All the dish: where to go when you want a little soul

If anything good could be said to have come out of the events of September 11, it's that the world got to see something most New Yorkers have known for years--that beneath the city's brusque exterior beats as warm a heart as ever was. It is, after all, its emotional depth, and its extraordinary sense of soul, that's made the city so appealing to artists and writers for generations. So in the spirit of celebrating a quality that's now forever linked to New York, here's a look at a handful of spots where a similar vibe is the order of the day: soul food restaurants.

AMY RUTH'S 113W. 116th St., 212-280-8779

Ever since it opened for business, Amy Ruth's has established itself as one of the city's most reliable restaurants for traditional southern cooking--it's not hard to see why. Despite an over-lit dining room closer in mood to a bus station donut shop than a traditional restaurant, Amy Ruth's manages to convey plenty of familial goodwill--not surprising, given that owner and chef Carl Redding named the place for his grandmother. It's an approach that's apparent in everything that arrives at the table. As we've come to expect where soul food is concerned, bountiful is the operative word here. So whether you order the fine bourbon-glazed ham (a Sunday night special), the perfect honey-dipped fried chicken, or the two-fisted pork chops smothered in gravy, you can be assured of leaving the table at minimum satisfied and more likely vowing to forego food for days. Of course, there's also the full roster of classic Southern sides to choose from, desserts including an intensely sweet red velvet cake, and a full waffle menu, which can be had with a variety of fried accompaniments, from chicken to shrimp.

JEZEBEL 630 Ninth Ave., 212-582-1045

With its scarlet walls, mismatched porch furniture and swags of brightly colored silk, Jezebel embodies much of what is best about theater-district dining--a let's-put-on-a-show attitude that's at once homespun and carefully choreographed. The design choices may have been dictated by a limited budget, but 19 years into the restaurant's life they're now as much a part of its identity as what comes out of the kitchen. In keeping with the setting, food here is of the traditional variety; including a spicy she-crab soup, fried chicken and waffles guaranteed to cause at least a momentary lull in conversation, fine smothered pork chops, and, of course--making a frequent Jezebel's appearance--collard greens, given extra snap thanks to a generous helping of vinegar. For dessert there's much to turn your head, but my applause was reserved for one star--the banana pudding, flecked with Nilla wafers.

MAROONS 244 W. 16th St., 212-206-8640

Maroons is the sort of spot (narrow storefront, low lighting, tightly wedged tables) that promotes closeness. Its let-it-all-hang-out approach sets the restaurant apart and can make for either a one-of-a-kind evening or an intensely frustrating one. Whichever, it's unlikely you'll find fault with the consistently attentive service, or with the bulk of what comes out of the kitchen. In addition to Southern classics, Maroons offers traditional Jamaican ones as well, a cultural coupling that suits what we've come to expect from the words "soul food." The restaurant scores most consistently in the seafood arena, be it grilled garlic shrimp or spicy red snapper from the Southern entrees, to the Montego Bay variety from the Jamaican selections. Less successful is the stuffed pork chop (tough) or the jerk chicken (dry), though the kitchen clearly knows how to make a sauce and to wield their spice rack. There are also crab cakes, fried green tomatoes and cod fritters among other classics to open the meal, and a varie ty of traditional Southern sweets to close it. Don't miss the sweet potato pie.

SYLVIA'S RESTAURANT

328 Lenox Ave., 212-996-0660

When Sylvia and Herbert Woods opened the eponymously named Sylvia's in 1962 it's doubtful they imagined their restaurant would come to be synonymous with soul food in Manhattan. For most establishments, success at this level would spell disaster, but a visit to Sylvia's confirms that it's much the same as it ever was: Its three main dining rooms are still pleasantly down-at-heel, the service is still folksy and unassuming and the ambience--dominated on my most recent visit by the blare of a wall--mounted television--is still secondary in importance. Most notably, however, the kitchen has not veered from its original charter. So should you order the surprisingly light fried salmon croquettes, the zesty, tomato sauce slathered meat loaf (available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays), baked ham worthy of any Sunday supper or the perfectly prepared fried chicken, you'll discover the same satisfying, homey dishes that helped the restaurant make its name. What's more, unlike other restaurants of its kind, Sylvia's subscrib es to the less-is-more philosophy--so while you'll get plenty to eat, you'll still have the option of topping off your meal with a dessert instead of Alka-Seltzer. Coconut cake, anyone?