It was a packed house on Wednesday evening at Breaking Bread Cafe & Catering (1210 W. Broadway Av., Mpls., 612-529-9346), and the draw was oxtails.
And cornmeal tempura walleye fingers, fried chicken, smoked brisket, collard greens, gumbo, red beans and rice, cornbread, banana pudding and sweet tea.
The popular pop-up event — titled #WHERETHESOULFOODATMPLS — is the work of Onyx Culinary Collective, a recently formed group of eight Twin Cities African-American chefs and food enthusiasts.
"There are no soul food restaurants in the metro area," said member Nicole Pacini. "When people come to a city for a big event like the Super Bowl — and I'm talking about black people — they first thing they want to know is, 'Where is the soul food?' So we're catering to those people who are coming to town, and giving them good food."
More than 100 people showed up -- and ate well -- on a snowy Wednesday night. The event continues Thursday and Friday, from 5 to 10 p.m. Is this a restaurant in the making?
"That's our goal, absolutely," said Pacini. "This is our first event as a group, and when it's over we're going to regroup and evaluate. We all have the vision of doing something really big."