Carolyn Fath
What’s not divine when it comes to fried chicken, cornbread, greens, yams and mac ’n’ cheese?
Madison is a bit of a soul food desert. Sure, McGee’s has been operating for several years now on South Park Street, but Melly Mell’s closed as a brick and mortar (although it still does catering) and Sweet Tea at the Fountain was short-lived.
I’m holding out hope that Anointed One, which opened in November 2017, can finally be the answer to soul food on Madison’s west side.
The menu is simple. It fits on one page and consists of standards and daily specials. Start with that hallmark of soul food, fried chicken. Anointed One’s version is highly seasoned. Peel the crispy, salty breading away (eat it, of course) to reveal juicy, flavorful meat beneath. It comes with a side of spicy buffalo sauce if you want some extra burn, but you don’t really need it. Appreciate this chicken in all its glory, as is.
The Friday fried catfish special is another winner. Three sizeable catfish filets are coated with just enough crunchy breading — you don’t lose sight of the tender fish inside. I knew before I asked that the tartar sauce was homemade; it was especially creamy and had chunks of pickle thrown in.
On a Wednesday visit I was looking forward to the meatloaf special, but it wasn’t yet ready for the day at 12:30 p.m. (The restaurant opens at 11, so I was disappointed it wasn’t prepped during what presumably should be the lunch rush.)
Instead, I opted for the shrimp po’ boy, which was delicious. It came open-faced on a flaky white sub bun, heaped with iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, pickle and about eight fried shrimp. On the side was that glorious tartar sauce.
Sandwiches come with two sides; specials and dinners come with three. While sides are typically considered second string, the sides at Anointed One are not to be missed.
Homemade coleslaw pairs fresh, crunchy cabbage with a dressing that’s a little sour and a little sweet, and more saucy than creamy. Macaroni and cheese, another key side, also scores high. The sauce is creamy and speckled with black pepper. The mellow sauce contrasts with a layer of sharp cheddar melted over the top.
Green beans and collard greens are nicely brined, and gain depth with the smoky flavor of bacon. Yams, with their brown-sugar goodness, can almost sub for dessert. And because every meal comes with cornbread, you can’t miss it and definitely shouldn’t skip it. You don’t even need to smear butter on it; it’s that good.
Some menu items stray from what I would consider typical soul food. Still, they’re worth noting. True Italian beef sandwiches, a staple in the Chicago area, are unfortunately a little harder to come by in Madison, just 140 miles northwest, but grab your opportunity here. There’s also a Philly cheesesteak and a deep-fried Polish sausage. And I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to be wowed by the steak quesadilla, but I was pleasantly surprised with the generous amount of steak and cheese and the hint of tomato that brought it all together.
Carolyn Fath
Even more divine: the banana pudding.
Finally, save room for the banana pudding. Special desserts are included on the weekly menu, but the banana pudding seems to be a mainstay, and with good reason. Anointed One gets it just right, with a creamy, rich banana custard, layered on the sides with Nilla wafers that are crunchy up top but soft where they’ve sunk in, lending additional richness to the pudding. This masterpiece is topped off with fresh, homemade whipped cream. I would recommend sharing this. I know from personal experience that there are uncomfortable consequences for finishing it off alone.
Anointed One was much quieter than I expected when I’ve visited. I’m hoping that I coincidentally missed their busier times. I’d love to see Madisonians support more diversified cuisine and this is a menu we need to see stick around.
Anointed One
515 Junction Road; 608-203-9671; 11 am-7 pm Tues.-Sat.,
11 am-6 pm Sun.; $3-$12
