long for me to find the meatloaf and if you know me, that is what I am going to have. Meatloaf out is not always a good choice (and rarely does it even come close to what I make), but being at a soul food establishment and seeing the order on the guy’s plate behind me was convincing enough for my judgment. Taylor decided on the Smothered Chicken which was two very large legs and one thigh of southern fried chicken covered in a very thick and rich brown gravy. Both of our meals came with three different sides and two cornbread muffins each. I chose the Mac and Cheese, Collard Greens, and Red Beans and Rice. Taylor’s selection substituted Green Beans for the Collard Greens, but followed suit on the rest.

With my mouth watering so much that I thought that I was going to drool all over the table we waited all of about five minutes before the food started to roll out. First came the sides, and let me tell you they are served like an entrée. Plated on dishes with the dividers so that everything gets its own home, the mound of food is amazing in its own right. Then came the main course and again the amount of food blew me away; as mine was three slabs of meatloaf about five inches in length and two inches thick it was a meal to behold. My meatloaf was seasoned to perfection and the gravy was just right. The greens were good, but the Mac and Cheese and the Red Beans where great! The few bites of Taylor’s chicken that I had were very satisfying and his Green Beans took the cake for being the best side on the table. As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, but would have preferred all of the food to be a bit hotter in temperature, as by the end of our feast everything was pretty cooled off. Still, that is a minor issue when your gut feels like it is going to pop!

Next time that you are looking for some good old comfort food, you have to make the trip to Eva’s. If you don’t have a huge appetite you may want to share, but you can also always take it home for late night snackin’s.

Until Next Time, Keep Eating Long Beach,

Cliv