My mom's cooking started in the early 1940's, when she transplanted form Florida to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  She began cooking for white families in their homes, providing income for her family to live on.  She married a 'Prince' and open a small cafe in an area called "Tin Top Alley", cooking for local Black folks.  Here she refined her cooking skills.  In 1959 her family brought  land and built a rooming house with a cafe in front.  She was still cooking for Black folks until the late 19 ... More

My mom's cooking started in the early 1940's, when she transplanted form Florida to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  She began cooking for white families in their homes, providing income for her family to live on.  She married a 'Prince' and open a small cafe in an area called "Tin Top Alley", cooking for local Black folks.  Here she refined her cooking skills.  In 1959 her family brought  land and built a rooming house with a cafe in front.  She was still cooking for Black folks until the late 1970's, when a few soldiers from the airforce base started coming to the small cafe.  Then the word got out, about how good the food was, and it was 'on' from that time.  I started helping out in the kitchen around 1978, while pursuing a degree in Hotel, Motel, Restaurant management.  I learned quickly and soon was doing most of the cooking as my mother's health was deteriorating.  Less