Restaurant Spotlight of the Week:

There’s a nice, hidden-away restaurant off Columbia Pike that will really stun you. It goes by the name of Flavors Soul Food, and when you step in, the aroma alone will enchant you. As you sit down at a booth, surrounded by colorful and vibrant paintings that populate the walls, you might experience a sensory overload with the combination of vivid sights, rich scents, and friendly sounds of conversation around you. And to think, all this after my experience of overhearing two gentlemen talking about how the chicken was simply the best they had tasted in the area.

You see, Flavors specializes in classic southern fare, and not only does it excel at that specialty, but it will make a perfect restaurant for a steamy summer day or evening. The chicken is delectably tender and the Fried Pork Chops have a great texture to them. The buffalo wings (which are offered in Mild, Hot, BBQ, or Suicide) are just as good as any place solely devoted to wings would make them. Even the ribs are succulent enough that it seems the meat falls off the bone. To put it succinctly, everything offered here seems like—and tastes like—a specialty.

Of course, the sides are no exception to that notion. Collard Greens (seasoned excellently with smoked turkey), string beans, cabbage, macaroni and cheese…all the sides you might have loathed as a child are back here with a vengeance. Each item compliments the main dinner you order incredibly well, and even tastes excellent a la carte. Specifically exceptional are the candied yams, a cinnamon-sweet respite from the spicy and hearty meat on the menu. Of course, the southern classic of black-eyed peas are offered, which are also delicious.

The desserts are icing on the glorious cake. Sweet Potato Pie might bring back memories of Pumpkin Pie from childhood, but once again, it goes far beyond the taste, adding a caramelized goodness that ends the meal with a bang. German Chocolate Cake is similarly sweet and generally mouth-watering.

Even if the decorum and food do not immerse you in the spirit, the service, too, demonstrates a genuine sense of southern hospitality. You’re greeted with smiles and perhaps a nice joke, and and the food is quickly prepared and kindly served. The managers do not wear elaborate suits, just casual t-shirts. It’s very refreshing to visit a restaurant so atmospherically different from the fine-dining restaurants, and yet just as focused on excellent preparation and selection of foods.

There’s an excellent sense of balance in every meal, no matter how made-to-order a customer might get it. There are great possibilities with what you can order, but there might be a few clashing tastes. That case seems to take a cognitive effort to disrupt a meal, though, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. When it comes down to it, the sides and main course, the drinks and desserts, all interact in a way that makes a truly great meal. Your soul will most certainly be fed by the end of your visit to Flavors.