Corinne's Place

Corinne's Place is a restaurant in Camden, New Jersey. In 2022 the restaurant was selected as an America's Classic by the James Beard Foundation.

History

Corinne Bradley-Powers, a Camden native and lifelong resident and at the time a single mother, founded the restaurant on Haddon Avenue in Camden in 1989.[1][2][3][4] Before starting the business, she was a social worker.[5] She bought the property in 1985, but struggled to get a loan, and took on a catering job to fund the business.[6] At first, the restaurant was open only on weekends.[6] By 1995, it was open Wednesday through Saturday, with an all-day buffet on Sundays.[6] Bradley-Powers was often joined in the kitchen by her mother, Fannie Anderson, who had taught her how to cook, while her own daughter worked as a waitress.[6] At the time, she advertised the restaurant as "soul food with a touch of class".[6]

In 2008, Corinne's Place was featured in a Gannett New Jersey article, which called it "a treasured part of Camden's community", noting that regulars often called on Bradley-Powers for catering weddings and other events.[7]

When the James Beard foundation announced the 2022 America's Classics list, friends texted Bradley-Powers to congratulate her; she had never heard of the foundation or its namesake.[8][9]

The restaurant focuses on southern specialties such as fried chicken, pigs feet, smothered pork chops, turkey wings, fried catfish, black-eyed peas, greens, cornbread, and sweet potatoes.[1][2][3][5] Philadelphia Inquirer dining editor Craig LaBan called Bradley-Powers “the queen of soul food” the restaurant's fried chicken “unforgettable.”[8]

Recognition

In 2022 the restaurant was selected as an America's Classic by the James Beard Foundation;[10] the foundation in their announcement called the restaurant "a pillar of community at the heart of one of America’s lowest-income cities".[1] NBC News in 2020 called the restaurant "acclaimed".[11] Local and regional media have called the restaurant "iconic"[3] and Bradley-Powers a pillar of her community.[12]

Ownership

Bradley-Powers sold the restaurant to Trevor Vaughan and Craig Sawyer in 2019 and maintains a consulting role.[3]

See also

References
  1. Robertson, Greg (March 3, 2022). "Six Restaurants Receive Prestigious James Beard American Classics Award". TravelAwaits. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  2. "Announcing the 2022 America's Classics Winners | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  3. Whittaker, Celeste E.; Trethan, Phaedra (February 16, 2022). "Corinne's Place restaurant in Camden wins prestigious James Beard award". Courier News. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  4. "Corinne's Place serves soul food with a heart of gold". 6abc Philadelphia. March 11, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  5. Winne, Judith W. (March 5, 2008). "Soul Food for the Soul". Home News Tribune. Gannett New Jersey. p. E1. Retrieved March 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Riordan, Kevin (January 9, 1995). "Woman cooks up soul food". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. Retrieved March 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Winne, Judith W. (March 5, 2008). "Soul Food for the Soul (Continued from E1)". The Central New Jersey Home News. Gannett New Jersey. p. E2. Retrieved March 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Finn, Jennifer (June 23, 2022). "Meet the Woman Behind Corinne's Place, Camden's Renowned Soul-Food Spot". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  9. "A toast to Philadelphia's girl bosses, entrepreneurs and women business owners". 6abc Philadelphia. March 11, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  10. McClellan, Jennifer (June 14, 2022). "Who won on food's big night? See the full list of James Beard Award 2022 winners". USA Today. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  11. "7 years ago, this city disbanded its police force. It now serves as a model for others". NBC News. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  12. Finn, Jennifer (August 5, 2020). "Black-Owned Restaurants, Longtime Community Pillars, Garner New Devotees". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved February 28, 2023.

Further reading

39.9315°N 75.1016°W / 39.9315; -75.1016

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